New Britain herald., 1926-07-28

strumental in pointing out to Tilden
 the latter's weakness in the game,
 but, in an interview with the Associ-
 ated Press. he also expressed his gratefulness to Johnston, who, Til
 den says, had greater eperience and
 match temperament" in 1919 when
 for the first time the two met in contest.
 Tt was Johnston's ability to pound my back hand stroke to a pulp"
 said Tilden, that taught me I had
 to have an offensive back hand
 stroke. So during the following winter I worked indoors four days week on my backhand at Provi- dence. Before we went to England i in 1920 for the Davis Cup matches had acquireds through intensive practice an offensive as well as de- fensive backhand shot.
 Enabled Him To Win Tt was the difference between my backhand of 1919 and that of 1920, plus additional experience, that en- abled me to win the Wimbledon tournament, carrying with it the worlds title at that time, and later the American championship. In the American final that year Johnston set out to pound my backhand. as he had done the year before. but 1t wouldn't be pounded this time.
 Tt is just this difference in back otr ,r.htnh I ha1inEa has provided the mcrgin of my victories over Johnston through the past six years"
 For the mass of young tennis players who aspire to lift themselves out of the ranks of the ordinary, Til .den has formula for success. Com pounded out of the elements of his own career of unprecedented tri- Iumph on the courts.
 It is the formula that has given ITilden the magic touch and made him the champion of champions in an era of stirring competition but there is no secret key to 1t, no short cut to the final product, for its chief ingredients are sacrifices, concentra- ton and an all-around game.
 They are the factors that stand for success In the game of life as well as sports. Their product is championship stuff and if you could hear Tilden himselfAas he ex- pounded for the Associated Press their application to his career as well as to others-you would know the intensity with which he has lived them. made them the corner stone of his own existence and sought to spread their gospel to others.
 Was 'Bust" For Years
 There is sacrifice of the most Spartan sort in the story of Tilden's early career of how. after being a bust" for some seven or eight years, he was willing to spend half dog en more overcoming obstacles and the game that has lifted him to the top. There was con- centration of a single-track variety in this too, and concentration nov in his lean figure, his almost gaunt features as ne uElNSS HphlS' ioi aii- other generation, the lessons of his rise.
 Perhaps nothing else carries home this lesson so forcefully or charac- teristically as Tilden's own story of his rise. Told with his own senee of the dramatic. with the clearness of keen student and the sound- ness of q thorough teacher.
 Started Very Young / T started to play as soon as l was old enough to hold a racquet, at the age of five" he began. T was pretty good as a youngster. for my age, and got. great deal or incentive from helping as a ball boy at the Germantown Cricket club, watching Parke and Dixon. the British stars play such Americans at Learned, Clothier. Beals, Wright and Ward.
 My brother, Herbert, seven years my senior, was one of the best young | players in the Philadelphia district | at the time. The most valuable |