ABSTRACT
The Baron, who had won the French title in 1934 and 1936 while Budge had yet to win a Grand Slam title, had a slight edge. The Baron's magnetism even impressed the Hollywood crowd at the Pacific Southwest when he played there in September 1937. Tragically for the graceful German Baron, 1937 turned out to be his last full year of world-class tennis. It is unfortunate in many ways that tennis is still much the domain of the rich. If Fred Perry dominated tennis in 1936, Don Budge was even more dominant in 1937, by far the best year of his amateur career. The highlight of the year, and a turning point in his game, came in the Pacific Coast Championships, at Berkeley, where he lost to Perry in the finals at 5-7 in the fifth set. He admired Perry's all-court and aggressive game and was pleased when Perry took time to help him change.
