LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 161, 7 June 1940, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

It was announced some time ago that the trip of the Australian team in quest of the Davis Cup had resulted in a financial loss. This, however, only amounted to something under £2OO, which is more than offset by the capture of the Cup. It was expected, however, that the tour would show a profit, but the fact that the challenge round was staged on the ground of the Merion Cricket Club instead of at Forest Hills was tlie chief cause of the deficit. The most amazing item of costs was the charge of 35,000 dollars for the temporary stands, which at the present rate of exchange is considerably over £7,000, of which each competing team had to pay hall. In contrast with this is the fact that a Davis Cup match in Victoria or New South Wales can be staged for less than £I,OOO, with room for 12,000 spectators. In the Davis Cup challenge round in 1938 the sales of tickets realised 80,700 dollars, while in 1939 they were approximately 7,500 dollars less. The earlier matches against Mexico, the Philippines and Cuba were considered such a certainty for Australia that the attendances were very small, but the travelling expenses, especially to Mexico, w'ere very heavy. The Australian Lawn Tennis | Association can well afford the trifling ! loss, the financial reserves amounting to over £13,000. . Heavy as were the costs of the Davis Cup final they were small compared with those of the Exhibition Tournament staged in New York in aid of the Finnish Relief Fund. It was announced that the Fund would profit by some 8,000 dollars, but the accounts published by the New York HeraldTribune show that the gross receipts were 10,781.40 dollars and the expenses 6,774.40 dollars, leaving only 4,006.60 dollars for the Relief Fund, about half of'the sum which was anticipated. That only 37 per cent, of the receipts came from an exhibition for which it was understood that all who contributed their services did so free of charge has called forth strong expressions of disgust in the American Press. It is hardly credible that Tilden was paid 700 dollars. Of this he claimed 400 as expenses and 300 for performing. Perry claimed. 312.23 dollars for expenses and a further 50 for winning his extra match rvith Budge. The other professionals talcing part in this charity tournament received smaller sums. The Herald-Tribune .said, “Have no truck with tennis. Six j professionals, all schooled originally in I the great amateur traditions of 6port, | helped the Finnish Relief Committee run the event.” No doubt many of the professionals live a long way from New York and must have incurred considerable expense in making the trip, but even if Tilden’s charge of 400 dollars was not excessive, though | it would appear to be 60, his claim for 1 300 dollars for playing was universally condemned. Tilden how lives at Los Angeles where he runs a lawn tennis 'school and charges ten dollars per , half-hour or fifteen per hour for personal coaching. Other items of exr pense in this disgraceful affair were 1 175.75 dollars for temporary grandstands and 508.46 dollars charged bv | the Vanderbilt Hotel for luncheon and accommodation for the Press, and entertainment for players and officials I after the show. I The whole affair was a disgrace to the game, and a well-known American ! journalist wrote,' “Upon first seeing the Finnish Fund figures my first thought was to bury them a thousand fathoms deep, they were so horrible.’ Writing on another subject the same gentleman has the following:—“Time was when not even the most daring young lady dared to think of setting foot on the centre court at V imbledon with her legs bare from just above the shoe to well above the knee. a ßut long stockings—there was a race between silk and cotton —went their way. To-day the man that declared that female' legs should be covered in public would be taken out and shot at sunrise or earlier.” Perry seems just now to he definitely the outstanding player. At the

West Coast Professional Championships lie beat Tilden '7— s, .15— Vines 4—6, - 6—2, 6—4; and Budge 64, B—6. Tilden again beat Budge 7 7, —5; and Budge beat Vines 6—3, 12 —10. This seems to show' that the present cracks would have been a Jong way behind Tilden in his prime. Quist who was born and started Ins tennis career in South Australia, which Stato he Represented when he was first selected'for the Davis Cup team, has now taken up his residence in Sydney ias manager of Dunlop s N.S.W. sports goods section. With Crawford and McGrath also available New' South Wales will, have probably the strongest team that has * ever represented any Australian State.. . A