A LOST CHAMPIONSHIP.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15047, 15 August 1914, Page 15

A LOST CHAMPIONSHIP.

BROOKES V. TnLDI>"G.

TENNIS SURPRISE AT

WIMBLEDON

(.?£OM CKTt OWN COSKESPOJiDEK*-)

L-ONDON, July I,J

Tennis cntbusiaits flocked «P J -° Wimbledon fooling Miro of a great game wfaon A. I'". W uaing t,ho]der ot tno world's ohampiout-.hjp) was on tho programmo to .\ornan ' 13rook«, tlie Aiistraiiau. And tiu-v 50s wiiat they went lor. liut tlio.v were " not prepared i'or ibo result—-1110 -New lander defeated in a love rubber. Traiy ths propiicis ciiino down in a !»»?> and it was Jcaie wjilo Ocioro tho speo tutors graspcU tho outcoino of a hard figut. CJucii was Brookcs's mastership txiat !se rcil'.y never aaro Wilaing a. cfaanco to develop Uis own game, 'llio contest lasted tc-vcuiy-cwo tasnut-es, Jjjooscs iJ Jiamcs to w ii£l13 (6-1. G-l, 7-0). . ... muling \»oii t,uc eiiampjonsmp jn 1010, aud iiuci successiiiiiy dejeaded ix, each year eiuee. Ho started 4 strong iavounto, luoro uian - to 1 being freely ottered on »w chauco of retaining the title Later, tho opinion was expressed that "U iluing ' piayod badiy, but it would bo moro accurate to say that he played as iveil as eppouenfc allowed him. As Mr C P. Dixon writes :—■'Had Wilding been opposed to one of our best; players or oven to froitzheira, we should have seen that terrible top spin drivo of his working its usual destruction. Againsfc Brookes its power was cramped, and tho Australian had hini always guessing. Here with stop volleys, there with deep volleys, ho had Wilding continually on tho run, often on tho wrong foot. Quick and active as' Wilding is, he was repeatedly 3 fraction of time too late in getting to the ball, and was thus unablo to got tho firm stance nocossary for .1 hard passing dri%'e. His lobSj too. vero short for tho same reason. BrcokeirK anticipation was almost imcarrny. Ho appeared at once to divine Wilding's intention' Only four times during tho match dirl Wilding clean pass JJrookes at the net. "It nriuht bo virjred that Wilding showed little initiative*. He should havo essayed tho net and volleyed ruoro. On most occasions lie went in to volley during tho rallies he was passed by Brookes, whose steady and finely-placed driving throughout was not tho least feature of his great display. That ho should corao over here after an interval of nine years, and again win the championship, wresting it from an opponent whom many judges have for somo considerable time been describing as tho best player of all time, is truly remarkable, li was Brookes's day, and, though luck may havo- been with him in tho matter of net-cord strokes, thes© could scarcely have affected his ultimate success, which was achieved by a wonderful control over tho ball, in which the head and hand worked in perfect unison. ? ' Wilding admitted that Brookes was too good for him. And thero is case in a nutshell. Spectators were satisfied they bad never seen finer tennisJ. C. Parkn and Mrs Lareornbe saved the Mixed Doubles Championship for tho Old Country, but they were perilously near to losing it to A. F. Wilding and Mdllo. Broquedis, who took tho first Ret, and were within a stroke of 5-5 in the second. The French lady had been supporting Wilding well with fine servico and somo brilliant drivinc, but with victory in fiicht her srnmo collapsed. Ball after ball was netted by her, and try as he would, Wilding could riot pull her through. The public is convinced that Wilding and Brookes make the best nair that tho tennis world can show. They woro not surprised, "therefore, that the old "war horses" —P. oner Barrett nnd -° P. Dixon —should suffer defeat in tho Men's Doubles. winners did not have it all their own way thoueh, and four sets, had to be played—G-l, 6-1. 5-7, 8-C. For two sets Barrett and Wxon were bewildered "by the services and the return of the Australasian pair, particularly by tho deadly technique of Brookes, who never finishing a- ball that was "on" either with a cross shot or a delicate "smash" from the verge of tho net. As a contrast, Wildins: would come out with on nnreturnaWe service or a x drive to the feet of *'"* striker. In the third set Dixon found his stroke, and thon he and Barrett pavo a sparkling demonstration of closo volleying. As play progressed it v.as obvior.s that class and youth would tell, so victory was won by tho unmatched pair.