Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-01

A tennis version OF AleXan-
- Dire Dumas novel, Twenty
Years After" is being writ
ten on the historic courts Of
the Seabright Lawn Tennis ano
Cricket Club, with a gangling
freckle-faced 18-year- boy as
its hero. The tale promises to be
one of the most dramatic in the
annals of the game when it is fin
iShed
The hero's name is Ellsworth Vines
jr., and he halls from Pasadena, Calf.
the birthplace of Maurice E. McLough-
lin who, up to the time that William
T. Tilden, I'd, appeared on the scene
was the greatest player the sport hac
ever known.
1t was just about 20 years ago that
Mclaughlin came out of the West tc
take the tennis world by storm with
his almost unreturnable service and in
which Tilden was to bring to full frui-
ton several years later. Hence 1t is
that the story of young vines is called
Twenty Years After"
COloriess and Modest.
This prodigy from the Sunshine State
bears a striking resemblance to his IA
nous fellow citizen in every respect but
personality. Mclaughlin was magnetic
whereas Vines is rather colorless. But
so far as racket-swinging ability is con-
cerned, the nickname "California
Comet" is equally as applicable to the
youngster as 1t was to his Industrious
predecessor. Speed and power are the
foundation stones of Vines game, as
they were of McLoughlins.
The Y1rad0poinatiI characteristics of
this new Lochinvar from out of the
West is his nodesty. Even the unprece-
dented record he has established has
had no effect whatever upon the size
of his head.
Let us review briefly what he has
accomplished since he made his East
ern debut in the Longwood bowl invi-
tation tournament at Brookline, Mass,
two weeks ago.
Not yet acclimated to grass courts on
which he had played only twice before,
Vines was defeated by Richard Murphy,
former indoor junior champion. in the
second round of the Longwood event,
but week later, in the Metropolitan
turf court championship at Bay Ridge,
Brooklyn, he scored his first major vic
tory at the expense of Francis x.
Shields, former outdoor junior title
holder and twelfth ranking player OF
the country. That was the beginning of
a series of consecutive triumphs over
topnotchers that have made him the
talk Of the tennis world.
Repeats Victories.
Francis T. Hunter, veteran Of many
Davis Cup wars and No. on the ma
tional ranking list, was Vines next vic
tim. Hunter bowed to him in the final
round of the Metropolitan champion
ship, after winning the first two sets.
From Bay Ridge the Californian came
down here and within four days has re-
peated his victories over Shields and
Hunter in addition to defeating Richard
Norris Williams. former national cham
pion and still officially recognized as the
eleventh best player in the United States.
And yet Vines is today the same quiet,
unassuming boy that he was while plod-
ding his obscure way through the pre-
1iminary rounds of the Metropolitan
championship. He seemed to be q little
dazed by the fame that has descended
upon him so Unexpectedly. He is a
tr1fle naive about 1t all
A remark he made in the course Of an
interview here today illustrates this
trait He was being questioned about
MS earlier conquestS on the coast and
was answering in courteous, but dis
interested manner when Tilden's name
popped into the conversation.
Father Taught Him.
His brown eyes lighted up, he straight
ened up to his full height of feet, 2
inches, and, with the first touch of
pride he had revealed, he said. II won
two games from Tilden once. It was in
a tournament at Los Angeles in 1928"
Apparently the memory Of that moral
victory over the great Tnden meant
more to him than his recent actual tri-
umphs over players, who are capable of
giving big Bill" hard fight any day.
1t Is quite evident that, although he
has twice beaten one of the finest play
ers Of the age, he still stands in awe
OF reputation. He frankly admitted
in his lazy Southern California drawl,
that he was nervous when he took the
court against Hunter and williams and
entertained no serious thoughts of sue
cess.
Young Vines is q product Of the
public courts of Pasadena, where he
has been playing "as far back as / can
remember" Although he had the ben
eft of three months coaching from
Mercer Beasley, a professional in his
home town. he received most of his
court knowledge from his father, who
Is in the advertising business.
Gives Up Basket Ball.
He plans to enter the University of
Southern California in the Fall and to
devote himself to tennis exclusively in
his spare time. He played basket ball
at school. but has decided 90 forsake
the wooden court in the interests Of
clay and grass courts. He shyly con-
fessed to national championship aspira-
tons
The most remarkable feature Of
Vines unparalleled success is the fact
that 1t was achieved on playing sur
face with which he Is familiar. All the
courts of his part of the country are
made of asphalt or cement. The FIST
tine he saw a turf court was in 1928,
when he played through one tourna-
ment at Vancouver. His next expert
ence was in the Michigan State cham
pionship at Pontiac, Mich, last year
where he was eliminated by Emmett
j. Pare, national clay court champion
Not until he went to Brookline did he
have an opportunity TO play on lawn
again.
It is the unanimous opinion of vet
eran tennis critics that Vines has the
greatest promise of any youngster to
come up to the big time" since the
days of Little Bill Johnston. Tllden
does not count because he was 25 when
when he gained national recognition.
That is the go years after" OF ten
mis-, so far as the story has been un-
folded and it seems destined to have q
glorious climax.
1CopyriEht, 1901