LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 3, 3 July 1926, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS

. "•» Hun*" WIMBLEDON TOURNEY

VINCENT RICHARDS BEATEN

THE ' 'TEMPERAMENTAL FRENCH WOMAN".

| The All-England Club's .fiftieth championship meeting- was started on 21st. Juno, and Wimbledon's Golden Jubilee was'celebrated frith, a'parade of ex-champions. Miss .M. Watson, ■who won the single's in 1884 and 1885, led the march. P. JYHadow, who won the singles in 1878-88, led the men, and Canon J. T. Hartley, singles champion in 1879 and 1880, and doubles, champion, with B. T. Kichardson in 1882, was the oldest ex-champion present, being 77 years of age.. The' meeting attracted a very fine entry of champioiis. To look back to the Wimbledon • of'lß77' .and compare that with- the new Wimbledon Of the present-day only goes to show what a strong and imposing fabric has been built up in those 50 years. The seating capacity of. the Wimbledon Stadium is 8989, and the standing capacity is 4000, a total of 13,980. These .figures are exclusive of the grounds'outside the:. Stadium. Had the seating capacity been twice what-it is, would-be spectators this year would have been turned away. The American team, and the visiting champions from "the Continent, caused some of the great demand, for seats, but the chief draw'was,, as has been for some, years, Mile. Suzanne Lenglen. Borne may say that.it is AVimbledon's international character, its clash of patriotic fervour, its variety of racial trait and temperament exhibited on the court that draws the thousands, but there is no doubt that the French lady champion has been Wimbledon's greatest asset of-late-years as far as the championship's receipts were concerned. This great champion player has caused many sensations in the past at Wimbledon, but not of the nature of her latest. -.She has now retired from the singles contest, apparently of Her own free will, but it is a pity that the committee did not do its duty when she failed to play, when requested. It was hard luck for Miss Mary Browne (America), that she met Mile. Lenglen in the first round, otherwise that fine American player might liave gone very near winning the event. If the French lady player had felt as Tilden did when he played at. Wimbledon, all would have been well. Tilden. must have had an inspiration to think as follows:- —"Around nic, filling every available bit ■of space,, are the men and women who compose the most distinguished and critical gallery in all the lawn tennis . world;. even royalty has come to view the scene and add luster and eclat to it. 'Twbuld ill become me to do aught but acquit myself well,' to justify my selection as one of the-representatives of my coun 7 try. . I- must act worthily,: as become the game and its followers. And may the best player win."

MEN' S CHAMPIONSHIP SINGLES.

In the first round of the men's singles some first-class players met their Waterloo, and the All-England Club's officials are still as conservative as ever and will not adopt modern methods in "seeding" the draw as all other nations do, so that the first-class play- . ers from abroad do not meet in the first round. O. G. N. Turnbull and G. R. .0. Crole-Rees, both British Davis Cup players, met in the first round, and Turnbull won easily. Jacques Brugnon (France) . put N. Mlshu, Boumania's leading player, out after a four-set match, and B. yon Kchrling (Hungary), who won the All-England ,Plate last yen-, boat Paul Feret, a French Davis Cuy „..;-."or of 1925, in a close four-set go." Howard Kinsey (America) settled another English Davis Cup player in J. B. Gilbert very easily. Major J. G. Ritchie, England's tenhis veteran, who is 56 years of ago, ran Nigel Sharpe to'four seta .before admitting defeat. Jean Borotra, the famous French hurricane player, settled L. A. Godfree, a British Davis Cup player, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4, but the sensation of the second round was the defeat of Vincent Bieharda (America) by Henri Cochot, who quite recently won the French championship. Bichards took the, first set at &4, but the Frenchman appears to have won the next three comfortably, at 6-3, 6-4, 6-2. C. B. Van<Lennep, a Davis Cup player from Holland, beat Andre Henri Gobert, who has been a noted French player since 1909, and in 1925.reached the final of the French covered-court championship, defeating Borotra. Gobert gave the Dutch player a great run. and was beaten after a long four-set match, 2-6, 7-5, 7-5, 3-6, 24 games to 22. Turnbull did well to beat Kehrlmg (Hungary) in three sets, 6-2, 7-5, 6-3: but Jean Borotra had to. go all the way to account for Dr.. .A. H. Fyzee, India's Davis Cup player, in four sets. 3-(3 6-4, 7-5, 6-4. H. W. Austin won his second round: at the expense, of Cyril G Barnes, who has been a leading player for many years, and was a member ot the British, team that visited South Africa last year. Austin,'who is only 19 years of age, is a Cambridge University student, and this is his first appearance in the championship at Wimbledon. Good- judges contend that he is Britain's best player at present, but the selectors of the British Davis Cup team . apparently think otherwise, as they did not pick him Austin won the junior singles championship of the ■United Kingdom in 1922, and the senior singles championship of the public schools in 1923, 1924 and 1925. In the third round at Wimbledon ho defeated Van Lennep (Holland),' 6-0, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, but. in the fourth round fell to J. Kozeluh (Czechoslovakia), 2-6, 6-0, 6-1, 6,3. The winner has. represented his nation in Davis Cup matches, and played against the New Zealand .players in the D;ivis Cup doubles of last year. Austin has done splendidly to get as far as the fourth round, and,the experience should improve him considerably., THE JUBILEE BUNGLE.

The glory of Wimbledon's Golden Jubilee was considerably marred by the unpleasant attitude, adopted by Mile. Suzanne Lenglen. The cables have stated at somo length that the champion lady player «did not appear to play in matches according to the advertised times laid down by the Tour.nament Committee of the All England Clvb —in fact, she appeared somo 80 minutes late, and protested against being called upon to play a singles match before the doubles match against Misses Ryan and Browne., It is all strange reading to those who-know the regulations of . the management o? tournaments, and it would appear that the champion players of the Old World can almost do what they like,' being quite confident that they are such wonderful "gate" attractions that even the high and mighty officials of the All England Club have to bow their heads to their impudent demands. . Before the Lawn Tennis Association came into existence in January, 1888, the All England Lawn Tennis Club was the highest authority in England, and that club's officials assisted in the framing of the management of tournament regulations, which were revised and brought up to date in 1925. Regulation No. 24 reads as follows: —"If a competitor be absent when called on to play, or shall refuse to play, or shall have given previous notice to the referee, or a member of the committee, that ho (or she) cannot play in his (or her) next round,

his (or her) adversary shall win in that round." Mile. Lenglen was 80 minutos late, and oven when she did arrive refused to play, therefore according to the regulation she should have been scratched, and would have been had she been one of the ordinary seeond:grade players. The whole trouble hinges upon Rule 3, Clause My-which is .as follows; —"That in tho case, of certain events competitors will not be required to attend before a stated time on a day or days mentioned." If Mllo. Lenglen was told that she was not required until a stated time, then the committee is at fault .if she was billed to play before that time, but if such leave was not given her, then she should have been reaclyta play-at tlie:advertiscd time, and in the first 'place she was'at fault. In the second, place the committee also cured by not making her pay the penalty. The first rule of the tournament regulations reads: — "At tournaments promoted by associations, clubs, and committees in Great Britain afiiliated to the- Lawn Tonnis Association, the rules, of lawn tennis, and the regulations hereafter contained, shall be observed." Regulation 24 was not observed, and as for Mile. Lenglen's opponents not claiming the match, that would not make any opening for the committee to pass over the regulation. It will be interesting to see if the Lawn Tennis Association takes any action, as in its rules appears the following: "Objects, rule 3 (c) To make, maintain, and enforco rules and regulations for the control and government of the game in Great' Britain." Rule 26, clause (f) reads as follows:— "To inflict penalties on associations, clubs, committees, and persons for any infringement of the rules of the game, or of the rules and regulations of the nsaoeiation." According to the cables Mllo. Lenglen first had hay fever, then she objected to playing the singles befor.e the doubles, then next day, after being defeated in the doubles, she developed some trouble, in ono of her arms. It is perfectly clear that some champions, not only in tennis, but in all sports, appear to have the idea that they cannot be done without, and they make it pretty clear to tournament committees that unless they receive privileged rights to do and act as suits them, then they will either not play, or if they do will not adhere to any set programme. The wholo trouble is that many of the big tournaments are so dependent upon the receipts at the gate, that the officials have to bend the knee to these so-called amateur champions, but the time is now ripe to throw off tho yoke, and run the game for the game's sake. After all the game is. for the players as a whole, aiid all should receive equal treatment. Huge stands, to contain thousands of spectators, surrounding ono court, upon which champions are pitted one against the other,; savours of the old gladiator days, and those whose aim it is to advance and safeguard the interests of the game, should see .to it that the players are made to observe the regulations. After all it is the rank and file of the players who pay the piper, and they should get the same treatment as the champions. The writer believes in the competitions, but also believes that the competitor who does not play the game in the best interests of all concerned, should be made to pay the penalty, and champions'instead of causing trouble, should set an example to those players less experienced in the riyles, regulations, and etiquette of the game, but when committees or officials allow some, players to do as they desire, whilst making others usually tho less skilful of the competitors," obey them in every detail, then trouble will sooner or Jater land them in a bungle and not a jubilee.