English Tennis Needs a Hobbs, Declares Tilden

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 835, 2 December 1929, Page 13

English Tennis Needs a Hobbs, Declares Tilden

Graceful Tribute to Wimbledon

i There is only one Wimbledon.” deVI . T. Tilden. the famous American tennis star, in a striking interview published in an English paper. “Wimbledon, after all. is more intortsting and important, because of the people you meet there, than because ot the matches you win. You enter to win. of course, but no one dies if he ! fails to win—and I am not dead.” When it was suggested that Wimbledon would miss him if he . never came over again, Tilden smiled and said: “No. Wimbledon , is Wimbledon. Nothing can alter it. It is the only lawn tennis tournament in the world that can c-tand on its own feet, irrespective of the entries. “If Cochct. Lacoste, Borotra and I did not enter for the championships next year, it would not make a shilling difference to the gate. The centre court at Wimbledon would be packed, no matter who were in the final.” Tilden said that in the challenge round of the Davis Cup. Cocliet played the greatest lawn' tennis he had. ever seen in his life. “I was playing really well,” says Tilden. “but Cochet was marvellous. Undoubtedly, Cochet is the best player in the men’s game today. He knows when to do a thing and just does it. Against anyone of the 'Big Five’ in lawn tennis, Cochet is more likely to j win than against a lesser known ; player. “The French people only learned the game during the war, but they learned it well. They appreciate the value of every stroke and that is why they are supreme in lawn tennis today.” The great American said that he was much impressed by The improvement , in English lawn tennis this year. He was glad that H. W. Austin and J. S. Oliiff had gone to the States. “Austin is a great player now, ’ he

said, “but the secret of his not quite getting there is that he lacks confidence in himself. If he confidence of Cochet,- now * “British lawn tennis was spoiled by the war. Your players were too old and too listless to take any real interest in the game after the four years of fighting:. Only the war has kept back lawn tennis in this country all these years. But now you have some line players in J. C. Gregory. J. G. Collins, Nigel Sharpe, Austin and Oliiff. SPOILED BY WAR "I think I would rather play in England than in any other country in Europe, at Wimbledon especially.” said Tilden. “There the* people know more about the technique of the game than they do anywhere else. “They go to see their fellows win. of course—all crowds are naturally like that —but here in England your people will go to see a good exhibition of a game irrespective of what nationality the players are, while in other countries it is essential that a native player should be engaged to draw the gate money. “In France, and even in the States, I have witnessed some real scenes among spectators—a thing not possible in England, where sport, the knowledge and the spirit of sport, is part of daily life.” STEADY GROWTH Tilden was almost enthusiastic over the growth of .lawn tennis in all parts of the world. “It only requires young boys to have a hero in lawn tennis, as they have in Jack Hobbs in cricket, for the game to go right ahead in popularity. Your schools must come to recognise the game of lawn tennis sooner or later. Everyone wants to emulate Austin as much as he wants to be as good as Hobbs.” Referring to the YViglitman Cup match between the women players of Great Britain and the United States, Tilden expressed the opinion that America would win back the cup, but only after a close contest, and In this he was correct. “The English women players are, on the average, better than any others in the world. I really believe that if you took a hundred English women and a similar number of American women your players would win 75 of the matches.”