Morning journal and courier., 1889-06-19
The Renshaw sssmash .n

[Vanderdecken in the London Sunday Times
 The lawn-tennis season, which may be said to be now in full swing, will this year run it's course-or, at least, the earlier DOT tion of thunder conditions that differ some what from those of any previous one. For many years past the name of Renshaw has always been synonymous with pre-eminence in the game, for, on the occasion when H.
 F. Lawford won the championship, w.
 Renshaw was a compulsory spectator by
 reason of an injured arm; and whenever district or other minor championship has been won by another player, it was always felt that the victory was achieved on sui ferance, as it were, for when Renshaw is champion he leaves all minor English sin gle championships to others. The brothers have been so long at the top of the tree through their excellent play and their ca pacity for adapting themselves to the in- provement of others, so as to appear, eve " year, as far ahead as ever, that it seemed as though they were never to be dispossessed of their supremacy so long as they chose to take au active part in the game.
 But the result of last weeks Irish champi- onship will put slightly different aspect on affairs, the brothers Renshaw having been defeated on consecutive days by W. J. Ham, ilton, the best of the many good players that Ireland has yet produced. This player de- feated w. Renshaw in last years champion ship at Wimbledon, this being the fourth
 
 Renshaw had been beaten in a single-handed
 match; but the beaten man was not the man he had been or Is now. Besides, Hamilton was defeated by E. Renshaw in She final round, as he had been in the Irish champion ship in the preceding May. This year, it is admitted, the brothers are playing as well as ever they did in their lives, so it is in the highest degree to the credit of Hamilton that he should at last have reached so high stage of perfection that he is able to beat them fairly on their merits. We do not share the wonderment that has been expressed at one man being able to beat the pair, for so equal are the Renshaws acknowledged to be at the present time that it is but natural that player able to defeat one should be equal to defeating the other also. It would have been very much more surprising if the brothers had been beaten by different play CTS. It is sufficiently marked epoch in the game when one man is found equal to the task; and we may be sure that it will be 8 keenly discussed topic in all lavn-tennis cir- cles for many day to come. W. G. Grace bowled first ball creates but temporary scare; he will, as likely ss not, make two hundred in his very next innings. But to beat ". J. Hamilton means the bringing into play of every device that experience has taught or ingenuity and agility can invent. The presence of the Renshaws at country tournaments will not be less successful than usual, and I expect that the 'tRenshaw rush" :" \ which leaves the seeond-class players, who, ! up to the moment of Renshaw taking his | stand at court, have monopolized the at tention of the spectators, deserted and won- \ dering, will lose none of it's eagerness. The | Renshaws, apart from the halo of victory \ that has surrounded them, have always been very popular players. Their style has al- \ ways been so graceful and good, and they seem to make difficult strokes in 8 way nc
 one else does, besides doing things that nc
 other player ever dreamed of. It is not toe | much to say that when the brothers enter \ four-handed court to oppose 8 good pair
 spectators settle themselves down for posi- tive treat, and there is always regret fel \ when the match is over. And this in spit
 of the fact that they rarely play four-hand
 ed match consistently hard all through.
 was this weakness that caused them to g'
 down in Ireland last we.k before an inferio \ although very excellent pair. So far as oth'
 CTS than the Messrs. Renshaw themselves ar
 concerned, there is every reason for congrat \ ulation at their defeat in Ireland, for tn
 championship at Wimbledon is sure to see \ renewal of the interesting struggle for su
 premacy. On this occasion Hamilton will
 as in Ireland, have to meet, either actually
 or collsterally, W. Renshaw in the prelimi
 nary competition, and, if he wins that, E
 Renshaw in the championship round, ani
 the whole lawn tennis world will be anxiou
 to see if he can repeat his new form of Rem
 shaw ''smash'-s humble pleasantly fo
 which I hope to be forgiven.