Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-27
AMERICANS DIVIDE
FIRST DAVIS CUP
TENNIS MATCHES
TiIden Trounces Lacoste in
Five SetS-Hennessey
Bows to Cochet.
VICTORY ENHANCES
U. S. TEAMS CHANCES
Much Depends on Big Bills Meet
ing With Cochet and on
Doubles.
~ the Associated Press.


TEUIL, France, July 27.-The United
States and France stood even up with
one match apiece today at the end o1
the first days play in the Davis cut
challenge round in which France is de-
tending the famous tennis trophy, Bis
: BILL Tilden having beaten Rene La
coste while John Hennessy went dowr
70 defeat before Henri Cochet.
Tilden played much the best tennis
nf the day in taking the measure OF ms
Old rival In the opening match pS
scores of 1-6, Ga, Ga, 20, 90
and Is now favorite to defeat Cocne'
on Sunday.
The American chance Of winning
back the Davis Cup appears somewhat
brighter as a result Of today'S matches
II the United States team can win TO-
snorrow's doubles and Tilden can come
through against Cochet, the next day
the campaign led by Big Bill Will pe
I successful and the cup VIII go back 70
Sts home shores.
At ,,gh Hennessey put up a grea.
hattie against Cochet, who won by
scores of 81. 81, 6-3, Go, he Is
conceded only an outside chance 70
beat Lacoste when they meet Sunday
8 THUS American hopes are built most
heavily upon the doubles and Big Bills
Hennessey and George Lott, the
young Middle Western pair, will oppose
Jean Bo.otra and Jacques Brugnon 10
the doubles at 3 o'clock t-morrow al1er-
poon.
rosie IN the last i've times they nave
mel and it can be set down as an upset
Big Bill won in q manner as dramatic
Ms were the events Of the past week 10
which he was dropped from the team
FOR alleged violation of the amateur rule
and then reinstated at the eleventh
hour at the urgent request OF the French
Tilden played one the most mag
nifcent matches of his tennis career IN
proving decisively that they 90 come
back. His triumph at least IN part
ntoned for the reverSes suffered at the
Frenchman's hands in the United States
last wear. when. La Coste beat him IN
Davis Cup play and also In winning the
American championship. La C0ste
earlier this season handed Big Bill q
beating In five-set duel In the British
championship which he won, but this
proved to be Tilden's day.
Drops First Set.
Instead Of making great fight for the
opening set, as he usually does, the
ianky American today lost 1t at 6-l.
and started his squirt in the next Two
/ sets He carried them both at Ga, and
after the intermiSsion was able to hold
his own, winning the last Of the two re-
manning sets and the match.
4. In the face Of Tilden's last furious as
eault, the mechanical precision OF La
Coste was as nothing, and Tilden ran
out the set with three straight games.
at was the best tennis match ever
played In my life," said Tilden after his
v victory over Lacoste.
: "Tilden was unbeatable today, by me
ut any rate" declared Rene. This
Keeping the Davis Cup win be harder
than our admirers appeared to think, !
he added, but we players were never
under any illusion as to the task ahead
Of US.
"I played the best game know"
When Tilden entered the court he
Received probably the most tremendous
ovation ever accorded tennis player
in France. big Bill appeared drawn
and thin and wore a worried look while
LacoSte was imperturbable as ever
Both showed they We're very much In
earnest by the hard fierce drives they
sent over the net In preliminary volley.
ing practice. Instead Of the usual pat
r ball 1t was series OF real hard strokes
ollG1llk dli0 NA1OPPAAA9 e.AtN ~Ss~
coste driving with his usual delibera-
Drops First Set.
Lacoste won the first set. 6-1. Tilden
winning only the second game Of the
Lacoste won the first game on his
Service as Tilden netted twice. T1lden
then won his service after deuce had
been called six times, the American
serving four aces. and the score was
In the third game Lacoste won his
bwn service. points to 2 without
being extended. The second game ap-
peared to have taken lot Out OF
ridden, he winning II points to 8. Both
games that Lacoste had won Tnder
was unable to bring up to deuce:
Lacoste then broke through Tilden!
service and led 81, adding the hfti
kanle at love.
: 10 Lacoste in short order, 6-l. Lacost
narried this first set with the creates
ease Tilden giving the Frenchman |
battle only in the second game. whicl
he managed to win on his service. onl.
10 see Rene reel of five straight games
THE Frenchman was dominating tn
blay with Tilden's effective rallies fes
and far apart.
ridden made a great beginning in tn
second set, using slow slicing game
Ee won both his services, then broke
Through Rene's to lead. 8 games to
THE American then passed Rene dow
The line twice, also acing the French
man twice, to win the fifth game
love and lead in this second set by
games to /.
Although trailing, Lacoste staged
faIiy and when down five games to two
ne captured his service and then brok
Through Bills, making the score 81
JIacoste now was having the better o
the exchanges. Both men were playin
very carefully and not taking an
chances. At this point Tilden braced an
pierced Lacostes service to take the sci
"a. and square the match.
The players now were evened up a
Asne set each. but Lacoste gave the i'm
pression of playing steadier game
He made fewer errors than Tilden
hut also scored fewed placements thai
the Ianky American, whose shots wer
Sieadly when unleashed.
Tilden rushed into Al lead In tn
third set and Lacoste appeared to real
ize he had on his hands one OF tn
hitterest battles the American ace eve
lrsye him. Big Bill was bearing up yer
fWell under the strain and playing witt
). bas much pep and spirit as when tn
match started.
Something other than tennis appear
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