New-York tribune., 1920-11-16
u. S. Davis Cup
Team Sets Sail
For Australia
Johnston Receivers From
Campaign; Tilden Shows
Signs of Slowing Up
BY Fred Hawthorne

The Davis Cup team that is to repre-
sent America in the international lawn
tennis matches with Australasia at
Auckland, New Zealand, next month,
left Vancouver. B. c., yesterday on its
way to Australia. The challenge round
matches are scheduled to be played dur
ins the last week in December, and will
bles.
The four men who will attempt to
bring back the famous silver trophy
to the land of its birth are William T.
Tilden, Cd, national and worlds singles
champions; William NJ. Johnston, for
mer national single and present ma
tional doubles champion; Watson NJ
Washburn, former Metropolitan title
holder, and Samuel Hardy, the non
playing team captain. Washburn and
Hardy, unless some accident should in
capacitate either Ti.den or Johnston,
are not expected to do more than act
as practice players for the latter par,
although it is possible Washburn may
play in the doubles match.
Now that the team is on the final
side of the world, it is interesting to
take note of the results Of the various
exhibition matches played between the
members on their training tour from
San Francisco to Vancouver
Fast Pace Slows Tilden
1t is evident that Tilden's strenuous
season OF play has had its. effect in
Slowing him up and robbing him of
some of the wonderful speed that
brought him the highest honors of the
courts last summer. Some five or six
weeks ago Ti.den was compelled to
leave the team in the middle of its
exhibition tour and return to his home
IN Philadelphia for much eded rest
At the time he announced that he was
overplayed and would have to Law of
for two or three weeks and rejoin the
other team members when they started
their Pacific coast tour.
Johnston, who had quite active com
petition immediately after the East
West matches at Philadelphia last Sep.
tenber, went directly to his home ir
California and rested up in preparation
Toy the long trip ahead OF him. As &
result, ne returned 10 the courts in fal
better physical condition, than Tilden.
This was plain in the first match
played between Tilden and Johnston
at San francisco a week ago. Johnston
won IN straight sets, at 6--i ID, bu'
we must not place too great impor
lance IN this match, in view of the
fact that Tilden had just stepped of
the transcontinental train.
: On the same day Washbuln and
Roland Roberts broke even in an ex
hioition match and Johnston and Til
den defeated Roberts and Johnn,
Strachan i'll 4 doubles match by
score Of 6-3, 81. Cd.
Johnston Again Victorious
The next matches were played il
Portland Ore. before d very large an,
enthusiastic gallery, and here agail
johnston vanGuished Tilden, this tim,
in desperately contested three-se
match, the sets going at 81, A
-
The closeness OF each set is an in
dlcation OF how evenly the two grea
players were matched on these occa
SONS, but 1t also proved that thos,
who were led to believe Tilden woul,
consistently beat Johnston after hi
trlumphs at the national championsbil
last September were all wrong In thej
reasoning. Johnston IS evidently III,
same wonderful little man with a rae
Quet that he has been for the last tx,
or three years, and only super-Tildel
can conquer him.
That Tilden was not far from hi
best on these occasions is apparently
shown by the fact that the next da,
|, he handily defeated Washburn at 6-l
6-3. Any man who can dispose Of th
hard- driving, accurate Washburn b.
so one e-sided a score mus. be playin'
close TO top form tennis. TIE result
Of the matches played at Seattle an,
Tacoma have not yet been announced.
Hardy, who is an expert on the con
ditionlng OF players. is highly enthu
slastlc concerning the physical condi
ton of the men in his charge. declar
: ing that they are in better form righ
now than az any time since the na
tional championship tournament a
2 En.n.4 HIN,