Omaha daily bee., 1910-05-29
WRIGHT AMERICAS CHAMPION
Old Leader Back Into International
Tennis Court.
NATIONAL TENNIS CONTEST
Team Timber is Scarce, but Few
Players of Ability 60 Qualify I'm
support of the Court
General.

early this season evinced a keen and abb
sorbing interest regarding the details OF
the United States National Lawn Tennis
associations challenge for the Dwight +.
Davis international cup There are sew
eral reasons for this desire to know what
is being accomplished In the way OF send
ing worthy team of representatives of
this country in quest OF the world-famous
trophy. The widening circle OF lawn ten
mis- interest in this country is centering
attention upon the executive committee
OF the national association. The followers
Of the sport, and among this number are
thousands who will never be recorded as
members of clubs and organizations in al
lance with the governing body in this
country. are becoming more inclined to
hold the officials responsible for any
shortcomings than has heretofore been tho
case. They believe that no halfway
measures should be taken to do all that is
possible to return the cup to this coun-
try and that anything short Of real sports
manllke proceedings in the accomplish
ment of this greatly desired result is to
be frowned upon. and, IL possible, taken
into account at the annual election Of
other executive committees.
Play at wimbledon.
Under the conditions which have sur
rounded the cup since the two peerless
Australasians. Anthony F. Wllding and
Norman e. Brookes. won the trophy at
Wimbledon in 1907, it is a little early to
determine the makeup of the challenging
team and all other important details, for
the actual cup matches appear away off
at the tail end of the year, in the last
of November or the first of December. 1t
may therefore. be taken as fair indl-
cation of determined effort to strike
a winning blow for the, return of the cup
this year that 1t is now known that Beals
G. Wright, an American of wide expert
ence on the courts In both England and
Australia, is to lead the American team
Furthermore, that the historic courts at
Wimbledon, London, are to be the scene
OF the preliminary ties between the Amer
leans and the British Isles teams instead
Of courts in this country, and that again
the leading players Of this nation have re-
fused to compete abroad.
While taken altogether the results so
far obtained may not be entirely salts
factory to the American lawn tennis fol-
lowing, 1t must be admitted that half the
battle in the accomplishment of most
undertakings is in learning the true status
know where they stand in relation to this
years cup matches. The team must be
built up to Beals Wright. Those who in
the past have criticised this great Amer
lean player are now willing to support
him for his generous willingness to give
his time and skill toward bringing back
the trophy. The unfortunate side Of the
situation appears to be the inability of the
top class Of American players, notably
William A. Larned, the singles champion;
William ]. Clothier. ex-champion; Fred
erick b. Alexander and Harold H. Hackett,
taking place on the team and SO making
it real test OF the American, British
Isles or Australaslan supremacy.
All Confident In Wright.
The majority of players in this country
have supreme confidence that Wright will
work up to his top class form despite
the fact that last season he refrained
from tournament competition and in fact
played only a limited amount OF lawn
tennis. Whether or not Wright Is above
or below par still remains to be demon
strated and his early tournament per-
formances are eagerly awaited. Curiously
enough of all the leaders In, the east in
lawn tennis circles Wright alone seems to
be the only available player. Wallace f.
johnson, the brilliant young expert of the
University Of Pennsylvania who made such
q record that he received ranking OF
third last year, has been i'll during the
winter and his condition is still so un-
certain as to make it a matter of spec
ulation as to whether or not he will be
able to get into condition to be included
In the challenging team. That no is en-
titled to place and preference is admitted
on all sides, this more especially as he
defeated Melville H. Long in the finals
OF the national intercollegiate champion
ship singles last September in great five
set match on the turf Of the Merton
Cricket club at Haverford, Pa.
In that contest the Californian displayed
unpleasant attributes OF temper which
caused him to be severely criticised at
the time and in one other tournament of the
year Long manifested disposition toward
i'll considered actions, that makes him an
uncertain factor In close and trying