The times., 1898-05-17

Stoker, two celebrated Irish experts, In
the hope of getting them over here this
Summer TO play in the American tourna-
ments. PIN is the famous crack who
carried everything before him when he
was over here before, four years ago,
while Stoker is little behind him in Skill
Last reports from the other side have
been indefinite, and il Is not known yet
whether they will come or not. Both are
doctors in the suburbs of Dublin, and il
is not easy for them to leave their work
for SO long as a trip TO this country would
require. Il Is not at all improbable, how
ever that one or both of them may come
over for TWO or three OF the big tourna-
ments this year, and in that case a spe-
cial effort win be made TO get up strong
American team TO meet the invaders.
There is still another plan that has been
talked Of somewhat this Spring, but this
probably hangs largely on the result of
the efforts to get the foreigners over here.
Larned and Wrenn had an invitation to
play abroad this Summer, and Il was only
recently that il was positively declined
on account Of business. Since then anoth
er invasion of foreign courts has been
talked Of. Hobart and Wrenn to make up
the visiting team. Nothing definite has
been decided yet about their going, and
they may hold off until they hear definite
" from PIN and Stoker.
OF the Other American experts the most
prominent this season viii be Whitman
Fischer. Ware, Forbes Collins Ghe West
ern champion), Bond, Pa-et and Sheldon.
George Wrenn, the younger brother of
the champion, viii play in some of the
tournaments, but he viii not have time
TO play IN many Of them, while Richard
Stevens the Hoboken tennis expert, who
recently offered his yacht to the Govern
ment for war purposes, will also be seen
| in some Of the meetings which are played
/ on grass. His hatred for dirt courts has
not abated one jot and he still refuses 10
! play on them.
Stars Among the Younger Men.
! OF these younger men Whitman is
probably the most promising of all Last
summer at Newport he not only beat Ma
honey, one of the visiting Englishmen,
but the following day played five close
sets against Nisbet, another of the visit
| ors, and the erstwhile conquerer Of Lar
/ ned. Whitman is most erratic player.
/ as was shown by his losing to Forbes il
! the Intercollegiate championship later in
! the season. when everyone thought he
was a sure winner Of the title. He is
| young vet and still improving, so many of
/ Of his admirers predict that he will be the
/ next addition to the ranks of the cracks.
]
/ player, and his game gave wonderful
/ promise TWO. years ago. but, like Fischer,
he has probably reached his limit.
Forbes is another young player who
| may yet reach the top rung of the ladder.
and some of his matches last summer
We're good enough to cause rosy predic-
tions TO be made for his future in tennis.
Ware and Pa-tt have played 81 long
that they will probably not go much
al off ha n
play last summer, and his lack of gooo
| ground stI ckes ruins his chances for i'm
1 proving much in singles, although his
| clever volleying viii always make him d
| strong double player. Collins holds the
! Western championship, but he is a new
conner in the field of tennis honors and
/ comparatively little is known of his skill
as yet. He and Bond, another young
! Western player of promise, may come
! East TO play this summer, and then more
viii be known of their future chances.
The older cracks viii probably give VI
! competition after this year. or at least
| after one more season, and then this croI
of younger experts must fill up the gap
Certain ii is that the skill of some of the
best second-class men. like Whitman
| Forbes and Fischer, viii never be appre.
eiated while Wrenn and Larned remain
in the field TO afford comparisons. The
older men keep on improving as fast a:
the new men do and their presence is Ger
| tainly discouraging for the less expert as
! pirants.
The victory of Whitman and Georg,
Wrenn over the older Wrenn and LarneC
in the championship doubles last Summer
J and the successes of Ware and Sheldon
who won the Western, the Canadian, tn,
| Middle States and the National champion
I ships in doubles showed that at least il
! doubles the younger generation of play
ers is little, if any, behind their older ri
| walls.