Tilden v. Cochet

The first time Henri Cochet visited the U. S., in 1921, he was a member of Suzanne Lenglen's entourage. It was his job to run out on the tennis court with smelling-salts when she felt indisposed. The last time he left the U. S., in 1932, he had just lost to Ellsworth Vines in the finals of the National Singles Championship at Forest Hills. He denounced tournament, courts, officials, vowed never to come back. Last week Cochet broke his vow when he and stubby little Martin Plaa, for five years trainer of French Davis Cup teams, started a five-week tour of professional exhibition matches with William Tatem Tilden II and Ellsworth Vines.

In Manhattan last week, in the first two-night series of the tour, Tilden and Vines won all five matches. Closest was the Tilden v. Cochet singles--7-9, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3. 6-3 for Tilden. Critics considered it the best professional tennis ever played in the U. S., found Tilden and Cochet as evenly matched as they were when they played against each other in the National Singles at Forest Hills in 1926. Cochet, still trying to accustom himself to artificial lights and the green canvas court which is part of the baggage of a Tilden tennis tour, said he expected to turn the tables, failed to do so in Boston where Tilden & Vines made another clean sweep. Itinerary of the tour: Boston, Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Newark, New Haven, New York City, Albany and Rochester.

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