Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-12
NO ONE RACKETER
HAS LIFTED TITLE
Task Too Much for Single
Performer, TiIden Shows
in Review of DuoS.
BY WILLIAM T. TILDEN, 3D.,

worlds Professional Champion.
TIME history of the Davis Cup
is always the history Of two
/ players. BY this I mean
that every champion nation
held its position by virtue of pos
sessing two players or more of
equal ability. No one player,
ngle-handed, has proved equal
to carry his country to victory by
winning three points. The first
great outstanding pair were the
Dohertys, big" and Little" Do
Of England. These two great
stars carried England to world
supremacy by virtue of their out
standing skill.
Then came along the next pair of
tennis giants, Norman Brooks and
Anthony Wilding Of Australia Almost
equal in ability. yet widely different in
method these two great masters held
| complete command Of the tennis world,
with only Maurice Mclaughlin of the
United States of America to threaten
their supremacy, for many years prior
to the war.
l. Then came along the World War with
its break in tennis competitor and with
its close another combination of big"
and little" brought the world cham
pionShipS to the United States. This
time it was Big and Little Bill, Billy
Johnston and /. who swept the courts.
We were fortunate to have with us two
other great stars of equal class, r. N.
Williams. I'd. and Vincent Richards to
place the United States far ahead of
the rest Of the war-torn world for sew
eral years.
Frances Great Pair.
Once more a grea: pair Of champions
came into their brilliant best together,
this time In France. They were Rene
Lacoste and Henri Cochet. They, too,
had brilliant support in jean Borotra
and Jacques Brugnon to make up the
famous four Musketeers of France, who
! took in 1927 and have held to date, the
Davis Cup. However the French are
showing signs Of passing and new pairs
of great stars are definitely appearing
on the horizon. 1t is again the United
! States which boasts of these players.
! Back in 1920 to 1925 Australia with
Gerald Patterson and 10 Anderson had
pair of men who bid far to become
/ the worlds champion team. but faltered
! JuSG SIlOTL Oh LIlelT goal NOW 1891,
| the United States has Sidney B. Wood,
/ jr, Wimbledon champion. and Frank
X. Shields, the runner up, apparently
headed for certain glory in Davis Cup
history. Will they succeed or will they
| falter as did Patterson and Anderson
! just short of their goal, unable to break
the defense OF the old guard?
England, too, has a pair OF young
sters who. are almost as dangerous a
! IN
/ These two are H. w. Bunny Austin
and Fred Perry, who probably are to
! meet the United States in tae tnterzone
| final of the Davis Cup tc decide the
rightful challenger Of France.
| Has Reserve Strength.
There Is little to choose between the
| positions of England and the United
! States. Bunny" Austin held two match
points against Shields at Wimbledon
! and was unlucky to lose. Wood scored
more decisively over Perry, yet it was
close battle. The United States has a
stronger supporting group in its other
! players than has England. In George
Lott and John Van Ryn the United
States has the world champion doubles
team; also Wilmer Allison Clifford Sui
| ter, Gregory Mangin, Ellsworth Vines,
Junior Coen and Keith Cledhill to back
up our Singles STARS.
England has a fine prospect in Pat
Hughes in singles. with j. G. Gregory
and Ian Collins dangerous in doubles,
yet somehow I cannot quite see Eng
| land beating out the United States as
champion nation to follow France.
| If Georgia De Stefani Of Italy had
reached his present form almost two
years ago while Baron H. L. De Nor
purge was at his best Italy would have
had a great pair. AS it was, Stefani
arrived just too late and Baron De
Morpurgo must go down in tennis his
| tory as one Of the great players who
almost single-handed carried his coun-
try close to victory, but could not quite
win the ultimate prize.
| The same was true in Czechoslovakia
Jan Kozeluh. brother of the great pro-
| fessional Karel Kozeluh, went OF his
| game just as Roderick Mcneil reached