Monday, Aug. 05, 1929
Davis Cup
Youth and Age played together in France to try to get the Davis Cup back to the U. S. Youth was too young, Age too old. The cup stayed where it was. Experts agreed it would have stayed there even if there had been more Age and less Youth. As it was, Youth got some valuable experience.
Age, in the person of William Tatem Tilden, II., playing in what was advertised as his last international match, made a small bet with Player Henri Cochet of France and rushed into the first singles match with a brave effort at speed and power. Player Cochet won the bet in precisely 50 minutes, 6-3, 6-1, 6-2.
Youth, personified by George M. Lott Jr., whom the U. S. substituted the week of the matches for seasoned Francis T. Hunter, was inadequate before Jean Borotra, who leaped about to win 6-1, 3-6,
6-4-7-5-Youth rose up invincible when John Van Ryn and Wilmer Allison, new British doubles champions, met Cochet & Borotra. Winning 6-1, 8-6, 6-4, they stood forth as the most smooth-running doubles team in the game today.
When Tilden played Borotra, a great career, at least, ended appropriately. Borotra took a set before the Tilden placements began to find their marks. Then Borotra had to leap indeed, to race backwards, forwards and sideways. Wearied by the doubles of the day before, he was utterly exhausted when the umpire called the final point Tilden's. The score: 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5.
With the cup at stake, young Player Lott played hard and headily. He took ten games from Cochet, including the second set at 6-3. But his brilliant shots were mixed too much with just-misses. His backhand was specially spotty. He let Cochet have the next-to-last set 6-0.