New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1909-08-08
DOUBLES PLAY BEGINS
KNOLLWOOD COUNTS BUSY
ChalIengers for National Title May
Meet Holders TODAY.

Lawn tennis experts who saw the draw of the
special doubles tournament which began on the
turf courts of the Knollwood Country Club, White
Plains. yesterday discovered secret in the lie Of
the pairs The seeded arrangement of the play
ers is such that nothing short OF a marvellous
reversal Of form Will prevent the Pacific Coast
champions. George James and Maurice McLaugh-
lin. the chaIengers for the national championship.
from coming through 10 the final and meeting the
holders of the title. Frederick b. Alexander and
Harold II. Hackett
Another peculiar feature is that the tournament
almost perfectly reprodUces the recently decided
national ties played at the Onwentsia Club, Chi
cago. In the upper half the Southern champions.
Theodore Roosevelt Pel and Wyle c. Grant. met
the Eastern winners Nathaniel w. Niles and Ar
thur s DabEey. jr., defeating them at e, So
o. Pen and Grant had bye for The first round,
so that they now coupled with James and
Mclaughlin. who defeated them for the right to
challenge for the national honOrs.
While such arrangement adds spice to the
meeting the placing Of all of the other Cafornians
in the lower section adds considerably to the in
terest. Thomas c. Bundy and Simpson NJ. Sinsa-
baugh. the California pair in the first round. met
and defeated the new combination of Frederick c.
Inman the metropolitan champion, and George O.
Wagner. the Buffalo expert at 3-6. g.. 6-4- The
Californians then faced William A. Larned and
Robert ID. Wrenn. dividing sets with them. Bundy
and Sinsabaugh captured the first rather handfly
at 81. only TO lose the next. 6-3 They were all
in the third when darkness stopped the contest.
The remaining CaH1Ornia-TexaS combination. Mel
Vile H. Long and Harvey NJ. Macquiston, is
coupled with Alexander and Hackett
Such an arrangement Of the pairs at this time
gives strength to the idea that prevails that the
Pacific Coast players are being tried out with a
view 10 placing more of their number upon
the American International challenging team for
the Davis Cup matches. II is also remarked
among followers of lawn tennis that the Knoll
wood Country Club courts have twice in the past
been the scene of such preparatory work for the
men who were slated for places the interna-
tional cup teams. There is considerable buzz
among players, for the arrangement Is most I'M
usual and it will be the first time the history of
lawn tennis that challe nging pair have met the
champions in a match previous the decidin, of
the titles at Newport. that the result of the
series is awaited with some curiosity to-day
All Of the men were in fine form yesterday and
their work pleased large gallery. PelTs fast
driving. combined with Grants good service and
overhead smashing, caused them easily 10 hold
their own against Niles and Dabney- Rundy and
SnsabaUSh have improved greatly since their first
appearance, and seemed 10 be overcoming Iarned
and Wrenn when their match WIS stopped Iaarned
was not at his best. He repeatedly missed short
shots. and altogether gave the impression that he
had gone back Wrenn by his dash saved many
of the games and appeared TO better advantage
than this partner.
and Sinsabaugh met Niles and Dabney in an ex-
hibition match in which the pairs split sets. The
remaining matches of the tournament will be de-
clded to-day, as TIE majority Of the players move
on 70 the Meadow Club courts at Southampton
Long Island, tomorrow