Omaha daily bee., 1911-03-26
TO BRING BACK THE DAVIS CUP
Tennis Men All Over the Country Are
Interested in Outcome.
THIS YEAR TO BE THE BIG ONE
More Good Tennis Men Are Available
ns Challenger This Year
Than for Some Time
Pat.

NEW YORK. March 25.-with the tennis
season about to start in again there IL not
a hamlet in this country just now which
has tennis players that IL not more than
interested In the outcome In the efforts Of
the United States TO bring back the famous
Dwight Davis cup. Emblamatic as II is
Of the international superiority Of the
courts, the players OF this country are get
ting impatient at the long stay the trophy
~ American extraction is having in for,
eign parts.
All Of the standing stars Of this country
feel that the year 1911 will be a big one
in the struggle for the recapture Of the
cup and IL is only hoped that the recent
challenge Of South Africa will not spoil
the chances of America. 1t is unfortunate
that this country should have drawn to
play South Africa first with England next
IN case Of win and then Australia II the
Briushers are also defeated
Just how the committee on international
tennis Of the United States Lawn Tennis
association will settle the matter is hard
to say, for it is probable that both South
Africa and the American team will not
care to visit the shores of either chal-
lenger II some way can be found out OF
country. because there Is more chance OF
securing the best men IN this section to
represent the stars and Stripes than for
several years past william A. Larned
the national champion, and Beals c.
Wright than whom no American player
has had more experience in international
play, have been put in a receptive mood
and II Il means only the trip to Australia
for this country they would probably both
invade the Antipodes, augmented by Maui
rice Mclaughlin, the rising young Cali
fornia player with such a team only
would America stand a chance against
wfding and Brooks, the crack Australian
players. who have kept the trophy in their
district for the last few years after taking
Il home from Great Britain.
Teams Change Little.
Tennis in most respects differs from
other international sports in that the COM
plexion of the teams does not change for
years. Once a man reaches the top of the
tennis ladder he stays there in most cases,
and II is a task of waiting for the younger
element TO shelve the old-timer.
Just as Brooks and wlding have been
the mainstay of Australian lawn tennis, and
Just as \the two Dohertys we're for Eng
land so have Larned, Wright and one or
two others been the factors of American
tennis for many years. Now, however the
period Of usefulness Of these American
players is being counted on as almost over,
and the youngsters will not be able TO
take up the cudgels for couple of years
with any hope Of keeping the standard
where It has been. It 10 a rumor, generally
believed, that Larned only consented or
practically consented to try for the
cum this year because he wishes to retire In
a final blaze of glory.
Nothing he has done would compare
with his bringing back the Davis trophy
and his name would go down in tennis
history on a par with that OF Malcolm
whitman, OF whom many old-timers be-
lieve there has never been an equal any
where
Trophy Changes Hands.
Starting In 1900 the trophy has changed
hands three times The United States for
two years withstood an English attack,
but then Great Britain took It across the
sea. Until 1907 the English stars were in
possession of the trophy, but in that year
Australia, with its indomitable Brookes,
and wilding first defeated America and
then challenged and defeated Great Brit
ain. Since then the cup has steadfastly re-
NAMED in the AnhDodes.
In the IirBt year OF lue Cunptlluou 6IedN
Britain took up the cudgels and sent a
fair team over here which was beaten at
Newport in three straight matches. Rank
ling under that sting the United Kingdom
two years later sent the best that could
be produced and the series ended to
in favor Of the Americans.
England had learned a lesson, however,
and the next year the two famous
Dohertys, one Of whom died a few weeks
ago, accompanied by DR.. PIN, played the
American defenders at the Crescent Ath-
ietic club and signally triumphed, to 1,
In 1904 America could corral no suitable
ohallengers and Belgium and France
played a preliminary match to see which
should meet England. Belgium won, but
with the two Dohertys assuming the en-
tire British burden. Belgium was inglori-
ously defeated, to 0.
Australia M Contender.
Peculiarly that year ended with one ex-
oeption all challenges from European ma
lions and there has only been one def
issued from any of the nelghbors OF Great
Britain. In the following year Australia
doomed up on the horizon as a contender,
The Antipodes were sending men 20 Eng.
land and their style and speed were i'm
proving steadily. In the first year Aus
tralia met America In the preliminary and
lost by the same score as France had pre-
viously been beaten by Belgium, In the
challenge round England gave America
the same medicine In the year that
Wright was hurt, the score showing to O.
In 1906 1t was the old story, only this
year Australia lost by only 20 2, while
America failed to win a single match
against Great Britain. Australia turned the
tables In 1907, defeating the United States
8 TO 2, and then repeating against England
by the same score, thus taking home the
trophy which had hitherto always been in
America OF England.
In 1908 America first defeated England
4 to 1, and then had a close fight Will
Australia In the challenge round In which
the last match was the deciding factor
story OF Contests.
Fred Alexander OF the Crescent club was
on the team that year and the score wa'
TO ? against the American invaders. once
again in 1909 America won the preliminary
round against Great Britain, defeating the
English team IN Philadelphia, matches
10 O. but with a second rate team the
United states received the same beating
when the challenge games took place al