LAWN TENNIS.

Northern Advocate, 23 August 1924, Page 11 (Supplement)

LAWN TENNIS.

THE WIZARD. WORLD'S GREATEST PLAYER. '' I "have not believed in wizards for nigh on quarter of a cetntury, ibut to-day I am forced to admit I am wrong and wizards do exist,"says W. T. Tilden in a special cable to tlie Sydney "Sun" from San Francisco 011 July 26. "I admit this because one of them is returning to America to perform hi? wizardry. Norman Brookes, the tennis wizard extraordinary, will arrive in August to join the Australian Davis Cup team. It is a marvellous opportunity that will be given to the public of America once more to see the greatest tennis player who ever lived demonstrate how tennis is played. Brookes may not be able to beat every man in the game to-day—in fact, there are quite a number who can defeat him--but let us not forget ho is well past forty-five. "No, he is not champion of the world to-day, but he is still, and always will be, master of them all in the strategy of tennis, and the real mentality of the game. Brookes has forgotten more ten 1 nis than the rest of us will ever know. He is the supreme genius of the game. His victory over Francis Hunter in five sets at Wimbledon was a triumph of mind over matter, and belies the oftstated fact that youth will be served. "I consider that the presence of Brookes has almost doubled the strength of the Australian Davis Cup team. "Brookes to-day is more dangerous in the singles than O'Hara Wood, whiic ho is universally proclaimed the greatest doubles player of the world. The value of Brookes's advice from the side-lines will increase the danger of the Australian attack, since there is no more subtle judge of players and their weaknesses than he.

"I consider that our task of holding the Davis Cup is increased greatly by Brookes\s joining the Australian team. Even the loss of the Cup, however, if j it came, would be compensated by having Brookes in America again. It 5s I a pleasure to know him off or on the J courts. TTio perfect sense of justice, splendid sportsmanship, courtesy and delightful sense of humour make him the outstanding personality of the ter>nis world. I would welcome the chance to have one season as a pupil under Norman. "The defeats of Richards, William?-,. Hunter and Washburn at Wimbledon should certainly 'give us to think,' as the French say. Rene Lacoste ami Jean Borotra accounted for our two leading stars in so decisive a fashion ns to leave little argument that these two Frenchmen, and Henri Cochct, who is of equal ability, will make the trip to America. If Franco qualifies for the Davis Cup, it appears that Australia or Japan will have dangerous opposition. The indications are that it will' be France versus Australia, with the odds about equal. "Patterson must round into better form than he has shown so far to win both his singles, while, off-hand, I would say that any one, or all, of the French j stars, would defeat P. Q'Hara Woocl, and possibly Brookes. The Australians would win the doubles, but at that it looks to me as if France may figure i for the first time a challenger. Tf 1

that is so, -with Laeoste and Borotra having already defeated Williams and Richards, it looks as if it is up to little Bill Johnston to win the Davis Cup single-hamlud, since the Davis Cup Committee lias shown no intention of

inviting - me to participate in the matches this year, even if ray game warrants it, which, of course, it may not,"