At St. Cloud

The international hard-court tennis championships at St. Cloud, France, lasted a fortnight. As the finals approached, the temper of the crowd sizzled at fever heat, the umpires' decisions became erratic, the serves of William T. Tilden II of the U. S. hissed like rockets, and although his nerves were beginning to crack, it seemed inevitable that he would win the singles championship.

Raymond v. Tilden. "Lean Bill's" first real test came when he met Louis Raymond, youthful champion of South Africa. Someone "spread a report" that Raymond had a sore foot, that the referee had agreed to postpone the match, but that Tilden had refused. So the crowd cheered loudly when Raymond slashed to victory in the first set and threatened again in the third. Tilden was criticizing the linesmen's decisions, barking brusque commands at the ball boys, playing magnificent tennis. Tilden won three sets & match.

Cochet v. Tilden. Henri Cochet started like the cyclone that defeated Tilden in the U. S. lawn championships last summer. But Tilden on his peak was undisturbed, won three straight sets. Gallant in victory, he refused to accept the umpire's decisions which went against Cochet. On this day the crowd applauded Tilden.

Lacoste v. Tilden. The finals . . . RenE Lacoste, a leading, eellike man with blue-black hair, with dark circles under his eyes . . . Tilden, long arms and long legs covering the court like a madcap daddylonglegs . . . both confident . . . both using every weapon of the game, tantalizing chop-strokes, lobs, uncanny placements, cannonballs . . . Lacoste injuring a leg trying to recover a Tilden cannonball . . . Tilden being called three times for foot faults by Allan Muhr, umpire from the U. S. . . . Tilden arguing with Muhr . . .

In the fifth and deciding set, with game score 5-to-4 against him, Tilden asked Umpire Muhr to watch his service closely. He then served four successive aces and soon brought the game score 9-to-8 in his favor. After that, spectators debated whether Tilden wilted or whether Lacoste became invincible, but the fact remained that Lacoste took three straight games and the championship. The match score: 6-4, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 11-9.