Salt Lake Telegram | 1928-01-01 | Page 19 | French Take Davis Cup Away from U. S. Bill Tilden and Johnston Slip Badly

FRENCH TAKES TAKE DAVIS CUP AWAY FROM U. U.- U.S. S. S I k Helen Wills S Regains Women Women's s s' s Throne ThiOne BILL T TILDEN AND JOHNSTON SLIP BADLY Frances France's victory In in the Davis cuP matches the tho first time tims a Latin LaUn nation nation nation na na- tion ever had won th the International tennis trophy was the outstanding event of 1927 on the courts After Atter threatening the long reign reign of th the United States as the C champiOn cham- cham piOn tennis nation for several years France sent to the United States State Rene Lacoste Henri Jean Borotra and Jacques Brugnon on and they defeated the the- American AmeriC n team Bill TIlden Bill Johnston and Frank Hunter in the challenge lo round nd at I Philadelphia and ancl took th the tho cup back to France Franc Not only was the French standard standard standard stand stand- ard raised to the top of the mast in int t Jn play but individual honors in all aU tho the big international tournaments touma- touma ments went to ll eri French h players i Henri Co het won the British national national national na na- na- na championship at an and Rene Lacoste again won the American nationals nationals- at Fore Forest Foret t Hills where Bill ml nd Bill Johnston failed sadly in Ina a bravo brave attempt to tos s save ve something for the United States out of the wreckage oC ot a once great machine Tilden's attempt to come back ack was wa one ot of the most Interesting features features fea faa tures of Df the tho year even if it was dis disappointing from an American standpoint The former worlds world's champion devoted almost an entire year to lo ih the attempt He went to Europe early in the tho year with Frank Hunter and they hey 1 visited te l practically every foreign country where tennis was played They made a fine record record rec rec- ord but they h Y fell fen short In the big tournaments S- S Miss Helen lichen Wills the charming young California girl l kept ePt the United States from falling g Into a complete disaster by winning whining the theS S British and American national ch championships and by earning the undisputed title as the worlds world's greatest woman woman player France if so disposed might dis dispute dispute dis- dis s- s the recognition of Miss Wills wms as the greatest of all aU women players and might hold Mile Suzanne Lenglen Lenglen Lenglen Leng- Leng len as the still reigning queen lueen but the Fr French star 1 isi is a professional and the amateur honors at least surely belong to the tho California girl Recovered completely tely from the operation that forced her withdrawal withdraw withdraw- a al from the big tournaments of 1926 Miss Wills VilIs went to Europe and succeeded succeed suc suc- uc- uc d in wi winning the British chan cham- at at Wimbledon She re returned returned returned re- re turned to tIle the United States and won back the title she was forced to default the year previous to Mrs Molla MoHa Mallory While Bill BUl Tilden and Bill Em Johnston Johnston John John- ston slipped b badly during the th ar Miss 1 Wills WIll played the best tennis of her career and as ag brilliant as she showed herself the competition was not keen enough to force her to call upon the reserve reserve g game me that critics believe she possesses At the close cloe of the season Johnton John- John ton Mon announced that he was ws going to retire front from tournament competition competition compe compe- and would devote his time I almost entirely to business Interests he had been forced to neglect while he ho was chasing all over the world in pursuit of tennis honors Late in the year however l It was intimated by officials of the U United it d d. d States Lawn Lawil Tennis association that Johnston would reconsider his de decision de de- olsion and would b be available for forthe forthe forthe the team with which the association hopes to bring the Davis cup back from France Miss Betty the pretty UttIe littie little lit Ut- tIe tle English girl was one of the outstanding figures of the they year ar She fought her way through hard competition competition com com- corn com petition at Forest Hills and became the finalist for the American champi championship championship cham cham- pi against Miss Wills wms She is la still almost a child and her game has s been developed d so soundly and so swiftly that England has hopes of a worlds world's championship in her Mrs Kitty McKane Godfree for years the first ranking British pla player er and one of the worlds world's four best and Ml Mrs Molla Io Mallory seven times the American champion had hada a very very poor year and convinced the critics that the days of their best hest tennis have passed Mrs Charlotte Hosmer Chapin and nd Miss 1 Hel Helen n Jacobs were two of the best of the he younger school ol of players during tho the season but they did not do clo anything sensational Mile me Kea Bouman the Dutch champion came came t to the United States to comp compete te for the championship champion championship ship at Forest Hills HUls but she was taken down with a a. severe cold and strained her back so seriously in practice that she was not able to play the kind of game of which she is capable 1