Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-17
]0HNST0N'S GAME
PRAISED BY T|LDEN
WEE Willie Winkie" Greatest
Tennis Player in World, Says
Our Own William
mo WEAKNESS IN HIS GAME"
BY WILLIAM r. TILDEN. I'd
National Tennis Champion

Out IN California is small, sandy L.
haired, quiet little man. II you met
him and missed his name you would put
him down as almost insignificant. You
would forget him and set out to Berke.
ley, .perchance. to play your first match
in the tennis tournament, where, hor-
the redoubtable William NJ. Johnston
Your match Is called. You step on the
court to find awaiting you your sandy.
haired acquaintance Of passing moment.
Passing: Yes, bu. now it Is Bill
who is passing you, down the line and
cross court. Little Bill' is his fuv-
orite nickname, but rather like to call
him Wee Willie Winkle.'
The season Of 1922 has been q great
one for Wee Willie. Over the long
months he has scored victories over
every great player and met but one
defeat.
He opened his year with a rush In
the East vs.. West match at San Fran
cisco last May, when he defeated Vim.
cent Richards. 6-3, G-1, 60. and fol-
lowed that by nosing out In five sets
against me. The Pacific Coast title
was his the following week, as Willis
Davis, Howard Kinsey and went
Throughout June and early July Bill
played little tennis around San Fran
cisco, scoring over both the Kinscys
dcclsivey, and arrived East Just in
time for Seabright. Again "Wallopiny
William proved tho outstanding figure.
Stanley Pearson, Hugh Kelleher, j. D.
Anderson, Bob kinsey and Dick Will
liams were moved down by the might
of the forehand drive and crafty VOL
Ieying Of Little Bill.
Beat Newport Jinx
Newport, Bills old jinx, where four
times he had met unexpected defeat,
proved easy for him. This time Larry
Rice, Howard Kinsey and Kelleher were
his main victims. The Davis Cup saw
Wee Willie at the crest Of his game.
He ran roughshod over the famous
Australians, Gerald L. Patterson and
]. q. Anderson, defeating each in
straight sets with decisive scores. He
pionship saw Bill suffer his only de-
feat. His march to the finals gave him
victories over Stanley Pearson, Howard
Kinsey, Manuel Alfonso, Of Spain, and
Vincent Richards. He had victory al
most In his grasp against me at two
sets TO one, and 80, but was not quite
able to put in the final punch, and !
finally defeated him, 4-G, SO, &C.,
G-3, 6-4.
BIZ gained revenge in the past sea
son East West match by scoring over
Inc in four sets, playing splendid tennis,
considering the fact that it was anti
climatic.
Wee Willie is great player, the
greatest in the world. The mechanical
perfection Of his game, his determina-
f,,ht i,lr fin
maushIp make him an opponent against
whom It IS a pleasure to play. He is
a man OF few enthusiasms and out
wardly few nerves. In truth he is one
Of the most highly strung and nervous
players In the game, but masks it under
Il coax Of reserve.
There is no weakness In Johnston's s
tennis. He has command Of shots from
any place in the court. lie is essen
TALLY base line player, but no one is
more dangerous than he when he ad-
vanccs to the net. His perfect timing
Of his strokes and remarkable footwork
account for the pace he gains. ! urge
all young players to study Johnston s
method Of footwork.
VIII Be Back Next Year
Is Little Bill through this year? +?
Three weeks before the championship
I would have said yes, but now my ideas
have changed. Johnston tells me he
Will come back, possibly next year, but
any way, in 1924. If he comes neat
year it will be only short trip, just
for the Davis Cup and nationals. 1t
would not surprise me to see Johnston
invade Europe in 1924. I hope that he
and ! may play England. France and
Spain together that year.
Johnston Is less than thirty, and with
his game / zee no reason to fear any
decline in his prowess for another five
years at least. He has never been bet
ter than during this year, and next year
or the following should see him at least
as good.
Johnston realizes, just as do, that
we are nearing the end Of our tennis
careers. / believe that the next few
years will find him grooming some
young player or players to carry on his
game and give California worthy sue
cessor to the great champion. ] sin
cerely hope he will, for we can Ill af-
ford to lose the Johnston game In
American tennis.