LAWN TENNIS.

SUCCESS OF WILDING AND KEECHIE.

[PROM (TOE OWH CORRESPONDENT.] LONDON, Bfch July. The Wimbledon tournament concluded with M. J. G. Ritchie and A. F. Wilding -winning the doubles championship, beating the holders, A. W. Gore and H. Roper Barrett, by 6—l, 6—l, 6—2. The Sporting life confesses that theresults of the tournament are scarcely' flattering to the players of the Ola Country/ and it continues: — "The present champion, A. F. Wilding, stood out head and shoulders above the rest; the only time he ever looked like being beaten was when he . played the American, Beak Wright. This was the only fiveset match he had to play, and m this game he always looked a winner after the fkst two sets. Barrett, Ritchie, and Gore each took a set off him, but could do little more than extend him m the remaining sets. No one will begrudge Wilding the championship ; it was the result of magnificent play!, m which every stroke had been thought out as a means to the end. Not a little of his success was due to his wonderful physical condition. At the end of his fiveset match against Beals Wright he was practically as fit vas when he started. 1 His opponent, .on the other hand, although by no means untrained, was beginning to show signs of distress. To snch a pitch of " perfection has Wilding brought his game that the only chance one has of beating lam is m vigorous attack. A waiting game is worse than useless. THE TRIUMPH OF AN IDEALIST. Brame Hillyard, m the Morning Post, writes enthusiastically about Wilding's success. He says : "Anthony Wilding's triumph at Wimbledon is the triumph of. an idealist. Far more seriously than most game-players,, from the first he set his heart on becoming as good a player as he possibly could, and throughout his gradual advance to last week's great achievement lie never wavered from this fine youthful purpose. Not since the days, early, m his university career, when he decided to give up college cricket m favour of lawn tennis, has ho ceased to turn into this game, which to most men is comparatively idle amusement, all his enthusiasm. Perhaps ho got more pleasure out of perfect physical condition than his friends out of cigarettes and late hours, but anyhow, h-e has always willingly made those sac-, rifiees by which perfect condition is attained. This long-standing passion of his for ■ physical fitness,, had indeed its supreme and dramatic reward last week, when m the critical moments of the freatest match of his lifetime he found ivnself able to increase the pressure of his attack just as Beals Wright was wavering beneath the strain. Those were unforgetable moments for him, and for us who were fortunate enough to be there. , "Anthony Wilding is a born match player, and this characteristic showed itself m the very first tournament he ever played m, when he set all the lawn tennis world talking about him. 'Who is this young fellow?" we asked one another, 'who m his first attempt goes through to victory ?' beating Allen and the late F. W. Payn. on his way. What i self-confidence m a mere novice ! I remember asking Payn about him immedia.tely, and he gave me the shrewd opinion that 'there is nothing at present so very striking about his game, but— he is a fine match player.' That subtle quality of character, people sometimes forget, has much to do with the winning of championships. And m that greatest of all his matches to which I have referred — his match last Tuesday against Beals Wright- — what a revelation of Wilding's match-winning temperament we beheld. In the dressingroom, just before he went m to court, Wilding said to me: 'I know what I have to do. I must go easy at first and hold my strength m reserve for the end.' And what did Beals Wright say? He said : 'I -must- beat Wilding m the first three sets or I will not beat him at all.' That was clearly an interesting position, for \ there was a mutual acquiescence m each other's tactics."