Omaha daily bee., 1911-07-16
FRANCE COVETS DAVIS CUP
Gaelic Racquet wielders Stand Fine
Chance Of Winning.
FOREIGN PLAYERs ARE YOUNG
No Arrivals in Lawn Tennis world
Have Ever Been So sudaen Or Con-
vincing 40 Those Of Lau-
rentn and Colbert.

the Ganlc racquet Wielders VIII De Iofe-
most in the ranks of contenders for the
trophy in the future. with three such
players as LAurentz in the singles and
Colbert and Decugis in the doubles the
French stand a fine chance Of owning the
cup for awhile IL they go after It.
When II Is remembered that both
Laurentz and Colbert have beaten Widing
and that Colbert and Decugis have during
the last week beaten wilding and Richie
! in doubles nobody can blame the French
men for aspiring toward International
honors. Critics abroad just now are draw
ing attention to the fact that in the line
Of bringing new material TO the front
France and America are the only countries
In the foreground.
One of the experts who has watched the
Frenchmen closely is A. Wallis Myers. a
front-rank player himself, and in writing
about their points and the youngsters in
America he says:
Before last April the world knew only
one French player of outstanding merit.
M. Max Decugis the only native Of France
TO win the French open championship.
Plant in every fiber of his body, with a
grace and ease OF execution that sprung
from natural development, he had no rival
| until a few months ago. Then as from
space there stepped Into the center OF the
stage two young men under q. Colbert ano
Laurentz within a fortnight these TWO
six foot youths had captured between them
the covered courts singles and doubles
CHAMPIONSHIPS of France and England. NO
arrival in the lawn tennis world had ever
been so sudden or SO convincing.
Set Lasted Two Hours,
before he triumphed in Paris Laurentz
| L yUaIdinQ
of the world who had survived many
challenging tests In the Riviera without a
reverse. He achieved even this distinc-
tion. displaying In. a memorable tve-set
encounter lasting two hours. the culmina-
tion of which sent a French gallery into
transports Of Joy, powers OF enour-
ance and pluck that men ten years ms
senior would have envied. With Gooert
he deprived the holders, M. Decugis anu
Germot of their doubles title That was
an his home court at Auteuil. Goberts
tr,runh was on the relatively unfamiliar
floor of Queens. 1t was nearly, II not qulte'
as notable as his partners. He was Ilrs'
in a field which included Mr.. Wildlns' hr'
Ritohie. Roper Barrett and the Lowe
brothers. and in winning the championship
he did not forfeit set. So IN the uouoies'
partnered by Richie, he won the event
with a safe margin. -,
.srho future of these young Frenchmen
should be full OF promise and must COM
mand wide attention Laurentz is not YET
~ ond colbert has not attained his major
IT, THE formers father is a Belgian out
HE mother Is French and he has mace
poris his home for years. He Is proouct
~ the wood floor under the glass rooi OIL
.ha Seineside court but he has won open
: nr,zas in omen air hard courts. He lmtla'es
HE attack with reverse American SCI
Ice follows his puzzling delivery 70 .no
net ana parties the return win ou"ii.re
"a a.cision. off the ground he mas the
: ,,s.,. drIva a formidable and searcnins
waanon. besides a number OF
. baIf-court shots both back ana iorenai, ~.
= '"Gobert, who has never been ps"'e"
Iaurentz. has q less 'snaky put no"e W
, lass effective service. lndeeu
: scores outright shot down from "e, So :,
seven feet by sheer speed aiohe .ol,
: has both length and strens.n Pc PC. ,.s.r,,o-
a % mace. and in between the fast oestruc
e t,,,a halls Is pitched a curly one. Gooer'
3 iorg arms are deadly at the net ana ms
range Of short and stop volleys Is virtuaiiS
= ooDonleta hut he does not now hug the ne'
, oxc,usivelv. rather inclining to open up t"e
court for winning volleys by SOUND anu
4udic,ous driving. His pet shot OH the
eround-I have seen none do II aui'e %
WELLS a bsckhand drive down ms OPP
ronant,s forehand line, or across the cour'
to the forehand court.
DemOrnIiEinR smash.
"Decugis was doubtless his modei Iol
,h,s stroke as for others but Decugis does
- r,a+ oui,e the same fine length. Over
head Colbert is splendid. From any par
., the court. even from the base line ne
can smash with a finality that demoraHzes
wbetber he will be so good on grass time
u .nd tournaments will show He ha'
- schooled his temperament. none too tracta
q HE at one time, TO win the highest nohors
l. and he ought with his natural giits u
Is succeed
N Lawn tennis is a national game II
N America. pursued with zeal at the puhi'
" schools and universities. With such ex
n tensiye facilities for play the wonder
lie perhaps that more young men do not burs
IS into international fame. Perhaps the rea
is son "a that the career of young American
n ON the courts is often cut short just whe
,g experience tells, by business claims. Tn
dollar ia jnsistent in the states. Anothe
II cause NAV be the habit for specializin
G. which most Americans cultivate. The
Ie stand for rapid despatch" and they mus
ie take to the net at the first and at ever
r chance So the service and the volleS
Mt both of a spectacular character, have bee
,e developed at the expense of ground strokes
OF Now and then the volleyer Is so goo6
ne as in the case of Beals Wright, that h
N can defy almost all opposition except-an
ly this has been demonstrated by II. Smit
~ sustained excellence from the back OF III
ut court OF course there are masters {
,k ground strokes in Acknowledgements HC
in bart was one, William Larned is another
)" but l believe on the whole too much al
~ tention is paid to volleying, too little
II driving.
ee The hard courts Of California. the hon
he Of Miss sutton, have recently provided III
TT new stars in the American firmamen
Here as in Germany. surface has shape
H. destiny. San Francisco has produced thrt
he players of Davis cup rank, MeLoughlil
-" Long and Bundy, within five years. III
I'D first two are little more than boys. MAJ
nd rice, Mclaughlin was only 10 when with
is, break service OF almost fiendish potenc
1t he reached the final of the all-comer
he singles at Newport. Melville Long was 81
an months older when he reached the sem
Nv final.
le- THE high priests In America signifie
he their surprise by sending both youngstel
lid 10 Australia in quest Of the Davis Gu