Is Wilding Champion?

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVLI, Issue 11, 13 September 1911, Page 9

Is Wilding Champion?

The result of the singles championship t Wimbledon has left a nasty taste in ur mouths, write S. N. Doust, the Syd<>y player, now in London. It is" genially conceded that under the circumanees, it was a farce, ami the ques--011 generally asked: " Is Wilding really le champion?” cannot, from the result, e answered convincingly in the affirmave. What is the best player of the year tpposed to possess? Has he to have ie best strokes at his command? Have Lamina and strength to be his also? If ou possess these, no doubt, they will aid ou tremndously in coming to the top f the free, and if it required nothing ■se, Wilding is undoubtedly the chamion. because as far as strokes go, he was >rt a inly .better than Ba rrett , and being i e younger man, and trained for the tie match only, he had by far the •tter stamina on that one day. But arrett proved beyond doubt that some tlnr qualities just as potent are necesny to win the blue riband. .More than any other player he has ie knowledge of what game his adversty dislikes, most, and when to go for inning shots. He also has an almost neanny sense of anticipation. To prove ond all question that this knowledge line to his assistance in the championdp round, Barrett came on to the nut practically a dead man. The eather had been tremendously hot. The 'innerature was well over SOdeg. in the mile, added to the air being perfectly ill and very humid. These conditions id lasted for over a week, and all the tality had been sapped out of Barrett uig before he met Wilding. Usually Barrett is very nimble, not ily when playing, but also between :rokes. The two preceding matches iw a very different Barrett, instead of rickness, lie was slow to a degree, such contrast to his usual self, that someitics were kind enough, when they saw s changed movements, to put it down > “ tactics,’ with the idea of putting s opponents off. In the case of Wildg this did no doubt have an effect upon m. Wilding seemed when waiting, like <e a dog straining at his leash. Still, * Wilding is the first to admit, it as not done with the intention of putng him off, just because Barrett was lysieally unfit. As Barrett said, he didn't know what 1 do. There was a huge “ gallery,” and >t to play at all would have been a emaidous disappointment, as it was ie only important match left. Then ben he got 2 sets to 1, he said it would >t have been fair to Wilding to have tired then, so he stayed on the court ‘th the intention of Wilding running 'er him two sets quickly, but at the i‘l the fourth set he had come absotel.v to the limit, and couldn’t even and, so he retire-1. Wilding was as glad to finish as Barlt was. Wilding, the strong athletio an, was also played to a standstill. He bi 1 ball after ball to go unchased, Us that were within his reach, simply ’caii.-e of the heat. If he felt like that 1 1 1 day how would he have felt after hut night’s play? AH (his brings us to the point, viz., a I fair for the holder to stand out?” i other words, is the championship of year to be decided on a match belt physieally-tlred man and a man 1,0 i - trained fresh for one match only? Ph -i year has brought the question " i prominently before the public, and ” 1 England Club, wisely seeing that 'I opinion has hardly decided in *" of the holder playing through, has W ii steps to ascertain from Wilding ’ o n views, and I. hear that Wilding “> written agreeing that the holder

should play through. So in the future a change may be made. After all, the champion of the year should prove himself beyond doubt the best player, and that is only done by playing through, meeting players of all styles, and not by simply waiting' for the man who has got through and is thoroughly exhausted. It may be a sort of irreverence to say that in the days of the Dohertys, I firmly believe that had they had to “ play through,’’ neither of them would have been champions for so many consecutive years. The demonstration by the publie at the end of the third set, when Barrett led by 2 sets to 1, I shall never forget. It was not because of any unpopularity of Wilding, but because they recognised the disabilities under which Barrett was labouring, and we all admired his pluck and doggedness. In the earlier days, when the number of entries was much less than now, the advantages of a holder were not so great. Then the whole thing was over in a week. Now it takes (in perfectly fine weather as we had this year) over a fortnight. The entries are so numerous and often from men who have no right to enter, that the committee is devising schemes for future tournaments whereby to limit the number of players. This la rather awkward, and might easily give offence. The idea is to create a sort of handicap for each player, such as golf, and not allow players, who are above a certain handicap, to enter. How are we to handicap? and who is to be the handicapper? There are many questions arising out of this, hut the idea is qu ; te sound, and by next week, there may bo pome news to tell in this respect. [A cable from our London eorresnondent last week stated A. F. Wilding, writing in “ Fry’s Magazine,'* favours the holder of the lawn tennis championship playing through the championship. Wilding states that if the All-England Club will change the system, he is willing to resign the cliampionshin if it will facilitiate reform.—Ed. ” E. News.”)