AMERICAN TENNIS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23661, 21 May 1940, Page 12

AMERICAN TENNIS

PERRY DEFEATS BUDGE TILDEN PLEASES ONLOOKERS Staged in aid of the Finnish relief fund, the American Lawn Tennis Association recently sponsored a night exhibition which included every loading professional player in the game to-day—Budge, Tilden, Vines, Perry and Richards heading tho formidable list of stars. Tho gallery numbored fiOOO, who paid something over £2OOO for admission—and got .its money's worth. f A°m p « rr y revealed world-beating form to annihilate the very mediocre Vines B —l, o—in the opening match. Champion Donald Budge then met W. T. Tilden in tho feature match of the evening, which came right up to expectations. The old mastor gave away over 20 years, yet he kept the crowd enthralled with an exhibition of driving and volleying which has seldom been equalled. Age took its toll, however, and after holding his own to 5-aIl, Tilden began to tire, ana Budge ran out 7 —5. With tho sting gone out of his game, Tilden could only manage two games in tho second set, but he fully earned the rounds of applause which greeted the final stroke. The general consensus of opinion among spectators was that for one set Tilden can still take on any living player aud give as good as lie receives. A doubles followed between Tilden-Rlch-ards, 11)18 national champions, and BudgeBell. of the younger generation. Tho ensuing tussle was good enough to please tho most fastidious, even although Tildon-Richards could win only five games. Then followed what proved to bo the titbit of the evening—' a three-set match between Budge and Terry, in which the Englishman confounded the gallery by winning, I—6, o—3,0 —3, G—3. Considering the lateness of the hour, indifferent iignting and the heavy pall of tobacco smoke which hung just above the canvas court, tho tennis both mon produced was little short of miraculous, and none of the 5000 spectators dreamt of leaving for home. Budge ran away with the first set, but Porry then took charge ,and his brilliant net work took the American by storm, and, with a burst of sustained speed, he evened the match at one set all. The third sot was played at an even greater tempo, both men pounding the ball as if tho Wimbledon title depended on their efforts. Attacking bohind sweeping drives down the lines, Perry raced away to a 5 —3 lead, with Budge battling to stem the tide. Not to be denied, however, the Englishman put everv effort into the ninth game, a magnificent lob to the corner over Budget head gaining hiin a well-deserved victory.