The New York herald., 1921-07-24
Worlds Champion Tennis
Fan Is New Zealander
Gerald |. Black Has Travelled
$4,000 Miles Since 1919.

If trophy could be awarded to the
champion tennis fan" Of the world It
doubtless would be given this year 10
Gerald /. Black of Dunedin. N. T., who
has been at the McAlpin Hotel for a
few days on business. Mr.. Black s
father. r. S. Black. Is president of the
Otaga Lawn Tennis Association and
vice. president of the New Zealand l.. T..
A.. so the younger Black knows that his
father understands when he receives a
cable saying that 1t may be necessary
for the son to stay in this country until
September.
They are in the fur business. and when
the junior Black was demobilized from
the New Zealand forces after the ar
mistice. he looked over trade conditions
in London and. incidentally. saw the
championship at Wimbledon In 1919.
Then he travelled a matter of 5000
miles home to New Zealand, and ar
rived in time to watch the British-Aus-
tralasian challenge round for the Davis
Cup at Sydney in January, 1920. That
involved some $500 miles travelling,
which apparently Is nothing In Blacks
life.
He was satisfied with New Zealand
tennis for time, but in January of 1921
he decided he had better take look at
the. United States s-Australasian Davis
Cup challenge round at Auckland. Theirs
he attended the dinner for the visiting
team. as he had done at Sydney the
year before. He turned up at the office
OF the United States Lawn Tennis Assoc
citation just before the dinner to the
American team last April. and was n
guest at that event. Th,re he renewed
the acquaintance he had made with
members of the American team in Auck-
land.
The 10000 miles h, had travelled COM
ing to New York put him in good form
to dash over to London late in May,
where he had some business. He saw
Spain and the British Isles play their
Davis Cup match. incidentally he got
to Paris while the hard court cham
pionship was in progress, and then wens
back to London In time to watch the
matches at Wimbledon. That finished,
he sailed on the Olympic with Tilden
and Shimidzu and breezed into the as
sociations office the other day. going
strong and ready for a little mona
tennis.
II just cabled my dad" he said, that
1t might be wise for me to stay here a
while longer. 1t would be shame to
miss the rest of these Davis Cup
matches. I ought to go to Boston and
Chicago anyhow on business, SO every
thing fits In nicely"
Accordingly he started for Toronto
Thursday night to be there for the Aus
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. match. From To-
ronto he expects to accompany the win
ming team to Pittsburgh. where their
opponents will be the British Isles. II,
had not decided when he left New York
whether he would go to Cleveland or
Chicago, for the semi-final match. 1t
was something Of shock TO learn that
he couldn't see them both. as they are
played on the same days. The final can
be done easily enough. however, for that
only means trip back to Newport
Then II everything goes well he will
run over to Boston for ths national
doubles, and that will be out of the
way In time for him to watch the chal-
lenge round at Forest Hills. September
2, and 5. II guess by that time I'll be
ready to start home." was his comment
on the prospect OF the 1900 mile trip to
New Zealand. He figures that his trav.
els In the last couple OF years have
taken him more than $1,000 miles, and
any one who checks up that itinerary
will believe II.
And that's why Mr.. Black appears tc
be the logical candidate for the prize
! first mentioned