The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-05-05
SHALL CHAMPION STAND QUIZ.
Lawn TENNIS PEAYERS DIVIDED
IN ARgUIN6 THE QUESTION.
staiIstles o. Last TWenty.three Years SNOW
That All Comers' Winner Has Defeated
H0IdeF Blk Times Only-MaFkedIY
=. Unfalr 70 ChAlIenRef, Some Say.

-
HoIdtr Blk Times Only MARKEDLY
g., Unfair 10 Challenger, some Say.
A great argument among laVn tennis
players this season ooncerns the conditions
for the playing Of the national singles cham
pionShip. 1t may b sald that there are
many, persons who consider that 1t b only
fair and right that the champion should be
compelled 10 play through the tournament,
meeting all oomers and not standing out. as
h4s been the rule here for many years.
That question involves in q Lesser way the
eiae that II the tennis association adheies
10 the present plan there should Be . day
Of rest In between the final round Of the
all Corners and the playing Of the cham
pionship or challenge round
1t appears clear 20 most persons that II
would DO iAirer 20 haze the champion play
through the tournament. Sense dictates
that II a mar has played q week Of hard
tennis he cannot be IN the finest Of on-
dition 10 meet q player whose greatest work
has been ar occasional practice match to
keep bis form.
A player who has spent his week coming
UP 70 the challenge round is worn out phya-
ically and also has Undergone the strain Of
nervous tension. There iB somethlng to
each match, and he must keep his mind
intently en- tbs winning oft II he is 70 pros
per. Conditions sometimes arise too that
the winner Of the all Corners has his very
hardest task the hnal day. He may then
be nesting apAyeF who has como through
the easy half OF the draw.
Under such conditions, II is argued, it is
only right for the challenging player to have
q day In which to rest. He needs It greatly,
for he has everything against him. H'he
IL not In the finest condition q skilful player,
alb o champion is Of necessity, will be able
to tire him at noe In the beginning Of the
challenge round. 0noe he 10 started down,
his chances become much smaller. In fact,
in most cases 1t may be ssid that the cham
pion has his match won before he enters
the court TO play the challenger.
The first issue Of American LavR Tennis,
the nav magazine Of the US MI. a.,
contains a sort Of symposium IN the sub
ject. Prominent lawn tennis players have
bean induced TO give their views OF the prob
lem. In many cases they have professed
unwillinghess 10 say anything about the
argument, and the list Of those who did
not answer doubtless lie greater than the
roll OF those who did. The argument was
first brought actively TO public attention
by a discussion in the February meeting
Of thu national association. There It was
brought out by several players that they
considered the lawn tennis men oVerWorked.
This called forth an expression from the
opposition. In the end this question, like
many others at the same meeting, was
turned over to the executive committee.
II has not yet come out Of the committee.
ultui,v - Takhfar the prAnant nattnpaI
champion, 10 quoted by American LdeN
Tenais az follows: Il might cay that / do
not consider q rest desirable or necessary
between the final match Of the Newport
tournament and the challenge match. /
think history has proved this. 1 would
prefer not TO say anything abcut the adviBa-
bilty Of compelling Q champion 70 play
throus b., at this time Under the oircum-
stances, as holder Of the title Clothier could
not we'll be expected TO give n definite opin-
ion as to what ought to be done. However,
ffhe hadd ons 90 tt would have been q power
full argument either way. II IN oonsidered
from his attitude on the day OF rest propo-
sltion THAT no would be unwilling TO alter
the preeAnt arrangement as to the cham
p'f asSIy \. sloourn. champion in 1883 and
1850, writas: u have been out OF the game
20 long that my opinion on the subject under
discussion would appear to be OF little
value. AZ to my personal experiences. | re-
member that l won the all oomers' tourna-
ment in two successive years, and that !
was In extremely good condition on the last
day and eager to play the championship
match the following day. j doubt that q
days rest would have improved my game.
Il ts my idea that q man who Is able to play
through and win the tournament must be In
hne physical condition and well able to
stand the strain OF one more match That
IL another vote for those who favor the eK-
listing condition.
William 4. Larned. champion Of 1901
and 1907. and rune up and all corners
winner many times. was the chief opponent
Of reform in the meeting Of the national
association. Lsrns4's vast experience and
his keen interest 10 avn tennis make his
his deliberate and emphatic opinion Il that
the present system 10 right and that the
lack OF Q day OF rest does not weigh materi-
ally against the chances Of q ohamL/ onship
sspirant. Those are the chief mek against
Dwight r. Davis, who is b/t known
perhaps Tor his gift Of the Davis International
trophy. u one Of those &h/ approve tof
making a new ruiz. Il hayY4iways favored
play through the tournament he Gays.
THE champion should be the best player
in the country. ThB present system I'M
doubleday places a handicap on the chal;
lon90r que 70 the nnonbal and pnyelo8l
strain Of the weeks play. II there IL 70
be any change IN the present system l
would favor 1triking at the root Of the
whole matter by compelling the champion
to meet all Corners on equal terms by playing
through she tournament"
The opinion Of Clarence Hobart IL doubt
less based upon his own experience Of the
hard path TO the championship. II b
recorded that In 1891 Hobart met the cham
pion, 0.6. Campbell, the day after q fierce
1--we set match against Frederick b. Hovey
In the ell oomors' finals. Campbell won
from Hobart In Eve sets. the challenger
winning the hrst and third. Hobart says:
Il am OF the opinion that the challenger
has In many oates been handicapped In
che challenge match by fatigue from his
previous efforts. j can personally vouch
Tor ONE Instance. Ibeiieve that under pres
ont conditions o day OF rest between the
hnal' match In the all corners and the
challenge match IN desirable, but ] should
regard thit as merely q palliative and am
strongly In favor Of doing away with the
senseleSs and unsportsmAnlike advantage
nov given to the champion OF the year
before. All candidates for the championship
should. start on even terms. az they do IN
every other eport worthy Of the name
Karl II. Behr. Jr,, whose progress in lawn
tennis last year Was as diticult as IL was
extraordinary, 10 one Of thoee who believe