Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-27
LAWN TENNIS.
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

The final official lawn tennis tourna-
ment In North America for the season OF
1910 will take place tomorrow in Mexico
City. Mexico. under the auspices OF the
Mexico Country Club This meeting was
to have been the opening number or the
ason, but was later postponed to be
the final event. This season mas been
one of incident, and has marked the
highest point that tennis has ever reached
in popular interest. Both In regard 10
the number of players in the various
events recognized by the national or
ganizatiop and in the number OF people
who have constituted the galleries at
these meetings unprecedented interest
has been manifested.
One great international event remains
on the calendar. This is the tournament
in Australia for the custody OF the Davis
cup, the blue ribbon of the entire tennis
world. It has not been determined den-
nitely whether America will send chai-
longing team to Australia in an EFFORT to
reclaim the cup. This trophy Is to the
game of tennis what the Americas cup
is to the yachting world. 1t was pre-
scented by Mr. Dwight Davis in 1860 to be
contested for as often as there should be
a challenging team. In that year Amer
lea succeeded s- winning it. The follow
ing year there was no nation to challenge
for it. In 1902 it was played for by
teams representing the United States and
Great Britain, and the American play
ers were successful in defending their
title. The next year 1t was taken by the
English team, and England held 1t
against all corners IN four successive
tournaments. Thereafter 1t went to Aus
tralia, where it has remained, neither
England nor America being able to win
it back.
At the historic games at Wimbledon,
played under the auspices Of the All Eng
land Tenni s
New Zealander Club, the cham
Won Championship. Great Britain
went to Wilding. New Zealander In
years gone by this championship was
proudly claimed by thu English to be the
worlds highest tennis honor. but in re-
cent years the United States has sue
ceeded in disproving, this claim. Wilding
can justly assume that he is the cham
pion of the old world, but until he meets
the veteran American champion, w. A.
Larned, he will have no right to claim
that he is the champion player OF the
world. Larned has never lowered his
colors to the New Zealander. and it rs
believed by American tennis experts that
a match between them would result in
the triumph of the American.
A notable feature of the present season
in America was the establishment of a
new championship class, that Of the clay
court. At the February meeting OF: the
United States National Tennis Associa-
porters OF the clay court a national tour
nament, and the honor of conducting this
event was awarded to the Omaha Field
Club of Omaha. Neb. The tournament
was, voted by all tennis authorities to
have been a magnificent success. There
were 1O3 contestants entered. and the
crowd which constituted the gallery was
conservatively estimated at 5000. The
championship went to California play
er, Melville E. Long. one Of the members
of the team which went to Australia last
year in quest Of the Davis cup. There
seems to be little question that the clay
court championship has established itself
firmly, and will be one Of the. principal
events of future tennis seasons.
Heretofore the grass-covered court has
been used In all the principal tourna-
| ments, and it is the hope Of nest tennis
enthusiasts that such courts will remain
the fayorites in the future. The culminat-
ing event of the year Is the Newport
| tournament. where the gallery is made
up largely Of the Milltonaires' Club, and
1t is hard to tell whether the players
constitute more of a show for the gall
lery or the gallery for the players This
tournament is fought out on grass-cov-
cred courts.
Numerous experiments have been
made this year with oiled courts, and
they have proved
Oiled Courts Have popular wherever
tried. They pos
S" S"O0~'0A CESS many adj
vantages, chief among which Is their
freedom from dust, their springy surface
and their dark color. which serves to pre-
vent the reflection of the suns rays from
the courts into the faces of the players.
In Montana. tennis clubs have been ex-