Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-08-08
BROOKES IS MIRACLE
MAN WITH RACQUET
Veteran Australian Tennis
Player at Newport;
Much Speculation on His
Present Condition
WILL PLAY At CASINO
BY SPICk HALL

NORMAN e. BROOKES, the Austria
~ ian player and Miracle Man of
tennis. is with us again He arrived in
New York yesterday with his three anti
podean companions. Gerald L. Patter-
son, r. V. Thomas and Randolph Ly-
cett. The Australians were entered in
the Newport tournament, but were un-
able to play, as they landed in this
country yesterday from Great Britain.
where Patterson defeated Brookes in the
finals for the British championship.
After the tiresome voyage they are not
likely to be in their best form, but
their idea is to get into condition for the
Longwood doubles and all comcrs tour
nament at Forest Hills.
The Australians won their Newport
doubles matches today and will play
there again tomorrow.
With the arrival of the famous left
handler ats New York there was imme-
diate speculation among tennis follow
ers all over the country as to
Brooke's condition. Is he as good
now as he was in 1914 when he
and Anthony F. Wilding lifted the
Davis cup? That is the main qSes
selves and each other. Some do not
think that Brookes will ever be his old
self again after his long service in the
war. Others think in the opposite di-
rection, mainly for the reason that for
the last ten years Brookes has been
"through,' according to advance dope,
before Davis cup matches and other big
tournaments, but he has always man
aged to be very much in the running
when the time came for action.
Long Time Star
Brookes has been star in tenniSdom
for nearly twenty years and during that
period has enjoyed an international
reputation. He is past forty years of
age, but in the recent tournament in
Great Britain he appeared to be just as
fast as ever, although his strokes did
&: not have the old sting. according ia
critics who saw his match with Pat
terson.
Like many other men who reach tht
pinnacle in various branches of sports
Brockcs has his pecuiarities and il
might be added "has 'em bad" He i!
extremely tcmuoramental. This is NOR,
or less natural because he is not physi
cally powerful. although he posscsse.
one of those iron constitutions that max,
the wiry, finished athlete. He play,
with a medium weight racket that is al
ways strung much more loosely thar
those used by the general run of play
ers. Most of the American cracks. ant
others too. for that matter. use bat
, that is strung as tightly as board
. But Brookes has always been accus
= toned to have his racket loose In thi
way he gets a lot of top on his fore
hand drives and cut on his chops.
Brookes's serve is not and neve
: was anything wonderful as far as spec,
is concerned. His delivery is not il
J. the same class with McLoughlin's o
Bill Tildcn's. but his extreme accurac,
and rare Judgment of his opponent
weakness overcome his lack of speed il
service. His greatness lies as much il
his ability to outguess his opponent a
In the execution of his strokes. He ha
never been surpassed in generalship an
with the possible exception of his oil
partner, Anthony Wilding, and Bill
Larned, never equaed.
Strong for Ethics
On the courts Brookes is the per
sonification of tennis ethics and Incl
IDENTIFY he wants every one else to OBJ
serve this phase of the game. He wake
7 exceedingly wrathful when the CALLER
applauds. In 1914 when he was play
ing for the Davis cup the gallery di
almost as much roofing as a bunch @
p bleacherites at a baseball game. Sew
eral times Brookes became so peeve
that he refused to play until the nois
subsided. This did not increase hi
i popularity any, at the same time
cannot be blamed too much for this
because the British and their colonia
cousins are the original sticklers fo
form and ethics. But with all thi
Brookes, like most Australians, is
!. real sport, a modest winner and goo
Z loser.
7 What Brookes has done on the court
Il OF Australasia would require volume
to recount. He has won more tenni
titles and cups than any other player G