The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-30
LAWN TENNIS,
End OF the Internntionai season-An Amerioai
Team May 90 Abroad Next Year.

End OF the Internntional season-An American
Team May 90 Abroad Next Year.
with the challenge match for the American
championship at Newport last Thursday the In.
ternational lawn tennis season ended. and the
rest Of the tournaments are OF secondary i'm.
portance. The three foreign players will be on
the sea, homoward bound. within q very few
days. DR.. Eaves. who is a physician in q hos.
pital near London. had already overstayed his
leave of absence by a week, and he was particu-
larly anxious to start for home at once. Had he
been beaten earlier in the Newport tournament,
or had rain not forced a postponement OF tho
matches, he would have sailed last Wednesday.
Tho two crack American players, on whom the
whole burden of defence was placed, are through
for the season. Larned announced TO some Of
his intimates Immediately after his defeat By
Nisbet at Newport that he would never play in
tournaments again, at least on this side Of the
Atlantic. This will be bad news for the lovers
Of lawn tennis who have so fondly hoped that
some day Lsrned would be champion, but four
years OF Newport izzles, added to one or two
disastrous matches abroad last season. have
disguised the Summit crack.
There Is a strong movement already on foot to
get an American team to play abroad next
season in return for the visit Of the foreign
team here this year. Mahony and Eaves were
very anxious to have Wrenn and Larned go
over in the spring and play through the early
part Of the British season up to tho Wimbledon
championship event. Both OF tho Americans
would like to make the trip next year. and it 10
not at all improbable that they may do 30,
Clarence Hobart, too, has promised to compete
in tournament. play again next year. and II q
team should pc made up, to play abroad ~
! Hobart America would be really well repre-
scented on British courts for the first time in
tennis history. 1t is never satisfactory 10 de-
mend on nna mans gurcNsa in iprprpatioDal
| sport. as shown. by the cases OF Dwight, Camp
bell. and Larned abroad. and Meers and Good.
body here, and a special effort is being made to
have a team from one side or the other cross
over each spring. and a yearly international
plans can be carried through. Ex.ChaInpion
Fred Hovey will also compete in tournaments
next season, but II is unlikely that he would go
abroad to play.
The international record OF the year shows
that the three foreigners won eight matches,
five Of which were from one another. while the
two Americans won fifteen. only two Of which
S@nt IF fTo thr each n cher ,pn mren ma and Larned both
ming rve matches from them and losing only
twice. while Larncd beat the visitors eight times
can record Of thirteen victories over the visiting
team, against three defeats. All three OF the
lost matches were by the narrowest kind OF
margins.
The result is a great victory for American
toric prestige at the sport. Several things con-
triouted to the success Of our players. In the
as strong, if not stronger, than any other player
in Great Britain. did not once strike his form on
this side Of the ocean. In only one match did he
even approach his best play. and that was the
hrst day at Hob9ken when he beat George
Wrenn so easily. In all the Irish crack played
seven matches. ana lost every one OF them. He
got only one set from either Wrenn OF Larned
during his five matches with them. and in almost
every match he weakened toward the end. the
only exception being against Wrenn AT Chicago,
second set. Mahony seemed physically weak as
well as in poor form. for again and again he
simply went 10 pieces near the end OF his
Still, il the lrishman's matches were omitted
from the table OF results Rs were those OF George
"rcnn and Collins. who played in the round
robin" tournaments against the visitors at Ho-
boken and Chicago. the American pair. easily
reasons for the failure ofthe Enslishmen besides
his defeat at Newport. Eaves was asked 10 what
he attributed the lack of success of his team.
Your customs and surroundings are all so
very different over here, you know. For in
stance, we never think Of playing in the morn.
until later in the day. OF course. this is a mat.
ter OF habit. but we are so used TO playing AZ.
morning. Your balls and your courts are differ.
ent from ours. TOO; Our balls bound ordinarily
several inches higher than yours, and our courts
are SO much trmcr and the grass so much
tougher that We get even more bound there
balls.
!" don't believe a team of Americans could
win at Wimbledon any better than we could
win over here. The advantages OF being on
home ground are too great. 1t is very hard 10
say how our cracks would compare with yours
on neutral ground, for II would all depend on
surroundings, rules, and conditions even then.
l am inclined TO think, however that Wrenn
and Larned are about even with most OF our
best men. although w. Baddeley. the ex-cham-
pion. and r. +. Doherty. the present all.EnE-
land champion. are perhaps, a trife better.
However. | hope Wrcnn and Larned will come
oyer next year. and then we shall know moro
about what your men could do over there.
You know our rules differ somewhat from
yours. One thing most Americans would suffer
from is the rule on sevice. This requires both
feet on the ground when the ball leaves tho
racket, while some Of your players begin to run
before they serve, Footiaults would be called
Is al right i ii were lived up to. but it is very
hard 10 decide what is a ~footfault by the Amrri-
can rule, and many OF the players here ma4o
them constantly"
A number of second class American players
are already planning to PLAY abroad next season.
and II TWO or three OF the cracks go, too. next
year Will be fully as interesting as WAS this, both
on this side and abroad. The more international
tcnnls We have. the sooner Will the question OF
absolute supremacy at the sport be settled.