Tennists on Tour

Gaunt, graceful William Tatem Tilden II strode out on the green canvas floor of Manhattan's Madison Square Garden one night last week, and smiled his satisfaction upon the galleries. There was plenty to smile about, for not one seat in the huge house was vacant. A crowd of 16,000. biggest ever to attend a U. S. tennis match, had paid $30,125 to get in. Of that sum the Garden collected $10,500. Mrs. William Randolph Hearst's Free Milk Fund for Babies got $3,760. Promoter Tilden, his business manager William O'Brien, and Ellsworth Vines, his opponent across the net, were to share about $15,000 for what was to happen in the next two hours. Public interest in the match was due to the fact that: 1) it was Vines's first appearance as a professional; 2) it offered the first real test since 1930 between Tilden, 41, and Vines. 22, each a No. 1 amateur of his day; 3) it promised an evening of brilliant tennis. In all respects the crowd got its money's worth. Before the first set was over the crowd saw that Vines, although inexperienced on indoor courts, had improved after his collapse last year. But so had the amazing Tilden who attributes his middle-age agil ity largely to the skill of osteopaths. After dropping the first game, Tilden took the next four. In the hottest fight of the evening, Vines ran the set to 4-all. then to 6-all before Tilden could stop him. From that point on Tilden hammered away at his opponent's weak point--his backhand. He pranced back & forth across the court, placed his shots so that Vines was rarely in position to return them full strength. Then he nearly ran the gangling legs off Vines, finally had him missing on his forehand, and making costly double faults. After it was over (8-6. 6-3, 6-2), Vines refrained from claiming the legitimate alibi that he had had less than a week's practice indoors. Said he: "Yeah, he fixed me tonight. But maybe I'll nick him for a set down at Philadelphia for a starter." Nick him, Vines did in Philadelphia-- for just one set. Staying on the base line most of the time Vines showed better than in Manhattan, ran the match to four sets. 6-4, 8-10, 9-7, 6-3. Next night in Washington Vines found himself, crowded the net continually, trounced Tilden 6-0, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. Til den, erratic and off poise, plainly showed annoyance at linesmen and noisy gallery. Tilden's professional troupe, which includes also Vincent Richards and Bruce Barnes, will tour some 60,000 mi. this year through the U. S., Europe and the Orient.

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