New Britain herald., 1926-08-02
.TILDEN SLIPPING;
 RICHARDS WINNER
Former InVinCible Star Seems
 Not So Good Now

New York. Aug, Rt-Critics who
 have looked with dubious eye or William T. Tilden's attempt to link
 the stage and the tennis courts ir
 one career today have had new evi,
 dence to support their forecast of 6
 decline in his racquet mastery.
 His crushing defeat yesterday al
 the hands of Vincent Richards in the
 final round of the metropolitan
 championship, 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2
 marked the third and most decisive
 triumph scored over him this year by the youthful rival who has chal- lenged his supremacy for six success sive season. It also marked his sixth reverse of the year, for the Philadel- phia star lost indoor singles matches to Rene Lacoste and Jean Borotra of France, while several weeks ago he went down to straight set defeat before young Alfred H. Chapin, Jr., of Springfield. Mass.
 Defeat in itself was not so im- portant, for Richards has frequent ly upset his former teacher during their long duel on the courts. But never before has the young Olympic champion win in less than five sets and never before has Tilden during his long reign at the net, been SO decisively beaten at the height of a tennis campaign.
 Two reverses suffered at the ho,ldc irh rIe 4N.z this year had preceded Tilden's seri- ous efforts to get down to form for the Davis cup matches and the de- fense of his national crown. Since then he has battled his way through four tournaments successfully, win ing in turn the Middle States, New England, Clay Court and Longwood events. Richards, on the other hand, had just returned from a disappoint- ing tour Of Europe, where he was on the short end of matches with Henri Cochet of France and Dr. Heinz Landmann of Germany.
 But Richards yesterday was a new Richards. He astounded thu gallery with remarkable recoveries He was quick and clever and re- sourceful at the net And his serv- ice, often uncertain in other years, was powerful attacking weapon with which ho repeatedly aged Til- den.
 Tilda1 called upon every stroke and strategica! move in his ample storehouse of tennis. But his lofty Jobs were turned into unerring place. ments. His sharp, twisting chops were dug from the turf with a delft Richards racquet. His most power ful drives came spinning back from the net, to which Richards raced at every opportunity for the brilliant volleys that have made him inter- 1 famous.
 Helen Just As Good
 While Tilden was going into the | defeat, another national champion about whose title defense tennisdom has bsen worrying, dispelled the doubts of the skeptics. Helen Wills, ] whose tour of Europe was halted l two months ago by an operation for appendicitis, gave convincing evi- fence of her complete recovery of strength and form yesterday by cas- ly defeating Mary K. Browne for ner champion, and captain of the Nightman cup team.
 The two California girls met in he final round of the Maidstone Tub invitation tournament, and Miss Wills triumphed with the loss of 'nly five games, 6-3, 6-2. For the 'rst time since her return to the ourts, the champion carried her 'attle to the net without hesitation, and volleying with old time igor.
 The competition of these tNo ornaments yesterday centered in { crest today on tho annual Seabright l 1vitation tournament, in which Miss ( Wills and Richards are entered 1 playing of the country will e pitted against them, with William ( I. Johnston and R. Norris Williams, { 1embers of last years Davis cup l cam. making theI first tournament i ppearances of the season. Tilden I as announced he will participate l nly in the doubles. I