The sun., 1908-12-26
PLAN AGAIN
BRITISH TENNIS ASSOCIATION
RECOMMENDS IT.


Geed Opportunity Because o. Brookes
Default Causes Passing Of Rule TO
Have Champions Enter Tournaments
on Even Fosting With ether Players.
IL 10 to be wondered whether the United
States Lawn Tennis Association at its
coming meeting will consider following
the example Of the All-England H. T. A.
In recommending that the holders Of cham
piohships play through the tournaments
instead OF standing out for the challenge
round This Recommendation was made
recently. by the English with the idea OF
having all tournaments on even terms and
also Of shortening them, Taking away the
challenge round naturally makes O tourna-
ment one day shorter. and that In England.
where there are many more tournaments
than In this country, 10 especially an object.
The greater principle involved is that II
gives oil players q better chance In the COM
petition. Where @ man must 90 up against
fresh and waiting opponent after he him
self he's had hard week Of play 1t puts him
ct q disadvantage to begin with. There
IL no provision here for much Of en- interval
9f rest between the fnal and challenge
rounds. although 1t was proposed once
that day should intervene.
~ 10 8ttVkOtuGI hTlhhtly thdt tuO Ehbhhh
ohampionship will be played on the old
eystem any dnore. because OF the passing
OF this rule. As the lawn tennis assocla-
tions Of both countries watch each others
moves very closely and attempt to model
their plsyinR laws on the same hines the
U. 8. N. Ia. I. A. may decide TO follow the suit
OF the English body. IL was peculiarly
opportune moment in England. because
Gore won the cham pionship without play
inn GhallanHA round. HFQOkQ9 WAS not
In England 10 defend. As Larned WON the
American title by. PLAYING challenge
tSst The Win Consider Il ar 70
order him now to play through.
The best chance to inaugurate that plan
ia this coyntry was following the chan. CHI I'M
default OF Clothier in the challenge round
Nothing but accident Is likely to make
Larhsd forego the pleasure OF playing
and judged from his present gait he is likely
t9 go on winning them as long as he pleases
There Is only the chance that Wright will
style chat he does in International matches.
The conQueror OF Brookes should be able TO
put his name on the championship bowl OF
this country once more.
In the proceedings OF the English associa-
ton there was a recommendation too that
the New Zealand association be permitted
Connection GO me @ with With tSat letter Was Written to
English Lown Tennis by G. A. ,Voigt, a we'll
known referee. MIR, Eoigt heartily ap-
proves The plan 4 only for The sake Of max,
has mistaken, reference to the way the
American championship draw is made: II
memory serves 1t is left to chance and. Is
not cooked" part Of Mr.. Noigt's let
ter is.
In all my experience have never yet heard
any complaints on the question OF what the
tie eight best players have always been evenly
and I am of the opinion that this might also be
adyanilageouslyu u carried out by the al England
II only TO prevent two foreign visitors from meet
ing each other "nrst pop" as happened TO the
To- &C. sss let Il tie s %Ss 1%s
don. where important matches on the opening
days are a necessity to draw the public. After
modern prize meetings.
II Is an open secret that most draws are
cooked" e., made as interesting as possible
for the players as well as for the public. Com
petitors whose form does not classify them among
the cracks have their chances In the numerous
hahdicaps OF other open tournaments all the
10 short, what wish to suggest is rule allow
especially ct International prize meetings. where
players sometimes have 10 travel far. Imagine
bournes and mse.ins each each other in the arst or
second round OF the local CHAMPIONSHIPS or
geihsr In one half OF the draw at bad Homburg.
The English lawn tennis publication gives
Beais Wright some left handed credit for
beating Brookes detailing the Americans
three wins out Of four meetings and then
says Brookes must have been of form. An
effort ls being made TO stimulate the good
English players 70 form team that will be
able to wrest the trophy from Australia
The comment is:
Besis Wright has a very proud record against
Norman Brookes. whom he has heaten three
times out OF four. The pair rst met In the London
cham upionship at Queens Club In 1905. on which
occasion Wright won BY SO "a %. %;
al. Ia the same season Wright was successful
EIO. -. ls-io. g., but In the Davis cup
competition OF 1907 Brookes was victorious By,
S-t "a. Ga The fourth match was played
this week at Melbourne, and Wright won cleverly
after being two sets down. with scores OF 0-o,
Sc. 7-5 o. i2-i0.
II Is obvious that Brookes was NOT quite him
self, for he experiences the utmost diii,culty In
Wlldlne. whilst he failed 90 stay In tho match
he lost to Beals Wright. The play In Melbourne
had all the element OF excitement. and WHOM
hrookes was yanquished the issue roStcd upon
the NTH and last match The responsibility Of
defending the cup then devolved entirely upon
WIiding. who must have shown exceptional
nerve to have held his own so easily with Alex
ander.
IL 70 rejection upon British lawn tennis
that the, Davis cup ls stiIl In Australia, and the
pity Of Il Is that there appears to be no Immediate
prospect Of recovering II. Seemingly the only
way would be for the Dohertys and r. L. Rlseley
TO make up their minds TO 20 out next year. We
mention Rseey because We hope to record his
reappearance In match play u the summer OF
kenneth Powell should by that time have all
n Gfa