South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1921-03-14
TWO BILLS" ARE
SUPREME IN net
GAME IN AMERICA
Tilden and Johnston. by Re.
cent Wins, Stand Out as
Worlds Greatest.
By JACK VETOCK.
BY International News Service:

brighter figures grace American
sport than the two "Bills'-Tnden
and Johnston.
Between them they have made so
much tennis history that their
names will i've forever in the annals
OF the net game.
They stand today in a class dis
tinctly their own. They are the
worlds greatest racquet wielders,
and as for individual ability there
is no more than a hair between
them.
American tennis boasts many
wonderful stars. Names like Will
Jams, Murray, Washburn, Garland,
Behr. Pen, Church. Mathey. Griffin,
Davis. and Richards are synonymous
with class" in tennis parlance.
But the topnotchers-the bellows
are the two Bills"
Sailing away TO faroff New Yea
land last November our scintinating
Bills" met the capable and deter
mined Norman Z. Brookes and Ger
aid Patterson. defenders OF the
Davis Cup, and crushed them in
such decisive fashion that the tennis
world gaped with surprise. The
American team had been expected
TO win. but no one thought that the
victory would be scored in such
fashion.
Bring Back the Cup.
Lifting the Davis Cup and bring
ing il back to America after an alb
sence Of many years was feat well
worth going TO the other side OF
the world to accomplish, and the
winners are Justly proud OF their
success.
In lifting the cup Tilden and
Johnston demonstrated that Amer
lean tennis stands today on the high
est plane Il has ever reached, for
although we have had many won
derfully brilliant champions and
and Davis Cup performers in other
years this pair takes rank over them
all
Confidence in themselves and,
most OF all. in American tennis was
a big factor in lifting the historic
cup. And, as Tilden recently pre-
dacted in an interview given the
writer OF this article. America
should successfully defend the
trophy for some years TO come.
viii Meet Again.
Next summer BroOkes and Pat
terson. along with the best players
from other tennis-fostering nations
will make determined effort to
take the trophy away from its donor
nation once again
Tilden and Johnston 7gill undoubt-
edly be named to defend the cup.
Having won it back they are entitled
to play in its defense, and as the
challenge round for the trophy Will
be staged prior to the national
there will be no new
champion TO dispute the right OF
either player. Tilden Is the present
national champion and Johnston the
runner-up.
The confidence OF the tennis-lov-
ing public in the ability OF these
two stars IS supreme. Those who
have been fortunate enough 10 see
them in action in big national tour
naments have been tennis demon
strated in it's most brilliant style.
and It goes without saying that the
American defenders viii be top
heavy favor4tes when they enter the
challenge round against the nation
that survives the cup ties. So just
put the two 'Bills' down among
American champions who figure to
hold the ground they have won dur
Ing 1921.
T1Idcn Al-ArOund Champ.
ridden Is an all around champion.
In addition to sharing Davis Cup
honors with Bill Johnston and hold
ing the national singles title, he Is
the international singles champion
the national indoor singles cham
MON. and the national indoor dou-
bles title-holder along with young
Vince Richards. And he won ala
this glory in one year OF competition
No player IN the world can ap-
nroach Tilden in the matter OF serv-
ice. His is the fastest, most ac-
curate and dazzling style in tennis
today. The champion backs up his
terrific service with all-arOund aoli-
~ and he has what every SUCCESSFUL
tennis player must have these days
"A fine backhand stroke. the
main difference between Tlden' g
game and that OF Bill Johnston is
the service. yet Johnston Is quicker
on his feet and a more perfect
mechanical player.
Johnston Brilliant Player.
Johnston is by nature a nervous
vet nerveless player. In short ms
nervous disposition does not inter
fere in the least with his playing.
and he has what tennis players call
perfect coordination OF mind, eye'
and racquet in meeting the ball
Johnston was great tournament
olaver more than five years ago
He was the national singles cham
MON fn 1915. The same year ne
Won the national doubles with {. J.
Griffin. In 1916 r. Norris Williams
won the national title and Johnston
was the runner-up. but Johnston
and Griffin chung 10 the doubles
championship.
Coming back like a whirlwind IN
1e1e Johnston won the national
singles title a second time and also
cor,t,red the clay courts champion
sbin Last year he and Griffin re-
captured the national doubles. while
Toboston was runner-up TO Tilden
al Forest Hills.
With two such players at the top
OF their form, backed by stars OF
the caIiore mentioned in a foreGo-
ing paragraph and flanked by an
oncoming crop OF brilliant young
s,ers America has nothing TO Worry
about in the way OF tennis.
COLONIES START WORK.
BY Associated Press:
MOBILE, Ala, Mar. 15.-The