STILL AN AMATEUR

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 22 April 1935, Page 3

STILL AN AMATEUR

PERRY REFUSES GONTRACT OFFER MEANT £20,000 TO HIM 31 AY ACCEPT NEXT YEAR.

(United Press Assoeiatitm—By Electrio Telegraph Copyright).

- NEW YORK, April 20. F. ; J. Perry, world champion tennis player, before his departure for- Eng? land abpard the Berengaria, in an interview-. with the “New.,York Times’/ declared lie expected to participate in important tournaments in England during the coming season, starting v-.f/th llh© BournemdMth hard ’court championship oil April 29. “This is the jubilee year and I shall do what I can to win the Davis Cup for England . for another year,” ho said. Ho intimated that the current season would ho his last active year as a player and that he would probably accept a motion picture contract next year. He praised the development of young Australian players' ,adding that in his opinion Australia and America had the best tennis outlook.

“I am entirely at the disposal of the British Lawn Tennis Association,” Perry said in another interview. “Of course, it may say, ‘We don’t -want you,’ but until it does I am going to remain an amateur. As to my engagement to Miss Alary Lawson, that is off.”-• •'

Concerning- a motion picture offer and professionalism which might have meant £20.000 to him, Perry said: “Actually I almost signed a picture contract. All I had to do was to put my name on the dotted line aiid collect, hut I could not do it. I do not Want to be a professional. I know that if T turned professional there would he no question of the Davis Cup going from England. We waited too long to- get it to give it up so soon. I think it is my. duty as an Englishman. to help- to defend it again, and, besides, this is tlie King’s jubilee year.”