Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1920-10-29

AA / Tennis association, through 1e"'sP
\m[1SNY/ T. Adee member of the cup COM
4 mittee as follows: William T. III
den IL worlds singles champion;
@A IL william Nj. Johnston. H. n VII
iiams H. and Samuel Hardy. captain Hardy was
chosen because of his proved generalship ana
kDowiedge of the game
while Hardy IL being sent as playing cap
tain 1t is hardly likely he will participate" Mr.
Adee said. with the singles champion. the dou
bies champions. and Hardy we believe the DAVIS
cup will be brought back TO this country
well. what OF it?" may ask the baseball fan
or the devoiee of boxing or the enthusiast VINO
thrills over the thoroughbred good deal.
In decade the popular interest In tennis mas
Increased amazingly Take a look at any one
Of the courts to be seen all over the country.
The largest clubs taxed to the limit OF their
facilities to handle the crowds anxious to get
glimpse of leoding players in action. The final
of the American national championship. despite
intermittent rain. was played before gallery OF
II eco 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 or some other
large arena before long is not at all joke.
To this increasing army OF tennis enthusiasts
William T. 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 no question that he Is great
on the tennis court. AT the recent Tilden banquet
Nj. occasion declare
that Tilden is the greatest tennis player in the
world Samuel Hardy went further In his estl-
mate for he declared Tilden to be the greatest
player the world ever has known. and he pre-
xtIcted that In another season two the cham
pion would be even greater than he is today.
Billy Johnston ought to know. for it's likely the
tiethroned national title holder is next best. John
ston stamps him. in the opinion Of the experts,
not only the greatest of all living tennis players
tuf nerhans greatest of all time.
The FIVE sets were scored at 6-1 10 rs. ST 49,
This Tilden-Johnston struggle will go down on
the records the most astounding exhibition of
tennis the most nerve-racking battle that the
courts have ever Up TO this time, the ia
NOUS final of 1916 in which Richard Norris Will
iiams H. 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
<hanicay perfect tennis. Tilden and Johnston
psayed Eve sets of incredible meodrama. with
q thrill In every scene. with horrible lead
ing suddenly to glorious achievements. with skill
and courage and good and evil fortune mex
tricably mingled. and with a constant stimulus to
cheers groans and actual hystera, far as the
spectators were concerned.
To describe that amazing final as the most sig
uifcant of all American tennis tournaments, a
tournament that unquestionably carried with II
the worlds championship. would require the SUI
periative of all the adjectives that the journalism
Of the game has either used up discarded In
the past 1t Is enough to say that all future dis
cussions of the Olympian heights of tennis will
probably begin with the question, "Were you
there when-r and the answer will be either "You
bet was" or Curses. no." For the proud pos
SCISSORS of the affirmative ampllfcaton is Deces-
eary For the sad negatives nothing can be done
for It Will never happen again. at least not just
that way.
Praise for the two contenders for the American
There is plenty for both. Tilden's victory was a
triumph Of supertennis. vindcation Of the game
which the best Judges have for some time consid.
~~ed invincIbe. But II Tilden b the greatest ten
nts player that ever lived Johnston II the gamesl
- <,,.< over 1rOd q court