Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-20

Somehow the final match between
William Tilden, I'd, and Rene Lacoste
suggested to me that Dempsey Iunney
fight at Philadelphia, the bout between
the fighter and the boxer, where the
fighter was utterly baffled. Tilden, wan,
drawn and weary from playing a singles
and a doubles match, faced the I'M
perturbable Lacoste with something In
his attitude that suggested Dempsey
in moments of desperation.
Lacoste, with his apache cap
drawn down over his forehead, was
quite as cool and calculating as was
Gene Tunney in that bout Win
Dempsey. His attitude seemed to
enrage Tilden as Tunney's calm and
self-control enraged Dempsey. the
fighter, until the overstrung Amerl-
can PLAYER would take desperate
chances that brought disaster. In the
prize ring they would say that in that
match LacoSte was strictly the boxer
and counter fighter. They do not
like this type in the prize-fight game.
but the battlers of this type Will
win many bouts.
Mr.: William Tilden, I'd, has staged
more good shows" on the courts than
any other of the man players. one
of the professions to which Mr.. T1lden
has aspired with Indifferent success Is
the stage, though he has shown that,
so far as the game of tennis Is con-
cerncd, he is almost as good an actor
as he is a player: II he only put some .1as
game on the stage Mr.. Tilden would
be our greatest actor.
The possibilities of tennis rs
spectacle were seen long ago by that
instructive Snowman, Tex Ricard. In
his naivete, so far as actual knowl-
edge Of sport was concerned, MIR.
Richard announced when the new
Madison Square Garden was built
Forest Hills in the staging Of tennis
matches. When it was explained
that tennis was essentially an anna
teur sport MIR. Richard was saddeped.
well, I'll let them have the Garden
for nothing" he said. Il don't
know anything about tennis, but it is
a great show"
Mr.. C. c. Pyle also saw the posi-
bilities of tennis as a popular spectacle
and made one attempt to snatch the
game from amateur control. He did
send out one troupe Of players headed
by Mile. Suzanne Lenglen and Mary
K. Browne. 1t was good show and
profitable one for the lone tour, but
Mr.. Pyle realized that 1t was good for
just one tour. t>ysfa
1t lacked spontaniety. The matches
were exhibitions and not battles. 1t
was as though Dempsey and Tunney
had hooked up to give a series Of vaude-
Vile boxing exhibitions. It lacked the
fire and intensity of the real thing.
The Excited Gallery.
HERE is another point Of re-
i i semblaIice between the prize ring
and the tennis court. and this also may
seem far fetched. During the struggle
for the Wightman Cup, Miss Betty Nut
hall, the 18-year-old English girl, pressed
Miss Helen Wills, woman's singles cham
pion of the world, to an extent to which
she has not been pressed since she won
the championship is, In match
that involved the title.
OF course, the atmosphere in a
tennis gallery is repressed and polite,
as compared to that in a prizefight
arena. Yet there was some indica-
ton of that excitement which comes
when the pack at the ringside sense
the passing of champion or feel
that there Is some chance OF that
happening.
It was like that in the Iaiu.soaked