Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-27

TRIPLES PROVE
TENNIS FACTORS
CONDITION WINS OR LOSES
MANY GAMES
SUCCESS OF YOUNG sTRAcHAN
CITED AS PROOF
Infant Phenom Gives Great Heed to
Seemingly UnImportant Details
and Has Surprised Racquet
Experts by His Games

Between the playing of hard matches
and the endeavor to find refreshments
and cool spot during the recent Pot
ter tournament, the lawn tennis play
ers and the ever present throng of
devotees discussed the more trifling
things that goatoward sustaining
winning game. There was a sufficient
number of what may be termed form
reversals in the playing of such as
Bundy, Sinsabaugh and Carl Gardner,
and such a shuffling of the pairs with
in and out results at the Venice tour
nament as to make the topic interest
ing and enlightening. Then, too, the
Potter tournament added some strik-
ing illustrations in the way of unex-
pected survivals. so that with form
and physical conditions as the most
prominent things talked about, many
new thoughts, or old ones, dressed a
la mode, found expression.
The triumph of young Strachan was
regarded as a combination of fairly
developed SKILL backed by the splendid
condition of the player. That in the
latter respect he was the master of
er, and s. M. Sinsabaugh, was re-
garded as his chief asset against the
two veterans. Strachan had trained
like a Spartan and had so carefully
husbandcd his strength that he was
enabled to endure faster footwork than
either of his two famous opponents.
1t was this attention to the necessity
of keeping the physical condition at
its perfection and all of the faculties
so tuned up as not to jangle at high
tension that had contributed to 1.-THE
young experts success. In a measure,
1t was the same painstaking care
which had brought him greatness upon
the lawn tennis courts, and for that
same reason there was general opin-
ion that a second member of the
Strachan family in ]. Strachan will
be a maker of lawn tennis history.
Condition is Necessary
While 1t is not "mollycoddling" that
the players should give themselves, the
followers of the game believe that the
yigors of lawn tennis are such that
none may hope to win high honors ex-
cept by a sane observance OF their par
ticular needs. Rest, especially in the
way OF regular night sleep. and the
avoidance of stimulants to sustain
them through their matches, are, IN
the estimation of the studious ones
the absolutely necessary factors OF
success. It has been fruitful side or
debate. with the mercury at tne top
of the thermometer tube during the
recant tournaments, as to what is the
hest sustainer for long five-set
match. ~.
tom of drinking warm fresh tea upon
his return from the internationals at
wimbledon two years ago. His dainty
trav and tea service made quite
stir when 1t first appeared at the ma
tional championship matches at New
nort that wear. But, Clothier had
found a good and tried quencher OF
thirst and a sustainer that had no pad
effeots. He slipped his tea wnlle
changing sides of the net, while otner
PLAYERS chung to the traditional MN
eral water ana lemon juice ana other
things. gradually Ciothiers idea mas
found favor. There is no uncertainty
of vision lurking in the PINK yea Pos.
No sudden quickening OF vlgor VIII az
sudden a dron and let down. Above
ali there is not the cramping OF vino
ana a consequent struggle to over
come / disheartening lethargy when
50 too often eelt as the AFTER eHects
of mineral water.
The surprising part of the whole
nroblen1, one to which players nave
devoted much thought and discussion'
is that.tea has been so long IN coIiillls
into more general favor ana use.
Among a few clubs, the tea urn IS at
last taking its place so that there may
be none of the difficulty that oeiore
was experienced In providlns we
freshly made drink when those WIZ
have become it's advocates caller Ior ~,
Aside from these two qpestiohs' IN
subject of the height of the net anu
tha attendant luck of net-cord strokes
has come in for some timely and pro-
found debate. Carelessly stretched
nets cause all of the top flight OF the
nla,yers more worriment than all OF the
other things which they have TO COM
hat. 1t overthrows the best service no
matter how long and patiently tns
rIavar has taken to develop it, ana
throughout is q source of grievance.
That most groundsmen feel that tnelr
duty is done when they stretch the net
taut to the limiting band In the center
does not suffice. Many OF the piayeIs
complain that the bands loosen Iroil'
the rings in the ground as the season
progresses and within a montn VI ~
of usage one anu SS -. 49,,
inches are added to the net IN the cen.
ter. The strange part OF II IS Ina,
few of them care to appear hIlchy
bv requesting the referee OF uiupile
to decide upon the correct heisht. But
that Is their privilege and also tne'
d,,tv Of the OFFICIALS, and should pc
nart of the care of the contestants IN
match. o,,,. a.,
al Iooeelv stretched nets, but beyond
that one point the opinions are as
var.ious as the sands of the sea as to
what manner should be pursued In
Some way limiting the stroke which,
IN practically every instance, is bit
- Inclx that has turned the decision
=, ,nanv matches. The majority of the
,>lavers agree that 1t would be as great
an Injustice to forfeit the stroke en-
tirelv as to promulgate the rule that
the point be replayed from the service
again. There is a growing tendency to
mark an additional line across the
court parallel with the net at APP
nroximately the distance of a foot
from it on one side. In order that
a net stroke be fair as a return, the
ball must drop beyond that line, it's
failure to do so to be considered as a
net for the player making the stroke.
This appears to be the most popular
method of overcoming the vexed ques-
tion and so general has the discussion
of 1t been of late that something If
this kind may find at least its place