The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-19
WHO'LL GO FOR THEDAVBCUp?
AMERICAS T9iD ONE OF TWO
MEN ONh{ APPARENTLY.
Lawn Tennis Association Not In Any Hurry
to Make Up Challenging Team TO Go
to Australasia. but There Isn't Really
Much Latitude lp Ch0ice-POssIhiuics.

Much Latitude up CiOlce-P0sslhilties.
The absence Of definite information from
the other aide about the likely action Of
the All England l.. T. A. in tho matter o:
the Davis cup ia p~uzzling the lawn tennis
folks here. but they feel certain that their
only course Ia to prepare to send a team
to Australasia In November. Assurances
have been given that an American team
will 20 to the antipodes. and because there
still is- much time to prepare for a trip
the United States N. l.. T. A. has done
nothing further. The great problem is
likely to he In deciding what players ought
to go and then In getting their consent 10
make The trip. II will be hard to get a list
Of eligible players. but not nearly 10 hard
as to get the best to go as a team.
Play thus far this season has developed
no new men Of particular ability. Indeed,
far from that. Perhaps the only really
good man outside OF the old guard is
Edward p. L.arned. and he hangs bis claim
to first rank upon his performance ih the
Middle States championships. There he
defeated William J. Clothier. Raymond
D.. Little and Nathaniel w. Niles. The
last named opposed Larned In the Hnal
round and played miserably. However. it
was clear that Larned was tho best man in
the tournament. excepting possibly T. R.
Pell. Clothier. who was a good player two
years ago, has gone back, He would very
likely not go to Australasia anyway, 80
that he has TO be eliminated from con-
sideration. "
However, In the recent Long Island
championships Lsrned was beaten by
Henry J. Mollenhauer ip the semi-fnal
round, Sc, ca. Sc. And in that third
set Larned led at 81. Against Gustave
F. Touohard In the third round Of the
Felipe cup singles Larned did not do as
well. He was beaten. 90. e-I, CO.. In
this match he was very uncertain and was
! afraid 10 hit the ball hard. In fact, in three
tries Larned has proved himself reliable
| only once. He is all too likely to go up in
the air when everything 9 working well,
and then almost any one can beat him. On
this sort Of showing he will hardly do for
a great match. It Is no secret that e. P.
Larned has boon ono Of the hopes Of the
| committee IN charge.
Conrad b. Doyle. q Washington player,
is one Of the younger players whose work
has called attention to him thus far. In
a run Of six weeks he defeated DR.. E.. B.
Dewhurst. Wallace F. johnson. William
j. Clothier and Frederick O. Colston. He
10 well put up and has good strokes. 50 that
he may hold his form. In q general way
that ia Larned. too. on surface description.
There isn't q prettier built. nicer stroke
player than E., F. tarned, whose every
move suggests his older and more capable
brother. However, Doyle may be steadier
when IL comes to pinches. They think
a great deal Of him in Washington. and
probably with reason. Certain it is that
Gustave F. Touohard and w. Merrill
Hall, both Of them In the neil hborhood
Of 20 years. will be fine players IN a season
or two. It is a safe prediction. Neither is
least. two y~ears-even IL they continue to
develop as they now promiss. Wallace F.
johnson. the national in~tersoholsstlo oham-
pion of 1907. does not show the abilities
plays toe much Of a out game, but the out
ting is not 50 bod as the head work. He
doesn't out like Irving Wright. n Of the
best mon for head work on the courts.
get him forward, and oven though Bis service
e not oraftily placed the rest Of his game
Richard II. Palmer. Henry J.. MolIen-
o oap'e class. although there are FEW wv gamer pas
players than Mollenhauer. He Is a per-
sistent fighter and backs up that quality,
with no little amount Of skill. But he isn't
a champion. How good J. Allan Ross. the
well be judged right now. But he isn't
as good as some OF the old timers here
abouts, 30 that he can't very well be counted
on. There will always be a. sad remem-
sranoe OF the showing made by Kreigh
Collins, the many ines Western champion,
in the Davis cup tryouts Of 1905. Western
champions have been sold short ever since.
Heath Byford. another Western phenom,
does not seem to have begun playing well
as yet.
parentiy none OF the newcomers who can
be selected for a team. The new men. no
part Of a season. generally are found to be
victims when the end Of the tennis year
m along. Those older chaps take a
lot Of time to get fit. Even Clothier may
ships. although the way he has BEEN going
u, doesn't seem to mako that look likely.
Ciothier Is a conspicuous example Of the
When It comes down to cases. about the
petition are the older men: William A.
I4rned, Beals G.: Wright. Frederick B.
Alexander. Karl II, Behr, Robert LIE Roy
Raymond d. Little. They are about
this list must be stricken Le Roy, Little
and Behr. Le Roy, sven II he had the
physique. as he has the skill, to play long.
hard matches, cannot be thought Of this
eyes which has prevented him from getting
going In the game. Little IL no longer the
player he was two years ago. and he Is stead
lily losing ground In singles. Behr has been
so badly all the early part OF this
year that there doesn't seem much chance
that he will got back in. II he does. and
plays as he did last season early, be viii
be a first rate Davis cup man. The chances
appear to be against that.
There are left Just about three men. or
these William A. LArned, the national
champion; says he viii not 60 to Australasia.
That eliminates him right away. So there
are two, Alexander and Wright. In doubles
Alexander and Haokett. the national cham
pions. might be considered were Il not for
the fact that Hackett has said he would not
go to AustralaAa. America can do well
with Alexander o Wright. They are
two corhing good men.
In singlee there Ia no country that has a
pair to average With them. Brookes
may BE- q bit better than either. and that
has TO be proved with both men in con-
diton. But Australasia has no second
player who 10 anything Ike their quality.
present day average Of the DoheStys Is
nothing like that Of Alexander and Wright.