Indoor Tennis

Though one brandy-drinking Frenchwoman might be able to beat, after a gallant defense, an American champion, U. S. tennis-followers smiled softly over their lemonades, ginger ales and ice waters when they thought of the debacle that awaited the colors of France in the national indoor tournament about to be played in the Seventh Regiment Armory, Manhattan. Leaping Jean Borotra, heavy-lidded Rene LaCoste, and brisk Jaques Brugnon, nicknamed by an unoriginal pressman "The Three Musketeers," would face, if they came through the early rounds, William T. Tilden, Vincent Richards and Francis T. Hunter. Optimism could accord these foreign swashbucklers a chance for gallantry but not for triumph--a state of affairs exactly to the fancy of such U. S. sportsmen as like to see their champions defeat "brave little fighters." Tilden had shown himself at the top of his game by beating Vincent Richards in the finals of an invitation tournament earlier in the week. And when, just as had been foreseen, the three seeded pairs met in the fourth round of the tournament, the gallery was interested.

Richards v. LaCoste. Richards pulled off his sweater, made two errors, was aced twice by the small Frenchman, whose face showed all too clearly his partiality for the vices that infect his country and capital city. Richards took the next three games. Ah, that was better! A clean-living American would yield to no such opponent. Richards was at the net now, was volleying crisp shots to right and left. He made nine service aces in the first set. But a series of lucky placements by LaCoste, and the evident willingness of the Frenchman to spend all his reduced vitality in a desperate effort at the start, deprived him of the set, 6-4. LaCoste's eyelids, as he mopped his face with a towel, were heavier than ever. The next set would see a change of things. It did. Leaping, slamming, driving, smashing the dissipated Frenchman out-volleyed, outguessed, out-stroked Richards, took set and match with ease, 6-4.

Tilden v. Borotra. Tilden's gaunt features were sharp as a woodcut. Clearly he was out to avenge Richards' defeat. "Play," called the umpire. Borotra pulled on his little "Blue Devil" cap and ran to the baseline. Then he ran to the net. Then he ran to the baseline. He was everywhere at once, returning the champion's perfect lobs, the champion's fierce drives, the champion's terrific smashes and cannonball serves with incredible accuracy and pace. The first set went to deuce, dragged on and on. The gallery smiled. Tilden knew what he was doing. He knew that Frenchmen, because of their way of living, have little stamina. He was tiring Borotra out. But strangely enough--after Borotra had won the first set 13-11--it was Tilden's great shoulders that drooped, his feet that dragged, his shots that sidled into the net. Borotra won, 6-3. It was the first beating Tilden had taken in a national championship since 1919.

Hunter v. Brugnon. Jacques Brugnon is considered the weakest singles player on the French team. As soon as the gallery set eyes on him, they knew that the reason was not far to seek. His rakish small mustache, pale face and glittering eye, all marked him out as a man who would be more at home at a cafe table than on a tennis court. Long-limbed Hunter was obviously the epitome of fine young American manhood. Such a match, the gallery knew, could not last long--nor did it. Brugnon outplayed Hunter in every department, of the game; took the match 6-4, 6-4.

The semi-finals were an inevitable anticlimax. Borotra, not without dropping a set, beat Brugnon; LaCoste smothered young John William Van Ryn, a Princeton sophomore; and it only remained to decide which of the two Frenchmen was the best indoor tennis player in the U. S. LaCoste took the finals--15-13, 6-3, 2-6, 6-3,