NORMAN E. BROOKES

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 146, 21 June 1924, Page 19

NORMAN E. BROOKES

RETURN TO ENGLAND WELCOMED

For English lawn tennis followers one of the most welcome features of the coming season will be tho return of Norman Brookes to the scene of his former triumphs, states the " Manchester Guardian." It will be his fifth visit to England. In 1905 he first came and carved an all-conquering path to the challenge round, where Hugh Doherty succeeded in preserving British lawn tennis laurels. In 1907 he came again, and, with Doherty out of ihe lists, attained his goal, and the Wimbledon title first went abroad. Those were days in which England had not become reconciled to tho habitual loss of the national title. In 1914 he returned for i lie third time and achieved an unexpectedly easy victory over Anthony Wilding, who had barred the way of M'Loughli'n and other American invaders. His last appearance was in 1919, when he lost his title to his young compatriot Patterson.

The years must have inevitably taken their toll on his speed and strengthHe is now 47—so that only the absence cf strong American invaders could make him a dangerous competitor for tho singles, but in doubles his unsurpassed cunning of head and hand may well triumph. In January this year, in partnership with Anderson, he won the Australasian doubles championship by beating that famous pair, Patterson and 0 Hara Wood, in straight sets. He competed in March at the Riviera tournaments, but the surface there was far iess helpful to his deadly slice than will be the grass courts of Wimbledon.