Evening star., 1938-02-24


Alone among the worlds racket
welding greats, his supremacy has the
backing Of experts of the old school
Is well as Of all critics Of this gener-
alton. He won more major cham
pionships, achieved greater Davis Cup
lame and retained larger measure
Of competitive skill over longer space
OF time than any other player ever
did.
Tilden reached the top during the
period generally conceded to involve
the fastest pace and toughest COM
petition in lawn tennis history. He
was American singles king six years
In a row and seven times altogether,
victor at Wimbledon in l92O-2l and
again in 1880.
Great Davis Cup Record.
He won 81 out of % Davis Cup
challenge round matches in singles
and doubles, a record that is even
greater than the figures themselves
indicate. He is in his forties now, a
pro veteran, but still no pushover.
Big Bills partner in the Davis Cup
wars. William M. Oittle Bill John
ston, fills the No. spot, notwithstand-
Ing the feeling of some old-timers that
Hugh Laurence Doherty, of England's
famous Doherty brothers, is the logi-
cal runner-up to Tilden. Johnston,
We feel. rates it for the simple reason
that he alone was able to challenge
TIlden seriously in Big Bills prime,
and that In any other era the diminu-
tive Californian would have dominated
the field. 1t was Little Bills tough
luck to spend his greatest years in
the shadow of the greatest player of
all time.
Yet Johnston's Davis Cup record
compared with Tilden's, marked as
1t was by only one singles setback
over a seven-year stretch until he was
routed by the French in 1927 at Ger
mantown. Johnston won the Ameri-
can singles title twice, 1915 and 1919,
and was runner-up five times, on four
occasions to Tilden. He was victorious
Ut Wimbledon in 1928.
Doherty Brothers.
The temptation to bracket the
Doherty brothers, Hugh and Reginald,
is strong. Hugh's record is more i'm
pressive on the whole, including an
unbeaten record in l3 Davis Cup
matches during 1902-1e06, five-year
period in which Little Do also was
supreme in the Wimbledon singles.
But they combined to win the VIM
bledon doubles eight times and paired
together for five Davis Cup victories.
Some old-timers say that Reggie, at
his best, consistently beat his younger
brother. Reggie was four times VIM
bledon singles title holder.
The great Victorian, Norman
Brookes, splits the Dohertys in our
ranking list because of the imprint
Of his southpaw talent, as we'll as his
tactics and leadership over an unusual
stretch Of time. Brookes was Davis
Cup warrior from 1907 to 1920, VIM
bledon singles king twice 1907 and
1910, and one of the greatest strate-
gists Of all time. He had brilliant
support in pre-war days from Tony
Wilding, the gallant Me- Zealander,
who was Wimbledon champion four
straight years.
Brookes Carries On.
Wilding lost his life in the World
War, but Brookes engineered Aus
tralias last challenge round triumph,
in 1919, before yielding to the onrush
Of Americas two Bills"
Three triumphs each at Wimbledon
and Forest Hills against the worlds
best, coupled with his Davis Cup ex-
ploits over a six-year stretch, 1881
1885, clinch a place in the Hall of
Fame" for England's greatest post
war product of the courts, volatile,
brilliant Fred Perry. He has had no
superiors in the tenacity of his match
play spirit. He thrived on pressure.
AS in the case OF the Dohertys,
1t is dinicult to differentiate between
the two big shots of the French Mus
keteers, Rene Lacoste and Henri
Cochet. except as to their styles of
play. LaDste's career was briefer, but
technically closer to perfection, Co.
chefs more electrifying and longer
but less consistent They needed the
support of Jean Borotra and Jacques
Brugnon to sustain Frances six-year
Davis Cup reign. Both belonged in
the select company of singles victors