LAWN TENNIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18189, 23 June 1927, Page 5

LAWN TENNIS.

CHAMPIONS COMPETE AT WIMBLEDON FOR COVETED TITLES. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.— Copyright Aus. anil N.Z. Cable Association. (Received June 23. 11 a.m.) LONDON, June 22. The All England Tennis Championships were continued at Wimbledon. Results:— Men’s Singles Championship. Second Round. Orcig beat Sharpe, G-4, 1-6, 4-6, G-3. C-4. Kozeluh (Czecho Slovakia) beat Mahoney, 6-2. 6-4, 6-4. Lester beat Ivreuzer (Germany), 6-1, 6-0. 6-3. Timmer beat Crawley, 0-4, 6-4, 6-2. Kelinschroth (Germany) beat Owen, 6 4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-3. Third Round. Brugnon (France) beat Frotzheim (Germany), 6-1, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. Gregory beat Crole-Rees, 6-3, 6-3,

Ladies’ Singles Championship. First Round. Miss Betty* Nutliall defeated Fraulein Aussem (Germany) G-3, 6-2. Second Round. Miss Ridley beat Mdlle. Bordcs, 6-0, Miss Chamberlain beat Mrs Macready, 6-2. 6-2. Miss Harvey beat Frau Fricdlcben. 0 0. 7-5. Miss Colyer defeated Mrs Satterthvaite 6-S, 6-2, 7-5. Miss Helen Wills (U.S.A.) defeated Miss Lumley Ellis 6-3, 6-2. Mrs Lvcett defeated Mrs Beamish 0 4. 6 3. Miss Bouman defeated Miss Usby 6-0, 6-3. Miss Joan Ridley defeated Madame Mathieu 6-3, 6-2. Mrs Malfoy beat Miss Boas 6-3, 6-2. Senorita Di Alvarez beat Miss Dransfield, 6-0, 6-1. Third Round. Mrs Godfree (England) beat Miss Tapscott (South Africa), 6-2. 10-S. Mrs Mavrogordato beat Miss Yalantine 9-11, 6-4, 6-4.

(Of England, gets in the 4th round.) Men’s Doubles Championship. First Round. W. IT. Austin and Lvcett defeated J. M. 11 ill yard and G. R. Scovell, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 7-5.

(Beaten in Doubles.)

Ilarada and Washburn defeated F. M. B. Fisher and F. S. Wilding (N.Z.), 6-1. 8-6, 6-2. Froitzheim and Ivreuzer (Germany) beat J. 11. Hunter and R. E. Saul 7-5, 6-3, 6-1. Tilden and Hunter (U.S.A.) beat Campbell and Williams 6-0, 6-3, 6-1. The outstanding partnerships in the men’s doubles at Wimbledon are Lacos te and Borotra (France),, Brugnon and Cochet (France), Tilden and Hunter (U.S.A.) and Froitzheim and lvrcuzer (Germany). In the women’s doubles Mrs Godfree will probably partner Miss Betty Nuttall. and Miss Ryan will be coupled with Miss Mills. The mixed doubles pairs are interesting. Borotra will be with Mme. Bordes, Kleinschroth with Fraulein Assem (Germany), Tilden with Mrs Mallory, while Austin will partner Miss Betty Nuthall (England). Incidentally Miss Nuthall will be the youngest English player. Lycett and Arthur Mencken will l>e the only Australians to compete. The latter will partner Kingscote. TILDEN AND LACOSTE. Referring to the rivalry between Lacoste and Tilden, Pat O'Hara Wood The defeat of W. T. Tilden, America’s premier player, by R. Lacoste, the tampion of France, in the final of the cnch championships, has increased ance's chance of winning the coveted ivis Cup this year. Tilden has been playing in excellent form, and recently beat both Borotra and Lacoste comfortably in the FranceAmerica match, and it was generally expected that he would win the French championship also. The match was extremely close, and At one stage in the final set Tilden led

9-8 and 40-15 on his own service, but Lacoste, unlike the typical Frenchman, is not excitable and temperamental, and by sheer brilliance and determination he won that gdrme and the next two for the match. What makes his victory all the more creditable is that in the third set he strained his leg, which affected his mobility, but during the rest at the end of the third set he had it massaged and was able to continue. On the other hand, tennis in France is played on hard courts, and the French players are always better on their home ground than in strange surroundings. Tilden, though he plays a good deal on hard courts in America, is at his best on grass, and it is on this surface that the challenge round of the Davis Cup will be played. Lacoste as Good as Tilden. Still, Lacoste was within an ace of beating Tilden in America in 1925: and last year he won the American national singles championship. This event has only been won by an outsider twice since its inception. The late 11. L. Doherty was victorious in 1923, and Lacoste last year. Taking everything into consideration, it is evident that Lacoste is at least as good as Tilden, and the Frenchman has this great advantage, he is not quite twenty-three years old, whereas Tilden is over thirty-four. Lacoste has some years ahead of him in which to improve, while Tilden has reached the stage where he cannot expect to get much better, and only constant practice and grim determination will keep him from slipping back. The championships at Wimbledon should provide evidence on the point. Tilden, according to his own statements, is out this 3'ear to make a wonderful tennis record, quite possibly his “ swan song,” and after this initial setback at the hands of Lacoste, he will be keen to get his revenge. Lacoste, too, is anxious to hold the championships of France, England and America at the same time, and a meeting between these two at Wimbledon will be a pretty good guide as to their merits as players. If Lacoste can win, his youth and added confidence will make victory less difficult each succeeding time, and in that case France will have an excellent chance of regaining the Davis Cup.