The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-01-21
REG. U. s. Pat. OFF,
BY JACK GUENTHER
Uriied Press Staff Correspondent

tJfJteu fieSs STAN Correspondent
New Yc-k. Jan. 21.- CUP)-
Alexis Thompson. the curly haired
Yale glamor boy who celebrated
194l by dropping $4,000 on the
Philadelphia Eagles football team,
Is oil to flying start in 1912 and
If She public continues to ignore
his new professional tennis troupe
the chances are bright that he will
succeed in doubling his losses
within the year.
The newest of the pro barn
storming tours, which started out
as a fool proof venture only a few
weeks ago, has developed into a
gilt-edged liability. Mr.. Thompson
failed to reckon with the fates, the
clements and the temprraments
OF the men he hired SO at the mo-
ment red ink is sloshing madly
about and the boys are ready to
stert bailing.
To date, the Thompson tour has
eQcountered more Setbacks than
the italian navy. Fred Perry in
lurcd a nerve in his right arm the
night the show opened in Madison
Square Garden and was out of ac-
ton five days. A siege of zero
weather killed the gate receipts
four nights in row short time
later. Now Frank Kovacs, the
troupes big attraction, has twisted
a lieament.
Mako Moves In
The towering Californian will re-
main in sick bay for two or three
weeks until his payroll arm mendS
and he certainly IS no asset sitting
III the stands. Thompson recruited
Gene Mako from the old soldiers
home TO bat for Perry and has re-
viVed Les StoefTen 10 sub for Ko-
vacs. Right now he is ready to call
on the old perennial. Bill Tilden,
at the crack Of an elbow.
These mishaps, annoying and
costly as they seem, still don't ap-
proximate another worry with
which the boy genius currently is
coping. That is the public's steady
refusal TO accept the enterprise as
the completely sporting contest it
Is, John Doe is remaining skep-
tlcal--and at home Mr.. Average
Fan firmly believes the venture is
nicely fixed.
thompson won't say that in as
many words but member of his
east-West sporting club broke the
news to me gently today. AS you
may know the tour is conducted
on . strict cash and no carry
OASIS. Each man Is paid only for
The pumber of matches he wins
and there Is no more incentive for
a player TO blow point than there
Is to light a cigarette with a $40
bill.
Most of the accredited experts
Say the tour has evolved some of
the best tennis ever seen In the
United States. Perry and Don
Bulge came in little overweight
but they are full Of frisk and fight
again. Kovacs always Is more in
cllned to take his tennis with a
few touches Of rather heavy humor
than in straight bites, but even, he
Is working hard.
The standings OF the round
robin, Jumbled by the unexpected
entry OF Mako and Stoeffep. are
surprisingly enough topped by
Master Robert Riggs, the cocky 1T
tleg ny who only few months ago
was being roundly berated as one
OF the weakest amateur champs on
record. Master Riggs, who imbibes
cex,rose between matches, has been
whacking the fiannels off his
rivals.
War OF Nerves
Az the last check-up he had a.
terrific lead and had won two
thirds OF his matches. Koyacs
stood a. TT when he was injured
and Bulge is having a hard time
yolleying 500. Perry Is at the ex-
treme bottom of the heap and has
lost five or SIX matches for each
he has won. The T1anky Briton
hasn't collapsed, however. He has
succumbed TO Brother Kovacs' war
Of nerves.
When the tour opened. Kovacs,
for purely publicity purposes, was
prined TO call Perry many I'M
fashionable names. Perry's sense Of
hunors curdled quickly, and for
weeks the boys have been feuding
In earnest. At one stage, Perry
flatly quit, but was hauled back by