Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-10
AGE IS WEAKENING
ATTACK OF BASQUE
D'Artagnan of French Tennis
Aces Has Lasted Longer
Than Mclaughlin.
BIZ LAWRENCE PERRY.

n TEW YORK. August 10.-Jean
nj BorCtra, whose dynamic
" tennis has been suggestive
of the playing methods of
Maurice Mclaughlin, has lasted
much longer than the American
meteor did. But now that he has
begun to slip. his descent from
the first flight of international
lawn tennis luminarieS, IN all
probability, will quickly gather
speed. For with age weakening
his attack, he will have fewer re-
sources than a veteran ike Bill
Tilden is able to employ in stall
ing of the years.
No one will fail TO regret the evf-
dences of decline which the Basque re-
yealed both in the interZone matches
against the American Davis Cup team
and the British outfit in the challenge
round Never as great as Tiiden,
Cochet, Iacoste, or Bill johnson, ne
has none the less a magnetic person
atty which infallibly won the hearts
of the sporting public.
OF the famous four French muske-
teers of lawn tennis, Jean Borotra
inimitably the D'Artagnan OF the group.
He has color of vivid hue such as the
athlete in whatever branch OF sport.
Jean Now 50.
wimbledon has seen him sweeping
down upon areas adjacent TO the In
closure Just in time to meet an en-
gagement upon the center court, and
all through Europe. in this country and
In the remote antipodes he has never
failed to encounter galleries as SYM
pathetic, as admiring. as enthusiastic
as ever he found in his beloved France.
The writer recalls the spontaneous
groan of apprehension when, playing
at the net against an Australian team,
Gerald Patterson knocked him cold
with one of his cannon ball volleys.
But in few minutes water had revived
him, he had donned his famous beret
and was again the bounding Basque.
Time takes an memorable toll In
sport, Age comes apace and the sport
ing generations fit by like scenes on
the silver movie screen. In years Jean
is still young-33; but in the champion
ship class that means venerable age.
It seems but yesterday-end in face
it was only as far back as 1e2S-that
Borotra bounded into fame through his
defeats of Patterson and Anderson,
which put France into the Davis Cup
challenge round for the first time.
Big Man in Business.
And he was member of the Davis
Cup team which won the famous inter-
national trophy in 1927 at the German
town Cricket Club at Philadelphia.
since that year he has been one Of
the mainstays of French Davis Cup
play, signaIly so in 1929. when Lacoste
had to give up tennis and Borotra
! stepped into his place, aiding Cochet
| in the retention of the cup not only
| that wear but last year as well.
| It Is not only as tennis player,
/ however, that he has won following.
| AS a raconteur he Is without equal In
! France, where, by the way. he Is ac-
! counted one of the great men OF the
| nation. Last Spring before sailing for
| Europe he presided at little dinner
/ in this city with grace and charm and
wit and humor which hnger In the
writer's mind as one OF ais most
memorable post-prandial experiences.
| In the business world hfs income IL
estimated at between $50 900 and $780,
| 900 a year as a salesman OF gasoline
pumps. whenever Jean Borotra sends
| in his card at an Office In this country,
or whatever country, the boss has him
! in at once; there is talk OF tennis, o
| few good Stories-then the sale OF o
pump. Jean will sell pumps long after
he has passed out Of the spotlight
which is not likely soon to shine upon
| his like.