The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-10-31
LAWN tennis HAS
SPLENDID SEASON
SUPPLY HOUSES REPORT INTEREST
IN GAME HAS BEEE GREATER
THAT EVER

NEW YORK, Oct. 3o.-That tho
lawn tennis season just closed will
rank a. q record one there can be no
doubt, for In the matter OF the en-
thusiasnl OF tho players OF all classes
and the array Of open tournaments
nothing like 1t has been seen since
the introduction OF the sport In Amer
Tea. Az . general rule the trade con
nected with any sport 10 the best guide
to its condition. and the information
supplied by the manufacturers OF lawn
tennis Foods leaves no question about
the seasons great activity. Some OF
the big houses were not able TO sup
ply the demands OF their regular Gus
TONERS. and in the fiush OF the season
there was an all around scarcity OF
tennis balls. Sometimes the little
white spheres could not DO had At any
price, and it was . common thing FOR
players to 70 the whole round OF the
sporting goods houses Of m afternoon
% make lrchases, and to take any OLD
thing At all that ressmbled . tennis
bali.
While there IL no mistake about the
Gradual growth Of lawn tennis in
every quarter OF the country cou-
pie Of Incidents are responsible TOT
the extra Nip this year. one being the
prospects over the Davis cup tusele
ana the other the advent OF the Cah.
forntans In the East At the annual
meeting Of the United States Nation
al Lawn Tennis Association 1t was
decided to challenge once again for
tina Davis cup and this coupled with
the fact that it was well known at the
time that America would muster
team put q great stir In everything
connected with tennis. The ehailen6e
Of last year was allowed to lapse Xor
want of men who were willing to lose
the time on the Australian trip. put
this year there was every assurance OF
q team, and 1t had an electric innu-
ence on players north, south. east ana
west
Players From csast.
Whatever might have been tho am.
billions OF the players in the East tho
early appearance Of Mclaughlin, BUN
dy and Ions from the Pacinc coast
injected life into each OF the tourna.
ments they played. and they wound
M the invasion by contributing half
the fighting material and by far the
most specta cular section OF the Davis
CUP International tie. In the women
department the California women dio
their part by all sorts OF good to the
rAfne. The Misses Hotchkfss ana
sutton came early and stayed late. the
former winning every item OF hote
scheduled In the East.
II was only natural that in the surg
tnr turmoil OF the seasons play there
should be some reverrals OF FORM, oue
the most notable case In that nne
happened over the national doubles
championship. Hackett and Aiexan-
der. holders Of the title since lso''
tho challenge round At Newport 70
Little and Touchard. though It must
be admitted on behalf Of the former
pair that they were somewhat short
Of work for men who we're serious
about holding the doubles crown.
Though they only played few times
publicly with each other during the
entire spring Hackett and Alexander
put up q game defense in q fierce four
set match. which for volleying.
smashing and driving has never been
excelled IN America
Larrsd's Grsat Work.
william A. LArned retained the sin
giles championship for the seventh
time. 1t being his NTH win in sue
ceesion, and In tho number OF titles
he now equals the record OF Richard
u. Sears. the FIRST American champion.
who reigned supreme from 1854 to
1887. The Searp string OF victories
were In unbroken Succession. while
there ID . fOur-year zap In Lafned .
filled by such crack players ~ Hugh
L. Doherty. Halcombe Ward, BeaiD C.
Wright and w. j. Clothier.
America won the right to the chal-
lenge round for the Davis cup, and
team composed Of Larned. McLough-
I'm and Wright In going to do battle
for the Stars and Stripes. The bat
tleEround viii be Christ church. New
Zealand. and from the past records
Of the defenders and tho look OF things
In general II looks an II the cup will
come back Anthony r. WildinE Ia
not going to help Norman Brooks with
the defense. and though the latter Is
a stin customer to tackle he can hard
ly keep the trophy himself. With
Brookes out 81 the way the best Aus
tralia could produce would be but a
&rh IN ~