New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1920-10-29

in tennis. He went down before Johnston In
the final round for the London championship,
his only real reverse of the year, but since that
June he has been supreme on the courts, beat
ing the best of all nations In the all-comers tour
nament Mt Wimbledon, after Johnston, our then ma
tional champion. had been put out, and carrying
on to the title here In September. He confirmed
his victory over Johnston by again beating him In
the East VS.. West matches in Philadelphia. More
over, he won an even greater battle than the one
on the courts by controlling his nerves, which a
year ago imposed a handicap on his unquestloneu
skill. SO say the students Of the game the ex-
perts who know.
Like the science of warfare itself, the science
of every game that partakes of the nature of a
fight Is a perpetual see-saw between attack ana
defense. Now the one, now the other rules the
play and carries Off the highest honors. In the
fascinating case Of lawn tennis the attack at pres
ent seems dominant, as it did 40 years ago when
pioneer v~olleyers were the cocks of the courts,
the Renshaws in England and Sears and Dwight
In America or as 1t did in 1900, when Whitman
and Ward and Davis were our champions, ana
their new-fangled service was too much for visit
-, ing English ground-stroke experts; or In 1914,
when McLoughlin's superb attack fared up into
a glorious moment Of supremacy, taking the meas
ures of Brookes and Wilding-and then left him.
This man Tilden is attack personifed, through
his service. He is a long, lanky. able-bodied
specimen, with a strong arm, brains, concentra-
ton, and plenty of time for practice-all Of which
has enabled him TO develop more kinds of delivery
than Christy Mathewson ever showed, including
one that-for the present, at least-is his own.
"Own your own service" is apparently his motto.
When Tilden wants to follow his service I'm, he
generally does what other experts generally do
delivers a high-kicking ball that drags in the air
and yet gives the striker-out plenty Of pace to
contend with. But when he feels special need
of a point he Unexpectedly shoots over a nearly
straight under-spin ball that travels like a shell
and proves the late Euclld's contention that a
straight line is the shortest distance from one
point to another. Moreover, the ball doesn't rise.
He doesn't run in behind that ball why should
he? II It's good, the other man is In luck to get
his racket on II, luckier to block II somehow
across the net-and If 1t does come back Tilden
with his fine. sharply-angled driving has a pot
shot at either side Of the court.
This "unholy specially" of Tilden, his wickedest
service, undoubtedly rules the roost at present.
1t puts attack ahead of defense at this writing.
In fact, some thoughtful devotees, including ex-
perts of high authority, are asking whether, under
the rules as they stand, the player with the initial
attack, which is TO say the server, has not more
advantage than Is good for the game.
If the rules should be changed to curb the server
IT would not be the first time. But heretofore the
changes have been comparatively mild, and sue
cessive brigades of ingenious servers have con-
triyed to conform to them and still maintain the
advantage. Anything further done now would
have to be comparatively radical
Some experts say change the rules; curb the
server" Others take the opposite view. The
brilliant services which are being developed year.
w." says lie Roy, add to the interest Of the game
and the delight of the spectators. 1t is up to the
players to develop equally brilliant defenses to off,
set the services"
Those who have only seen the great tennis play
er in action would probably not recognize him in
work-a-day habillments, writes William Chenery
in the New York Times. The tall, somewhat
STOPPING. boyishlooking young man walking slow