LACOSTE BEATS TILDEN IN BRILLIANT MATCH

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 64, 7 June 1927, Page 7

LACOSTE BEATS TILDEN IN BRILLIANT MATCH

ST. CLOUD CHAMPIONSHIP GREAT TENNIS DISPLAY By Cable. —Press Association.—Copyright LONDON, Sunday. The Paris correspondent of the “Daily News” says Tilden, the American champion, was beaten by Lacoste, the French champion, in the final of the men’s singles in the lawn tennis championships at St. Cloud. The match was one of the hardestbought games in Tilden’s career. It lasted for three and a-half hours, and provided a brilliant display of tennis. Tilden’s varied attacks would have intimidated a less phlegmatic player than Lacoste. There were many lengthy rallies. The ball once passed over the net 61 times. Lacoste, in diving to make a return in the third set, strained a muscle of his leg, and was scarcely able to hobble in the last three games. He re - covered after massage, and brilliantly won the fourth and final set. Tilden cut out all fancy strokes, and drove his hardest. He came up to the net, but Lacoste was unbeatable and attacked fiercely. Lacoste led at 5—4, but with three cannon-ball services, which Lacoste did not seem to see, Tilden levelled the score. Tilden took the next game, and then when Tilden wanted a point to win, Lacotse, in spite of his leg failing him, recovered and led 7—6. Tilden equalised 7 —7, and Lacoste secured the 15th game and lost the next two. But with a perfect smash Lacoste brought the score to 9—9. Amid the excitement of a record crowd Tilden made a double fault and lost the final point. The scores were: 6—4, 4 —6, 5 —7, 6 —3, 11—9. In the final of the women’s singles Miss Bouman (Holland) defeated Mrs. Peacock (South Africa), 6—2, 6 —4. In the semi-final of the mixed doubles Madame Bordes and Borotra (France) defeated Mrs. Peacock and Condon (South Africa), 6—l, 6—l.