The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-11-05

ams IL, and Samuel Hardy, captain. Hardy was
chosen because of his proved generalshp and
knowledge of the game.
while Hardy is being sent a playing cap
tain. 1t Is hardly likely he will participate" Mr.
Adee SAID with the singles champion, the dou-
bles champions, and Hardy believe the Davis
cup will be brought back to this country
"Well, what of t?" may ask the baseball fan
or the devOtee Of boxing or the enthusiast who
thrills over the thoroughbred good deal.
In decade the popular interest In tennis has
Increased amazingly. Take look at any
of the courts to be seen all over the country.
The largest clubs are taxed to the limit of their
facilities to handle the crowds anxious to get
glimpse of leading players in action. The final
of the American national championship, despite
Intermittent rain, was played before gallery OF
ii 900 that overlooked the stands, Verify, the
sport is growing by leaps and bounds and the
idea that the national championship final may
have to be held at the Polo grounds some other
large arena before long. is not at all a joke.
To this increasing army OF tennis enthusiasts
William L. Tilden II Is quite as great as is Babe
Ruth to the fans, and Jack Dempsey to the low
ers of boxing and Man O. War to the devotees OF
racing, and there Is question that he Is great
on the tennis court. At the recent Tilden banquet
William NJ. Johnston took occasion to declare
that Tiden is the greatest tennis player In the
world. Samuel Hardy went further In his esti-
mate, for he declared Tilden to be the greatest
player the world has known and he pre-
dicted that In another season two the cham
plon would be even greater than he is today
Billy Johnston ought to know, for it's likely the
dethroned national title holder is next best John
ston stamps him, In the opinion OF the experts as
not only the greaest~of all living tennis players
but perhaps the greatest of all time
The FIVE sets were scored at 61 1-6, rs. 81 6-3
This Tilden-J ohnston struggle will 60 down on
the records as the most astounding exhibition Of
tennis, the most nerve-racking battle that the
courts have ever seen. Up to this time, the IA
nous final Of 1915 in which Richard Norris VIII
liams II, defeated Johnston for the championship,
had been considered the apex Of tennis history
But that great match faded into comparative In
significance.
Williams and Johnston played five sets OF me-
chancally perfect tennis. Tilden and Johnston
played five sets Of Incredible melodrama with
a thrill in every scene, with horrible errors lead
Ing suddenly to glorious achievements with skin
and courage and good and evil fortune mex
tricably mingled and with constant stimulus to
cheers, groans and actual hysteria SO far as the
spectators were concerned
To describe that amazing final as the most sig
nificant of all American tennis tournaments q
tournament that unquestionaby carried with 1t
the worlds championship, would require the ST.
perlative Of all the adjectves that the Journalism
of the game has either used up or discarded In
the past 1t Is enough to say that all future dis
cussons OF the Olympian heights of tennis will
begin with the question: Were you
there when-7" and the answer will be either "You
bet was" or Curses no." For the proud pos
SCISSORS of the affirmative no application is neces-
sary For the sad negatives nothing can be done
for 1t will never happen again, at least not Just
that way.
Praise for the two oontenders for the American
of 1920 may be equally divided
There Is plenty for both Tilden's victory was
triumph OF supertennis. a vndication OF the game
which the best judges have for some time consld-
cred nvincibe. But. If Tilden Is the greatest sen-
mis- player that ever lived Johnston Is the gamest
man that ever trod court