PROFESSIONAL TENNIS

Evening Star, Issue 22541, 8 January 1937, Page 5

PROFESSIONAL TENNIS

PERRY'S FIRST MATCH EASY WIN AGAINST VINES A RECORD GATE Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright NEW YORK, January 6. Perry had a surprisingly easy victory over Vines, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, at Madison Square Garden. The match, according to the official figures, was witnessed by 17,630 people, one of the largest crowds that has ever attended a lawn tennis fixture, and the receipts were 58,119 dollars, which is a record. Seats were sold at a top price of 9.90 dollars, and none was vacant. Silk hats and full (Iress and also dinner jackets were much in evidence in the seats closest to the canvas court. Vines won only the second set, in which he showed his only consistent accuracy in the match. New York sports columnists had been speculating on the effect that the crowd, which, during professional games, talks during the play and sometimes even applauds in the midst of a sustained rally, would have on Perry, who is not used to it, but, as it turned out, Perry was totally unaffected, smiling most of the time, while Vines halted in his play several times to glare at a noisy spectator. He once made a remark to one of the crowd, but what he said was not learned. Perry had litj.le trouble in taking the first set, although the lead changed often. Vines was overshooting, as he usually does at the start, so he never threatened his opponent greatly, even though he did even the games at 5-all. Vines made several double faults. In the second set Vines found himself. He had remarkable control of his fast service, resulting in numerous aces. Perry fought desperately, but the speed and control of Vines at this peak was too much for him. Vines took the first three games in this set, one to love on his own service. Perry won the fourth game, and then broke through Vines’s service to take the fifth and bring the score to 3-2. Perry took his own service, to even the score. Vines then gave his best exhibition of the evening to take the remaining games.' The third set found Perry in "his best form of the match, and his beautiful placements were frequently applauded. The first three games went to Perry, one at love. Vines, on his own service, brought the score to 3-1, but Perry rallied to win the next, taking the final point with a neat drop shot, which touched the sideline. Perry’s service then began to have a telling effect, and he scored several aces while taking the remaining games of the set. The last set was the best of the match, with Vines playing at his hardest in an attempt to stave off the cool, resourceful game of his British opponent. Perry started slowly after the rest and a change of clothing, and, Vines broke through the former’s service to win the first game. Vines electrified the.crowd by taking the second game quickly, serving two consecutive aces. The excitement increased when Vines also took the third, this time to love. _ Perry rallied then, scoring an ace to bring the score to 3-1. Perry took the next, with a double fault by Vines contributing, and Vines went to pieces, his shots going wild, frequently into the net, while Perry evened the score at 3-all. Vines pulle'd "himself together and made his last rally in the game, and, using his hardest service of the match, took the seventh game. The eighth was a long game, and was at deuce six times before Perry’s skilful placement won. Perry toolc the next with little trouble, to make it 5-4. AVith the score at 40-15 against him, Vines netted an easy one, ending the match. The programme ended with a doubles match, in which Tilden and' Barnes defeated Perry and Lott, 6-3, 6-2.