The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-07-26
CHEATING IN Lawn TENNIS
A PUBLIC REBUKE TO PLAYERS
WHO ACT UNFAIRLY.

Case or One I'm Q Tournament Who De
frauded, So That His Opponent De-
faulted-Blacklisted by Several
The Pot Hunter Also Gets Notice.
lawn tennis has the reputation Of being
o gentleman's game. and for that reason
the players are not watched very care
fully as to points OF decent procedure. But
In this district only recently two cases came
up that have caused o lot Of comment. the
more 30 perhaps because they got aome
special attention from American Jdten
Tennis, the official publication OF the United
States National Lawn Tennis Association.
Two brief editorials. mi headed The
Cheat the other The Pot Hunter caused
no end Of discussion. perhaps as much for
the reason that they called attention to a
very unfortunate state Of affairs as FOR
any other.
The publication OF articles that called
attention to vital defects In the makeup
OF certain men playing the 'g~entleman's
game" was deplored by some persons, but
the editorials were defended on the ground
that Just because these evils existed and
had been oondoned on many occasions by
other players the only way to cause them
to cease was to call attention to them In
the most forcible way.
The case Of the cheat was that OF a young
man who for three years has been barred
from q certain tournament because Of his
known habits. Invariably when he Is play
ing in a match where no referee happens
to be provided he calls the points to his own
advantage whenever the decision rests
with him. In O certain recent match by
A. c.l;n~ olaao .hano N.,f 1han hia
opponent struck them and by oontending
that his shots were in he forced the man
opposed TO him TO 80 desperate q mood that
the latter defaulted in the third set, al
though we'll In the lead.
This. Il was said at the time, was q most
unfair thing to do. because 1t gave the
cheat the advantage which he sought
through his fraudulent methods. To be
sure. he did not get any further in that
tournament. because thereafter there was
a referee, and as the cheat Is merely q second
rater he had, no opportunity to work his
game.
T~hingsslike this call attention, too. TO
the need Of competent referees for every
match. To be sure. not all the men-not
over o small number Of those who take
part in tournaments-would stoop to o
thing OF this sort. But with q referee there
would be not the slightest chance for this
man and his kind in subsequent tourna-
ments. As matters stand now that player
In likely to ind his field somewhat limited
hereafter. His entry Ia to be rejected
hereafter In this tournament In which he
was an offender this year, and no less than
two others have put him On the blacklist.
As he continues he il likely to be able to
play in few tournaments in the course Of a
season.
The editorials In the u. s. N. L. r. A. paper
are: tho pot hunter thrusts himself
upon every sport or pastime in some fashion
or other. and we must endure him as best
we can. In lawn tennis he is not 80 OBJ
trusive as in some other branches of sport;
but he Is in Our midst nevertheless. and
sometimes he sorely tries our patience.
To him the 'pot'-the trophy which he
strives to win and always keeps in mind
is the beginning and end Of his striving.
His mind travels far beyond the oompe-
tition itself. and the exhilaration OF the
to the thought Of the prize at the end.
'consolation pdses are the specially
OF the genus. for he rarely gets within
reaching distance OF the tournament prize.
A wise rule restricts contestants for the con-
solutions to players put out In the first
match actually played, and this Is usually
effective. Sometimes. however. 1t Is the
other way. A match can be. and m
times IL. lost through one player laying
down to the other, his inferior. and al
the letter Of the law has not been broken
there is no redress. IT'S a pity that some
men. otherwise models Of rectitude. have
such blunt oonsciences. for It is not easy
to sting them with the whip Of rebuke.'
The particular case that inspired this
81 All nvniSa I sc,ssi n,,it,;na csrtn;n
player who had offended before was en-
tered In a tournament where the draw put
him In the first round against q man easily
Inferior. The second round would have