THE PROFESSIONALS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 34, 9 August 1933, Page 7

THE PROFESSIONALS

Professional tennis began to attract the bigger names in sport seven year's ago when a season's bag by a promoter included Vincent Richards, the brilliant volleyer and Tilden's chief rival, the ingenious promoter, Mr. Charlea Pyle, setting out to pfovide his galleries with the very best play that could be found in the world. But Mr. Pyle did not succeed as he had hoped. He obtained the services of Richards, for a'-sum o^- 50,000 dollars, and added Kinsey (an American representative of the previous year) to his list, while for the sum of 110,000 dollars; plus 'film rights, he induced Mile. Suzanne^Lenglen to make a four months' tour of the United States. The matches did not prosper as it had been hoped they would, and after soirie active campaigning in the effort to obtain other leading players, the repeated' report that Tilden and Francis T. Hunter were about to become' professionals, and the repeated denial that they had any such indention, Mr. Pyle's attractions ceased to attract. New life went into professional tennis as a spectacle when Tilden, at the end of his reign over' America, decided to enter the business on his own account in 1930. This was just after his win at Wimbledon, his appearance in the French final and elimination in the American semi-final, so he was by no means a back number. Tilden was joined by Hunter, arid with the aid of Vincent Richards (still only 28 years old), and the brilliant Czech -Kozeluh, whom his country, was anxious to reinstate so that he might play in the Davis -Cup, the old master gave a series of exhibition matches in different countries. The'Tilden Tennis Troupe became well known in America and Europe, and it is safe ,to say that it made tennis pay. Now new blood is needed if the attraction is to continue, and just before Wimbledon it was reported that Vines was to be offered 100,000 dollars for his services, an offer which he would certainly consider seriously. That figure, if it were accurate",, would not represent Vines's value today unless he rehabilitates himself after his failure at Wimbledon and collapse in the Davis Cup inter-zone final: