Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-05-04

|
June H. 1t was intended that some day
the national championship tournament
should be restricted to holders of state and
other recognized championships. to prevent
the great rush Of less expert players from
entering this most important tournament
or the year, which should be in some way
limited to experts This plan. however, has
not been put in operation as vet and II is
doubtful whether 1t will ever be perfected
SO that 1t can be carried out. Some such
restrictions should be put upon the cham
poEship entries in order to raise the stand
ard of play in our annual Newport meeting
| which is now altogether too crowded by
| interior players, who are completely out
classed,
Dcarth of Experts.
| There is little doubt but that there are
| more good secondclass players in America
| today than ever before but there is a
| dearth Of irst-class experts. AS one after
| another of the veterans drop out, there is
| left vacancy in the upper ten" which is
| Lot easy to fill satisfactorily. At the end
of last season there were really only eight
| nrSt-claSS players who, were still active,
| and several of these VIII be out of compe-
| utlon this year. Larned and Foote will 20
| 20 England this spring" Hovey and Hobart
| nave both been married since last season
| ended, and neither viii be seen much in
| tournament play this year, while Chase,
| Wrenn and Neel Will not play as much as
| last year
|
| the most active of the experts while Bud
| long, Fischer, Ware, Whitman Paret and
| two or three others of the second class men,
VIII try TO fill up the gaps In the ranks of
| the veterans. Howland's record last season
| was particularly brilliant, and if ne finds
| time to play throughout the coming sea-
| SON. he should be among the very top men
| at the end or the year, In fact, with Lar
| ned out Of the race, Howland's chances for
! the championship should be second to none.
| Up to midsummer ne mad not been beaten
| by any one but Larned last season. despite
the fact that he had played in all the prom
| lnent tournaments throughout the spring
AT Newport he was again beaten by Larned
| In the semi-fnal round, after brilliant
| struggle; and with another years exper-
renee ne Will make the most dangerous rival
| Champion Hovey will have to contend
| against in the defense of his laurels
| Inc European excursion of Larned and
| foote TINS year promises to be one of the
| features of the season, and American en-
| thusiasts have high hopes of some hattering
| results from Larned's play in the British
| tournaments. Since 1880, when Campbell
| played abroad we have not been repre-
| scented in England by any tirst-class PLAYER.
| and never, before or since, by as capable a
| player as Larned. He was ranked fourth
| in the country in 1S33 and second in both
1894 and 1898. In fact, by many excellent
| judges, Larned is thought to be fully the
! equal Of Champion Hovey today, and per
| haps better fitted than the Boston crack to
| meet the English experts on their native
| heath. He is faster and more brilliant
| player than Hovey, ard this style Of tennis
| is thought to have the only chance of beat
! Ing the Britishers.
| With English Crncks
Larned's plan is to go over early in the
| spring and play in a number of the most
| important Of the spring tournaments In
| both England and Ireland, winding I'D his
| foreign campaign at Wimbledon, where he
| expects to play for the championship of ALL
! England, which is practically the cham
! pionship of the world. Foote will iotn him
| late in June, and may also play at Wimble-
don, but could hardly be expected to live
| many rounds against the pick of the Brit
| ish players. Larned, however should he in
| his best form by the time the final test is
| reached, and it will take fully as good NAV
| as that shown here last spring. by the Brit
| the hunt.
Larned vas badly out Of form last June
| When PIN and Mahoney played over here
and did not make favorable impression
| against the distinguished visitors Tha +
| they are not invincibie to American skin
| was shown by Hobart's victory over PIN.
| however, and with Larned In his best form
Pim, Baddeley or any of the other En-
| glish idols should not be out of his reach
a recent prediction of a conserya tive
| American authority on the game was tha +
| Larned would be ranked fourth or better
in England at the end Of the season
| There will be no very important changes
| in the program for this years tennis on
| our side Of the ocean. All the big events of
! last season are again on the schedule and
| number of new ones as we'll The two
| challenge cups that were won last year by
| Larned for the third and final time will he
| replaced by others. and tennis at South :
| ampton and Seabright will not suffer from
| the disappearance Of the old bones of con-
| tentiOn. Three other important challenge
! trophies tremble on the verge of final own
ership this season, however, though Lar
| ned's absence from American courts viii
| probably give them all a new lease of life
Stevens and Larned have each twice won
| the middle states trophy9the oldest still
in competition, by the way-and a third
victory for either would make 1t his per-
| sonal property. There are still excellent
| chances for it's being saved for future com
| petition, however, even If Larned should
change his mind at the last moment and
| stay on this side of the Atlantic to defend
! his championship; for Rowland and Hoba 1T
| have both announced their intention of
| playing at Orange next month, while Wrenn
| may be seen there, too. Larned also holds
! the valuable Longwoodf challenge bowl, and
! would sign the death warrant of that
| trophy. The Norwood Park challenge Gun
| is also held by Larned, and this year would
make 1t his property, while another vic
| tory for the magnificent Tuxedo Park chal-
! lenge cup would make that Chace's private
| property.
Handicap Tournaments
A special feature will be made this sea-
| son of handicap tournaments and already
| two important events of this kind, open to
| all corners, have been announced to be held
at Orange Gin connection with the middle
| states championship and at Longwood Gin
| connection with the annual tournament
there for the big Longwood challenge bowl
+ .!i,or mil ,,,,t4t