Tilden v. Lacoste

Last week at the National Singles Tennis Championship at Forest Hills, Long Island, William T. Tilden II tried for a record. He tried to match William A. Larned's list of seven national championships. Tilden has six. Last year Henri Cochet of France robbed him of his chance to tie R. D. Sears's record, seven successive championships; Rene Lacoste be- came 1926 champion.

Fighting Lacoste in the 1927 finals, Tilden seemed burned out by the frantic rush and smash of trying to defend the Davis Cup (TIME, Sept. 19). Gloom shrouded experts, patriots. Tilden, dogged, forced Lacoste to long deuce sets. Never a popular champion, the greatest ovation of his history drummed into his ears as he walked off the court loser to Lacoste, 11-9, 6-3, 11-9.