South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-26
UNCLE SANS LEAD
IN TENNIS WORLD
DEFINITELY SHOWN
Injury to Bill Tilden Outstand-
ing Incident of Year
Showed Superiority.
BY HENRY L.. FARRELL
Omitted Press Sport EditOr.)

NEW YORK. Dec. 25.-Injury to
big BIZ" Tilden. which may re-
move from the court the champion
Of champions Of the greatest Of al
time players. was the outstanding
incident OF 1922 IN tennis.
Rather fortunately. If such an ac-
cident can be considered as such,
II did not happen until the end OF
season in which he convinced all
skeptics that he was the greatest
player in the world.
In an exhibition game late IN the
fall. Tlden scratched the middle
finger Of right hand on the wire OF
a backstop and blood poison result
ed. Two operations We're necessary
and the finger was removed at the
second point.
With the exception OF the fore
hama and backhand strikes, Tilden
Will have 10 revise all of his de-
feusive and offensive weapons and
he says he will consider himself
lucky IL he is to land in the first
ten next year.
Tilden has such n tremendous
heart" though, that his courage on
the court may be enough to pull
him through.
Resumes Old Feud.
Resumption Of the fued between
Mile. Suzanne Lenglen and Mrs.
Moua Mallory was the feature Of
the early season. The American
champion went 10 Wimbledon and
worked her way through the British
championship to the final round
against the French girl. Mile. Lens-
len played the greatest tennis Of her
life and, in routing the American
champion, showed that she was the
real queen OF the worlds court
When Mrs Mallory got TO the
American woman championship she
demonstrated her superiority over
all American girls.
The form shown by Helen Wills,
the California youngster. was
warming however. to the queen that
she hasn't long to reign.
If America had not been sitting
so unqUestiOns bly, on the top OF the
tennis world for several years. the
victory Of the American team over
the Australians in the Davis Cup
Challenge round would have been
one Of the biggest events Of the
year
The work OF the two Bills-Tilden
and JOhnsOn-and young Cinnie
Richards. Of course, was duly ap-
preciated but it was rather a matter
OF form, as It was almost a pre-
ordained fact that the Americans
would win.
Supremacy Established.
Tldens' injury Will not work TO
the harm of the Davis Cup classic,
| although it may be the cause Of an
other trip by the classic cup.
| American supremacy at present
land for the immediate future is so
soundly established that other ma
tions are thinking it poor business
to spend so much money for a SEEM
/ ingly impossible chance OF winning
/ the cup for several years.
For several years, some tennis fans
/ have been Of the opinion that BIZ
/ Johnston was the real kATS OF
/ American tennis that that in 1920
and 1921 Tuden won because the
physica! inferior Johnston had been
] over-tennised.
In the championship this year,
/ Tilden should have convinced all
those who thought little OF him be-
fore that he is the greatest player
in the world.
He beat Patterson, winner OF the
. British championship easily and
when he beat Johnston, he defeated
one who is only a hairaway from
. being the best in the world.