Evening star., 1938-09-08
AMERICAN CROWN
NO C|NCH FOR DON
Mental Strain With Heavy
Earnings in Prospect
Adds to Difficulty.
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer

NEW YORK, Sept. 8.-Donald
Bulge, the eminent amateur, has a
great deal more on his mind than a
shock of red hair as he starts out after
his fourth major tennis championship
of the year tomorrow at the West Side
Club in Forest Hills.
If he wins this one, the Oakland
swatter will become the first player in
history to sweep the Australian,
French, British and American cham
pionshipS in succession and the value
Of such feat will be more than con-
siderable when he gets down to talking
this winter.
Conversely, a defeat would stamp
him as something short of invincible
and would be taken into due account
when the contract is drawn up for his
grand tour with ELY Vines and Fred
Perry.
That is why Big Red is carrying
around a somewhat worried look
that and the fact that he hasn't been
able to shake sore throat he con-
tracted in Australia six months ago,
or bring his game to anything like its
peak. An examination by throat
specialist here yesterday gave him little
encouragement.
Handicapped in Cup Play.
No one who has seen Bulge at his
f1amboyant best could doubt he was
sorely afflicted in the Davis Cup
matches at Germantown over the
last week end. His first service was
worth almost nothing to him, and he
went into frequent lapses where he
netted or outed like novice 1t was
with a painfully visible effort that he
pulled himself together and defeated
Jack Bromwich. the Australian, in
their singles match.
Budge's case recalls that Of Vines
when he returned from his world tour
of 1882, worn out and harasSed and
sick. and was defeated by Bitsy Grant
IN the nationals Fred Perry, too.
would have turned professional year
earlier than he did if Wilmer Allison
hadn't upset him at Forest Hills. An
evil genn seems to follow the lads once
they decide to turn pro.
They are, or course, under a mental
strain they didn't know when they
simply were playing from one pleasant
tournament to another signing their
checks in the dining room and spark
ing the girls on the clubhouse veranda
To Bulge, now. every opponent is a
man trying to knock him out of maybe
S50,000 in future earnings.
Bromwich Looms as Champ.
According to the draw sheet Bulge
should meet Adrian Quist of Australia
in the semi-f1nals next week, and then
come face to face either with the
ampidextrous Jack Bromwich or
tough Bobby Riggs in the final. Unless
his throat and his game improve, he
could lose to either of them. At least,
observers are agreed the tournament
isn't the cut and dried proposition it
appeared to be even a week ago.
Originally skeptical of Bromwich,
mostly because he looks to be an octo-
pus in action, this critic now thinks
he will be the next world champion
He's only 19 and he looks better almost
by the minute. If he gets to Bulge in
the final it will be a match to see
Nothing of moment was on todav,s
opening program-merely the custo-
mary occasion for wedding out the
lesser players and giving the stars a
chance to stretch their legs The turf
Is better than in years and officials
report a heavy advance sale. DESPITE
the absence of Mrs Helen Wills Moody
wimbledon champion, from the wom-
ems department.