Evening star., 1939-03-06
From the
Press Box
Vines Still Nets Best,
Perry Contends
By JOHN LARDNER,
CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

NEW YORK, March 6.-Undaunt-
eddy records which show that John
Donald Bulge licked Henry Ellis
worth Vines in slightly more than
IS per cent of the matches In their
recent tour, Frederick John Perry
says that Vines can take Bulge on
the best day Bulge ever saw.
Mr.. Perry is not sure what the
best day Bulge ever saw was, but
he thinks it was Tuesday or a
Thursday.
"Vines still is the greatest player
in the world for my money" says
the pride of Piccadilly. Mr.. Perry's
money is American. He never made
tuppence in England.
For my money" continues fear
less Frederick, jingling portion Of
same in his pocket, Wines is bet
' ter player than Bulge from one
years end to the other, and I
wouldn't be surprise if I am, too.
Vines can beat me. I think I can
handle Bulge. Though mind you,
fellows, it will be close as blazes."
leop Yeor Is Hoppiest
In Pery's Life
Bulge and Perry will begin their
own tour next Friday night. For
Bulge this will be the second leg
of his relentless pursuit of $4,000,
half of which already has been
banked to his account In cash,
bonds, hot phonograph records ana
other negotiable assets.
Mr.. Perry will not be stalking any
definite sum of money, but he Will
be stalking in deadly earnest, just
the same. Whenever dollar floats
unclaimed to the floor Mr.. Perry will
SCOOP it up. In Mr.. Perry's book
the open season on the dollar lasts
from January l to December 81,
and the happiest year in Freddle's
life Is leap year, which supplies,
as anv urchin can tell you, an extra
days 'untin'.
A couple of seasons ago, in his
maiden performance as a profes-
sional tennis player, Mr.. Perry was
highly nervous till he reached the
4 field of action. Then his eye swept
the front boxes, and I never will tor
get the look of sweet and spiritual
happiness that came over his lace.
"By love-" exclaimed Frederick,
"the $40 seats are all taken. seven
times mmm'ph makes mmm'ph and
mmm'ph and carry one makes
mmm pity -mmm'ph. How ripplng!'
Ten dollars is 2 pounds in your
money, Fred" said Ellsworth Vines,
passing along the information fof
what it was worth. 1t was not
worth a thing to Mr.. Perry, who
murmured You're telling mel"
For some little time. however,
pounds and shillings have ceased to
be Mr.. Perry's money. He shares
the standard of Uncle Sam, and
his only complaint about American
money is that Uncle Sam has more
of it than he has. This unfair con-
dition is being corrected by Mr..
Perry at the fastest possible rate.
Round Robin for Three
Only Sound Plon
When Freddie says that Vines is
q better player than Bulge, recent
results to the contrary, he may be
talking from economic motives. II
Perry wins the next series from
Bulge, a fresh Vines-Perry tour will
be in order, and Fred would like
to make that tour as profitable as
possible. Prudence is the word for
Perry.
But the chances are he really
. thinks Vines is king. You will find
a disposition among all the pros
who have jousted steadily with Vines
to consider young Ellsworth the
greatest of all time. They say he
is unbeatable at his best. and they
believe he can produce his best any
time he buckles to the task and
keeps rigid training.
"Budge is more consistent, but
Vines is BETTER says fearless Fred
Perry.
There are points of interest about
the forthcoming Perry-Budge cam
paign. Three are points of interest
about all three of these fellows,
they being the three greateso tennis
players in the world. If their round
robin strategy begins to weary the
public, 1t won't be their fault. They
have no one else to play with.
The United States Lawn Tennis
Association, frostbitten and blind as
ever, refuses to consider omen tennis
and the free co-mingling Of anna
teurs and pros. Perry is steadier
than Vines, and more agile, and his
game may be the kind to stop Bulge
dead. AS an amateur, he whipped
Bulge four matches in six But I
think Bulge has come along faster
since those days than Perry has,
and my own homemade rating of
the three of them is:
l. Vines.
2. Bulge.
8, Perry,