Evening star., 1923-12-30


AS In every argument, there is
something to be said on both sides
of the question. TiIden's statement
that the time given him to practice
with new partner was entirely too
short will not be denied by any one,
and consider 1t point well taken.
Confirms Tilden's Contention.
Hackett has replied that Capt.
Williams was notified of Tilden's sell
ection a week before the match, but
this merely confirms Tilden's state
ment that too little time was allowed,
two days. 1t takes two men. no
matter how good they are indiv
fdually, year at least to become a
perfect team, and usually several
seasons are necessary.
train Tilden and Richards, who had
! twice been national doubles cham
pions, because of their lamentable
showing against Australia in the
1922 doubles. II Tilden was to be
possible combinations-Tilde and
Johnston or Tilden and Williams.
Favors Tilden-JohnstoD.
There has been a great deal of
| curiosity, often openly expressed, as
to why Johnston. who played so sue
cessfully abroad with Tilden, should
never afterward have been selected
to play with him. In 1920, when /
took the team to England and
! Australasia. 1 believed. as 1 believe
now, that these two men were the
strongest combination that America
had to call upon, and am convinced
that had they been kept together
by the Davis cup committee, we
would not have lost a match as we
By this time they would have
become so thoroughly accustomed to
each others game that they would
have developed into an Irresistible
right court. just as Tilden favors the
left, and Tilden's natural tendency
to stay back would have safeguarded
Johnston's preference for the net
position, where he is SO formidable.
II Is an open secret that the COM
mittee preferred to save Johnston's
strength for his two singles matches,
rather than risk the loss of one of
these by firing him in a possible hve-
set doubles. Johnston himself would
stamina, and is positive that he could
have lasted the three matches.
Has Plenty of Strength.
In my opinion. he is far stronger
than people realize, and I think that
had there been less talk about his
stimulus of sharing the responsibility
of the doubles. he would have
acquitted himself better this year in
the singles. To man of his tenn
permanent and achievements 1t is
hard to stand aside. inactive, while
men of lesser rank are being con-
sidered as possible candidates for the
doubles.
If I had the choice of naming the
doubles team I should again pair TIL
den and Johnston. for 1 know that
they like to play together. and that
they believe they could be successful.
The committee, deeming 1t wiser to
possible choices left. Tilden and
Williams or Williams and Washburn.
Ever since Williams won the worlds
doubles championship at Wimbledon
with Garland, 1t has been conceded
that he can play very fine doubles.
and it was believed that the Tilden-
Williams combination would be
strong one, as the men are friendly
and live in the same city.
Only One Course Left.
Williams, however, had been paired
with Washburn for four years, and
the committee. recognizing the value
of experience in any doubles team,
hesitated to break up this combina-
ton. hoping that Washburn would
prove strong enough to justify their
putting him on the team to play with
williams. Washburn, however, failed
to make good. and the committee,
who had waited all season in order
to test him, was obliged at the last
moment to eliminate him, which left
Tilden and Williams as the only
other possible combination.
While my first choice is, as I have
said, Tilden and Johnston. because of
the latter's many years of fine
doubles play. 1 feel that the COM
mittee's choice of Tilden and Will
liams was sound one. These two
men could have been made into
wonderful doubles. team. but be-
lieve with Tilden that their selection
should have been made early in the
season.
In Hackett's reply to Tilden. he
brushes aside Tilden's statement re-
garding insufficiency of tin1e, and
confines himself largely to a critic
ism of Tilden's tactics In the doubles.
quite agree with Hackett, one of
the greatest doubles players of for
mer times, that the champions posi-
tion on the court was often faulty,
but had TiIden and Williams played
all season together this would have
been discovered and corrected in due
time, and there never would have