Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-10

~ ILL TILDEN brought no Davis
x Cup back across the Atlantic. as
the Davis Cup happens to be a
team proposition where more
than one man has to do the winning.
But he brought back the Wimbledon
Cup from field that had enlisted the
best amateur tennis players in the
world, including no less a performer
than Henri Cochet of France. The best
that Tilden could do at Wimbledon was
to beat the man who beat Cochet in
straight sets.
All In all, Tildens European per-
Torrance was a remarkable competitive
roundup. The lanky one captured his
first Wimbledon title 10 years ago
when he stopped big Patterson OF Aus
tralia somewhat abruptly in the final
match And Tilden was then no mere
youth at the edge of career. To
return 10 years later, after he had been
counted out of the main picture, and
bring back the same trophy is something
to talk about when they start chatter
ing about the reign of youth.
1nc OECdICDt AchAhn IAycEs
WHO is the greatest tennis star of all
w time? I put this query to
former champion, who is one of
the top students of form, and got this
reply:
In the list you must consider Law
renee Doherty Bill Larned, Bill john
ston, Bill Tilden and Henri Cochet.
And don't forget Bill Johnston. You
may have forgotten how he blasted
Lacoste from the courts only as far
back as 1925, before his stamina left
frail system, and Lacoste was then
beating Cochet.
IF you take everything into consid
eration-skill, speed, power, stamina,
tactics and strategy, length OF reach-l
suppose Tilden must have the call.
Even today he would come dangerously
close to beating Cochet on turf courts,
but not on clay"
This verdict seems to be sound. At
his best from 1920 to 1926, Tilden, I'M
der pressure, was just about the best
all-around tennis player the game has
yet sent into action. He had what the
best of the others had, and with it he
had those long, fast flying legs and a
killing reach, and he was almost tire
less When he was beating Bill john
ston he was beating one of the greatest
tennis players that ever llVeu, ana
one of the gamest fighters any sport
has ever known.
The little Californian could never
quite match the handicap in speed and
reach. but from 1920 to 1925 only Til
den could bave brought him down.
Beating the French.
DILL JOHNSTON had the one sure
- system to overcome the skill and
| steadiness of the French method.
| This was to literally blast their defense
| from the courts. He knew he could
never match their safe, sure play.
where Lacoste, in particular, merely
waited for each opponent to beat him.
self. There was no flame or flash about
Lacoste's play but he was steadier than
two rocks. He had to be shelled from
| safety, and 1t was the violence and
| chance-taking qualities of Johnston IS
attack that did the work The same
applied also to Tilden.
Today there are no such blasters
around in the younger set who have,
at the same time, the strokes and the
/ control. Many of them can blast, but
they don't know where the ball is going.
Few realize the wild fervor Johnston
put into those Davis Cup matches, or
any tennis match against a foreign
rival. Gerald Patterson will never for
get the fury of the Johnston charge
at Forest Hills, that struck the Aus
tralian after the manner of a cyclone