T-Square

The story of tennis tournaments all over the world has been for the last ten years the biography of a narrow, T-square tennis player, William Tatem Tilden II. The story of the national singles championship at Forest Hills last week was the same story with certain variations.

Tilden had not won at Forest Hills since 1925, and admittedly he would not have won this year had Rene Lacoste or Henri Cochet of France been entered. But Lacoste was so seriously ill in the Swiss Alps that he may never be able to play again, and Cochet, treated arrogantly by U. S. officials last year, had not returned to defend his title. Thus the tournament resolved itself before the finals into a contest between Tilden and the generation of younger players whom he has always so far been able to beat.

In beating Frank Shields, he was obliged to make certain legitimate requests which so displeased his gallery that booes were heard for Tilden. John. Van Ryn whacked himself about the knees with his racket but still could not take more than one set. Semi-finally Tilden played left-handed John Doeg of Santa Monica. Cal.. partner of George Lott in the doubles championship (TIME, Sept. 9). Doeg won the first set. Tilden won the second, Doeg won the third. The crisis, which Tilden had often arranged in the past for its histrionic effect, suddenly became an actuality, frightening and consequential. The gallery, which had been applauding Doeg, changed sides and clapped for Tilden. Doeg, like all the younger players, was so surprised at being really ahead of Tilden that he started double-faulting, lost the fourth and fifth sets.

The lower half of the draw was Francis T. Hunter against the field. This contained 37-year-old Richard Norris Williams II, champion in 1914 and 1916 who in the round before the quarter-finals played what tennis players considered the most brilliant tennis of the tournament in beating young Arnold Jones. The finals, as had been expected, were played by Tilden and Hunter.

There was never much doubt as to who would win. It had been suggested that the "beautiful friendship" which Tilden feels for Hunter, his partner in many a doubles match, might tempt him to toss the match. No one knows better than Big Bill how much Little Frank wants to win the national singles.

For the first three sets, of which Tilden won one, it looked as if Hunter's dream might come true. But then it seemed that if there was any contest between Tilden's feelings for Hunter and his desire to win, the latter won. The score of the whole match was 3-6, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 and Tilden's name was written for the seventh time, like Richard D. Sears's and William A. Larned's, upon the championship cup.