University of Virginia Library

Davis Cup In Richmond

U.S. Tops British Caribbean

By Tom Sansonetti
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Over two thousand tennis
aficionados surged through the
main entrance of Richmond's Byrd
Park No. 1. Finally procuring
seats in the ninety-one degree
heat, they settled down to listen to
a Marine Corps band dressed in
black uniforms that was attempting
to entertain them:

The band was just part of the
pomp and circumstance surrounding
the recent Davis Cup Matches
with the United States facing the
British Caribbean in first round
play. Now came the introduction
of the teams as the sweating
Marines were made to board their
bus bound for North Carolina
without getting to see a match.

Donald Dell, the U.S. Captain
and a Virginia alumnus ('64), introduced
his players. The owners
of such internationally famous
names like Charley Pasarell,
Arthur Ashe, and Clark Graebner
stepped forward to the applause
of the crowd. Then the
equally unknown members of the
three member West Indies team
were recognized.

Now matters turned to the
serious business at hand, as the
first singles match began, pitting
Graebner and British Caribbean
Captain Richard Russell. The pressure
on the favored United States
contingent clearly showed on
Graebner's taut face as he warmed
up.

However, starting with his first
serve, a booming ace, Graebner
was in complete control of the
match winning 6-1, 7-5, 6-1. His
victory was the first of a string
of U.S. triumphs, as they defeated
their opponents 5-0 to advance into
the second round play against the
Mexico-Canada winner.

The hard asphalt courts were
utilized as a showcase for Richmonder
Ashe's amazing serve. Although
weighing only 155 pounds,
Ashe hits his serve at over a
hundred miles an hour. In his two
appearances over the weekend
Ashe had twenty-six aces to his
credit.

The U.S. doubles team of Stan
Smith and Bob Lutz, roommates
at Southern California, easily won
their match Saturday in three
straight sets. Both Lutz and Smith
are deadly volleyers, and they are
currently ranked third in the nation.

Woman Marvel At Arm

An elderly lady to this writer's
left drew his attention to the former's
terrifically muscled right arm
with her cackled exclamation,
"Look at that young man's arm!"
Sure enough Lutz's right extremity
was as out of proportion to his
left as a playboy foldout's first
dimension.

Because of his efforts during the
entire week of prematch practice,
Lutz was named to replace
Graebner in one of the two meaningless
singles matches Sunday
afternoon. He performed almost
flawlessly with a resounding 6-0,
6-2, 6-1 victory over the British
Caribbean's second ranked player
Lance Lumsden.

Best Match Doesn't Count

Strangely enough the best match
of the three day event did not
count. In an exhibition following
Saturday afternoon's doubles,
Ashe beat this country's numero
uno, Charley Pasarell, 6-3, 6-3.
However, as Pasarell had not
picked up a tennis racket in four
weeks since his induction into the
army in April, his play was erratic.

This was the first time any Davis
Cup tennis competition had been
held in the South. Several dignitaries
made the scene, that they
might stand up and be clapped
for. These included State Senator
William Spong, former head of
the Peace Corps, Sargent Shriver,
the president of the USLTA
Bob Kelleher, and the Jamacian
ambassador to the United States.