The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-23
BUSY LAWN TENNIS SEASON.
PLAY IN 1904 SHOWS RENEWED
INTEREST IN THE SPORT.
America's Neglect OF international Conn
petition the Only Drawback-Ciose
Figuring in singles Between Players
Larned, ward, wright and Clothier'

Larned, ward, wright and Clotner'
While lacking some Of the features OF
previous years, the lawn tennis season OF
1904 has brought renewed interest IN the
game. About ten years ago this ancient
sport lost it's hold, giving way to goif' put
In recent years tennis has gradually resumed
it's old position and now the tennis court
forms an important part Of every country
club.
The fact that there was no international
meeting in which America took part was
the one disappointment OF the season
After the loss of the Davis cup year ago
1t was thought that the Americans wouio
send a challenge and try to regain the ioss
laurels. 1t was later found. however,
that the crack players could not be secured
and the committee decided to let the matter
20 by default. 1t was felt that rather than
send q second rate team 1t was wiser to seno
none, especially as the Dohertys would
surely defend and poor team would only
meet with disaster. The Davis cup cnal-
lenge was therefore left to other nations
and France and Belgium entered the list
playing of in trial tourney to decide whp
should meet the Englishmen. After close
contest the Belgian players, M. P. de borman
and M. w. Lemaire, defeated the French
men, NJ. P. Ayme and M. Max Demagis'
but were easily beaten by the English
men, who scored in three straight matches.
F, L. Riseley and the Dohertys represented
the defending nation. The result was
foregone conclusion, as the Dohertys had
only Just won the English championship,
while the single honors had gone to II. l..
Doherty.
While Americans took no part In these
matches, there was the hope that home
PLAYERS might still be able to measure skill
with the Englishmen. AS the holders OF
both the American single and double cham
pionshps. the Dohertys must lose the titles
unless they came over to defend. The
rumors were constant that the Englishmen
would again make the trip, and until few
days before the Newport meeting it was
confidently expected they would be on hand.
When word finally came that these brilliant
players would default the titles, the disap-
pointment among American players was
keen.
The withdrawal of the Dohertys left the
honors open to home talent For the
sin gle championship the favorite candidates
were ex-champion w. A. LaTned, Holcombe
Ward, Beals Wright and William A. Clothier.
Not one Of the four had clean record, but
of the quartet Larned was easily the first
choice. At the start Of the season Larned
lost to Wright at the Brookline Country
Club. Wright also won the Canadian, New
England and Massachusetts State cham
pionships. On the Merton Cricket Club
grounds Clothier carried of the honors
with three victories and two defeats, scoring
over Stevens, Dewhurst and Larned.
The Middle States championship, which
came late in June, saw the defeat Of Clothier
by Little, Harry F. Allen by Holcombe Ward
and Ward by Little. Stevens, the veteran
baselne player, and Clarence Hobart
reached the final round. where the latter
won out by close five set score. Hobart
then won the cha mpionship by defeating
the title holder, Stephen G. Willett,
to Larned, who had previously defeated
Clothier. AT Longwood, Nahant and South
ampton the crack players began to take on
their best form preliminary to the decisive
struggle at Newport.
At Iongwood. Ward and Wright came
through to the finals. the former winning
three sets to one. Wards clever showing
in this match marked him as one OF the
strong candidates for the prize. In the
challenge round, however, Larned, the title
holder, proved 100 iast, WaTu tahuiS ouI
set The Nahant tourney the following
week saw Larned's defeat in the challenge
round by Clothier. and the latter's stock
took big boom in consequence. These
two players came together again at South
ampton. just before going to Newport and
Larned this time proved the winner.
Meanwhile. at Chicago Kreigh Collins
had again won the Western championship
and entered the Newport tourney with con-
siderable backing. X. d. Little and Richard
Stevens We're also possibilities.
The leading players were not brought
In the third round Dewhurst was beaten
by Clothier and Little by Collins. The
fourth round saw Ward win from Collins,
and in the fifth Larned defeated Stevens
The luck of the draw allowed Leonard. a
second rater, to reach the semifinals,
Clothier, Ward and Lerned being the other
three Ward easily defeated Leonard, while
Clothier won from Larned after a hard
fought five set match. Wards victory
over Clothier in the final round gave the
title to the former by the default OF ID. l..
Doherty.
In the doubles, Beals c. Wright and
Holcombe Ward, who carried off the honors
ut Newport, were easily the crack pair Of
the season. Their victories included the
Crescent Athletic CLUB open tourney, in
the loss Of set, and Westohester, Sea-
bright ard Longwood, where their success
was also most pronounced. In the East Vi.
West series for the national champion
ship they easily defeated Kreigh Collins
and r. d. Little. the Western pair. AL
though a new combination, Ward and
Wright showed fine team work through
out. 1t was their clever work which led
many to believe they could have beaten
the Dohertys had the latter been on hand
to defend. If team is sent to compete
for the Davis trophy next summer it is
more than probable that Ward and Wrieh
will appear in the doubles.
OF the Journeys following Newport the
most important we're the Olympic cham
pionship at st. Louis won by Beals Wright;
the Hudson River championship. won by
Ross Burchard; the Nyack, won by F. g..
Anderson the New Jersey State, won by
Richard Stevens; the Elizabeth Town and
Country Club, by F. q. Anderson, and
the intercollegiate. by Robert lie Roy Of
Columbia. This win Of LIE Roys gave to
Columbia its first victory in the inter-
collegiate singles since the Journeys were
started in 1888 lie Roy also disting uished
himself by defeating Holcombe Ward.
the national title holder, in one Of the Metro
politan League tennis matches,
OF the other Journeys on the seasons
calendar the winners were: Southern,
Harry F. Allen; New York State, F. b.
Alexander; Metropolitan, Holcombe Ward;
New York open. Robert LIE Roy: Kings
county Harry MolenhaNpr. SfWanoy