The Minneapolis journal., 1902-08-04
BOTH SIDES CONFIDENT.
Great Interest Felt In international
&& Tennis Contest.

--E. 49, lenn1S NOHlcBAs
The international lawn tennis matches
at, Bay Ridge this week will bring to- 4
gether the greatest of all experts at the
game, and the contest is expected to pro-,
duce Il battle royal In each match.
John Bull has been fully aroused to the
skill of Uncle Sans players at the game.
and he has sent his very best over this
time to try to Gift" the Davis cup. The
&failure of the Importation for two years
was a serious disappointment for our Eng
lish cousins, and they were very much
crestfallen over the result. * ( .@
|, The challenging team is made up OF
three men, all of whom are champions In
sthe highest sense of the term. DR.. PIN
held the English and the Irish champion
ships many times, both in singles and
doubtless R. F. Doherty has been cham
pion in singles four times and his younger
brother, L. H. Doderty, has just "ascended
the throne" Both have also held the
Irish championship, which is second In
Importance abroad to the English title.
The visitors feel very confident OF their
success. - ~ @ -s'. ". =. y.s-
American players, however. have not
yet by any means conceded the victory
and the international championship to the
visitors. The u. s: N. l.. T. A. has Sc
1ected the strongest team it Is possible
to choose from among Americas quota of
players. rs r.r a..
'Ilere Is not single man, unleSS II
were possibly Wrenn, and few believe he
would add to the teams strength, If he
were still in his best form, who could i'm
prove the gAmerican chances for success,
and the Americans will have no excuse
If they are beaten this week. Larned is
champion of America and conceded by all
for two or three years to be distinctly
better than any other American player
except Whitman. Whitman made a record
that has never been equaled in this coun-
try when he played through three sue
cessiye tournament seasons with theNloss
of only two matches.
Davis and Ward, who are to represent
| America in the doubles, are without ques
tion the most brilliant team ever pro-
record is very much like that of their op-
ponents, the Doherty brothers. ~,
There will be five matches, four In sin
giles and one in doubles, the majority win
ming the international championship and
Davis trophy. ss.r - -. ,--.s - ~. =
Dohertys Defeat wrenns.
At Longwood, Saturday, the two English
tennis players, r. f. and H. Il. Doherty,
too ,r fq5 one one q the OF tn
won the eastern championship for doubles in
| three sets to one. For two sets the Wrenns,
| by keeping the ball high in the air, seemed to
have tritle the better of the play. but the
| beat them out. The score was 4-6. rs. 6-2,
So. .-"
While this match was in progress W. A.
Larned, the present national tennis champion,
and one of the American teams who will play
the Engljshnen next week for the Davis tro-
ply, was being beaten by one of the coming
young players, William J. Clothier of Phila-
delphia. This match was the sensation of the
afternoon, and to the minds Of tennis experts
makes the outcome Of next weeks contest ex-
ceedingly doubtful, Larned being one Of those
selected to defend the Davis cup. Clothier
played brilliant tennis, being cool and steady,
! score OF this match was SD, F3-6, 6-2, 70. -