PROFESSIONAL TENNIS

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 310, 16 December 1936, Page 7

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS

Cool Reception in England TILDEN MAY SURPRISE ’■ “ I We Avent to Wimbledon yesterday, not knowing whom we were going to see in action m the Davis Cup interzone linal doubles match. I repeat, it isn’t good enough, wiites Clifford Webb in the “Daily Herald.” Maybe the fact is—though nobod.r seems to appreciate it —that they’re murdering big tennis all over the place by making it a twelve months’ job. Somebody's got to crack some place, and if that place happens to be where they take the most money, then the tiewildered spectators who pay the cash, just have to grin and bear it. Bill 'Tilden ha<s been in London “on business.” Whether or not he’s going to do any business remains to be seen. Official news to me from Wembley Stadium yesterday was to the effect that a third indoor tournament with the Tilden circus as the attraction was “merely a possibility.” Bill realises that England isn’t America. Over there he could put on a circus act everv week for two, three, lour years and still not exhaust the run ot small, medium and large-size towns which have never seen big tennis and which, at least, would guarantee him a lair return over and above expenses.

Here, he’s got Southport and London. And London is awkward, at times. London may not know that German Hans Nusslein is the most entertaining thing lawn tennis has provided since the first man cracked a ball hard into the opposite court. London can, at times, go all supercilious and say. in effect, “Oh, but we’ve seen all Mister Tilden’s players beiore. W hat about some new ones?” And then, where are you? Give Bill Tilden credit, of course, for knowing all this. There is something up the sleeve of the erstwhile cannonball merchant that would probably surprise even myself. Maybe if I mentioned the name of a player Tilden has in mind lor his troup we should all have a shock. But it isn’t fair—yet. Strange, but it seems only a short while ago that I braved the network ot citv streets, ■where I am alwavs not so much lost as completely bewildered, to listen to the speeches at an L.T.A. ‘annual general.” Am| I marvelled (secretly) at the expressions ol cordial friendship between the governing body of the game that comes under the heading of “amateur,” and those who would place their cards on the table and endeavour to earn a crust by staling openly that they were prepared to handle players wlip would bo paid lor their services. Amateurism in lawn tennis has come Io mean Hist this: By some weird formula which remains a close secret, you reach a certain well-enclosed area of the came mere entry into which means that, von are on velvet for so long as your publicity stands up to the strain. 'lhe onlv man who ever threw down lawn tennis because he’d got a better mb was L'rankie 'Adonis) Shields—and be erashed the talkies in quite a big wav. Hundreds ami hundreds of dollars a week. With that trenchant (?) ihsei ration we’ll leave lawn tennis.