New-York tribune., 1910-10-02
w. A. Larned'S
Long Fight for
Tennis Honors
ALTO HELPED HIM WIN
National Champion After 20
Years on the Courts
learned Goodness.


o.h,..s, snort at the age Of nearly
---o ,,ca-s. But that is what William
-. r.a--,ed has achieved, and his re-
9,--tsa records as a lawn tennis player
-. ..r,er been equalled upon the courts
.,,s country or, FOR that matter any
other. -, ..,,- ,,-5o
Of course. there are uniformed iolk VINO
..-p -bar lawn tennis Is a gentle pasuIne
-bs+ may be played by the physically oe-
e-ient and old ladies in between uae4i
,,-ochering and patchwork Those VINO WI
messed the great Larned play one OF his
-,ost famous matches, in WnIch ne uo
@ea-ed The champion Englishrlan' heS 'Ii1l'
robertv. in 800, when the Briton cha4-
- 60 the American championship. re-
--e--ber that at the end OF the hFe se'S
- B-iton sprawled on the turf before the
~.sr5o,ahla gallery OF thousands who hao
f-..-he5 his work on the Casino court at
$500 and from fatigue and the cranp
- exhausted muscles he became almost
l,7noonscfogs. ana had 10 be massaged back
% consciousness and control Of himself De-
80 I.arued had played him 10 q stand
stin
For q national champion and one who
has been playing upon the courts OF 1hls
ro1n1--v and abroad for more than twenty
wears. La-ned is a most modest man IN
Fat. lie Is retiring almost TO the point
os sby-ness. and il IS only when he gets
into The swing CT his game upon the court
-ha1 this trait leaves him: then his game
teco-les the wonder and admiration Of all
lam tennis followers. The king Of the
snort Is IN his court and he wields his
-arket with the certainty OF command
-rith which q monarch might WELD his
soepter-
Yet La-ned never trains for his great con-
rests. F-e s. always n the pink Of physical
snn6f-ion. for he is naturally careful OF his
diet and while not teetotaller il is rare
Tor him 70 indulge IN anything except
ale o. z light wine with his meals, and be
rarely smokes. Between practice sets OF
-e-nis and motoring in the sumner time
and q half hours go now and then through
-re winter at court racquets or squash, he
l,ae~z his eve and hand working in that
perfect unison that causes his game TO sur
mass that of any other in this country.
there IS difference in his game as COM
-,a-ed with that Of any other Of the lead
.nr rlave-s of the present time. in that
Ia-red hits the ball cleanly without the
Ee-hIancs OF a cut or twist How &C
s-1!-g ely he meets the wooIIen covered
EnHere OF rubber may be seen by any one
who has examined one OF Lsrned's 5 rackets,
for Il the very centre Of the gut strung
head IS q clearly defined bulseye OF some
rh-ee inches IN diameter that shows where
de racket and bail meet at every stroke,
and the rest Of the Eut IS unwOrn- Larned
depends upon the swiftness and strength
Of his shots, strong. straight tennis, at
which he outpsces and oUtplaces his op-
Ionents.
Slightly more than decade ago Larned
had the reputation Of having lost more
al
times than any Other man then playing
upon the American courts, His modest, re-
7tiring disposition seemed 70 play him SAD
tricks. which caused him to lose control
when L was most needed. There are many
close friends Of Larne6's who believe that
his ardent following Of motoring has had
much 70 dc with overcoming these diff
cuI-ies- In fact La-ned's greatest hobby
q mechanics, and he IS never so well salts
fed as when he sits grasping the steering
wheel OF car which he built IN every
part The tennis champion has put his
ar, in the machinery OF which is included
Feve-aI improvements invented by himself, I
over thousands CT miles of road and with
Dawn tennis friends has taken many a
weekend jsUnr into faraway places where ]
motor cars are seldom, If ever, seen
The change IN La<ned's playing and his
cate from the tIne OF his return from the
SQanIsh-&-ne-icar Var. where he served as
2 Rough Rloer along with several other
famous lawn tennis players, including BOB"
FErenn. ollie" Campbell and Theodore /
Roosevelt. Larned's game became stronger /
Eld steadie1 after that experience. until now
h-s method IS one o. tmpetuous attack after /
Re has studied the main points OF his op-
roac1rs game. Unlike the younger as
I--5--s who have come and gone while &
Ls-reG has been attaining his eminent posi- 4
Ett0-- The great champion does not employ
Hc--ytnC tactics q delay or concealed
gt-oae. and I'll the other variations, as have
SOB" Wrern5 HClcombe Ward and Beals
Wright when they we're at their best. His
game = strong ia is simple directness, and
T. us simplicity lies one CT its chief charms /
1-- the spectator, who watches each stroke /
played in the rost finished style. In fact /
Lar1c5's whole nature is one of this direct
Kos tEat finds reflection IN his favorite !
EGEe. Ter. wili,e in business he occupies = I
sest CT the stock Exchange. where he (
males : specially Of odd lots, il IS 10
seer: nat - g uoU the champion At ihe /
Ereat cz--e c. stocks that he is upon the /
sayr1 ceoTIe c7,---s.
Two 81 tie --5st dramatic episodes of /
'1-a-0ccs career - tennis player have
beer maze waile competing against the /
famous Englishmen, the D0herty brothers. (
The elder brother. Reginald r Do I
heTty, Nhiic playing Larred in the chal-
Ae--s@ match mentioned ABOVE, returned /
4 tSa Uh.ca La-rcd thought was out
az so Cd rot pat his racket 10 it. 1
There VS. difference of opinion. however /
A. 20 lfCesuSn seemed 10 think il was I
60, - lr=at Larnei Lrrforce changed &c 4
L1he o-nsr SIDE oi ire court Tor the next 4
-Ser71oe, bl1s the EngiiSllnlau knowing fun /
Wei me spienC4d trait OF fairness in Lar /
Ted . Character, was Inclined 10 take the !
decision q the famous American over the T!
scff,cial. a13 60 ne Immediately served two |
fu0Eble faults 50 obviously done that The
gallery sPpLa2ded ths Br-ron's giving away 1
tho points as oue o. The most .por1sr,s,7-
Ike incidents ever witnessed q the New
port Casino. /
The other incident was net so 1s-ri,. /
decided and Il actually was perbape tba
pivotal pcat which led 10 the Britoas' win
ming TIC ti-e ribbon of the tennis courts.
fIe Dwight y. Davis International Challenge
CUP III ISIS. ca tie courts At Boston. The
-aS7 rvo marches q the singles p.cre on. and
TIE AEleTll2us needed both 10 hold the ct5u
l-zl1rec and BOB Nrenn were respectively
playing H-gh l. D0Lerty and r. F. DO
Aerty upon al Joining courts