New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-17
Everything Ready for Opening
of AII-Comers Title Tourney
on Casino Courts.
VETERANS IN THE LISTS
They Will Strive Against New
corners in What Promises
To Be Greatest Lawn
Tennis Struggle.

| all corners national championship tour
nament, which will begin tomorrow
morning on the picturesque courts of the
| Casino, at Newport, r. l. The first is
whether or not the flashing game of tho
youngsters. especially as played by the
| Californans, IS to prevail. or will the per-
| lection Of strokes and tactical skill, as
exemplifed by William J. Clothier, Karl
II. Behr and others of their kind and
| class, be successful?
II has been all too evident in the earlier
| tournaments Of the year, as the stroke
analysis tables were worked out, that the
majority OF the younger players were
winning only small percentage OF their
scores They depended chiefly upon oppo-
| nents' errors Of nets and outs, with the
/ result that the steadier the man the
greater his chances Of winning ire
spective of his skill
Because of its spectacular features OF
tremendous smash and lightning drive
Maurice +. Mclaughlin thrilled the spec
tators at Newport when he first appeared
there. five seasons ago. II was the same
story when the wonderfully speedy player
from California appeared in England for
| the Davis cup contests. But both An
| thony +. WildIng and John G. Parke
solved his fast express shots. and others
are likely to do likewise. and so bride
speed and rob it Of the terrors which it
has created the last year or two on the
courts. John S. Strachan, the young Call
fornian who played at Southampton and
who recently won the national clay court
championship. is another of the McLough-
| lin type Clarence J. Griffin. his partner
I'm the Pacific Coast doubles, is more like
Melville II. Long, who came on from Cali
fornia with the original band OF invaders.
while William NJ. Johnston, winner of the
| Longwood Cup and the New York State
title, bears more a resemblance to X.
| Norris Williams in the general easy
fuency of his strokes. This Is not TO say
that the seventeen-year-od boy-and.
peculiarly enough, all Of the new crop or
players from the Pacific Coast this year
are of that age-is as finished a player as
Williams. of the international team, but
| he has much the same method OF action
and works through his games without
showing the pounding energy by which
others achieve their results.
From the showing that the group from
| California made on the courts at South
ampton during the last week there Is no
doubt but that their attack will be FORM
liable The national doubles titles are
bound 10 cross the continent again, as
| Strachan and Griffin stand as the chal-
lenRers 10 Maurice z. Mclaughlin and
Thomas S. Bundy. the holders who will
defend. and even Bundy admitted the
other day on the Meadow Club courts
that II would not be at all surprising IL
the Youngsters won. II they do II VIII Dc
| the first time that pair so youthfut
| have captured a national title. They are
splendid as a pair, however. as their VIC
tories in Chicago over Watson NJ Wash
burn and Gustave F. Touchard. the East
ern champions and winners at Longwood,
demonstrated They have played to-
gether since early childhood and their
concerted action Is perfection which car
rled them through against the Fasteners
| at e-l. s-5, e.
or the group OF moro than one hun
bred competitors for the All Corners
crown and the purple In the singles lhe
! real battle narrows down 70 McLoushHh'
the present holder, who Will play through
| under the rule established year ago.
William j. Clothier. the national cham-
pion OF 1906 who is striving to como
back: Beals C. Wright another ex-cna1n-
p,on. who fits around his old title Ike
q moth about flame. and K. Morris
Williams and Wallace F. Johnson, or the
Davis Cup team.
1T ha
the players and the youngsters VIII nj IN
is problematical. Nathaniel w. Niles mas
been busily engaged in grooming up MS
game at Longwood, and he must be reck-
oned with Gustsve F. Touchard Is more
likely 10 fall before an outsider than 70
eliminate a champion. His form Is apt
10 be whimsical. and IL is about the same
with Karl H. Behr, although he is serious
over his attempts TO continue his high
place in the game.
In one respect. at least the thirty
third annual holding OF the all-comers
will mark an Improvement over other
tournaments. The new grandstand court
has been perfectly surveyed. and is laid
beside the former stand OF the horse show.
with a big and permanent stand oppo-
site. The court is completely surrounded
by a wall OF dark green. so that tie play
ers will no longer be annoyed by specta-
tors passing in and out. The backstops
ar the ends Of the court are twelve feet
high and are more than fifty feet behind
the base lines.
Instead OF the usual dozen courts the
new arrangement of the field Will permit
o. eighteen playing surfaces Practically
all Of these improvements are due TO the
zeal OF Robert d. Wrenn. the president
~ the United States National Lawn Ten
mis- Association. whose management put
the tournament through In seven playing
davs last season. He is a firm believer In
MIA wing the tournament through as ex-
neditiously as possible. and that the In
forest is best sustained by bringing out
the new champion inside Of week. II
possible.
Tho officials have also turned their
attention TO the matter OF lnesmen and
urpires this year. and during some or
the recent tournaments. notably that on
the turf courts OF the Meadow Club at
Southampton, Long Island. this week.
petitions have been circulted requesting
the names Of volunteers for the chairs
along the chalked lines and the tall ones
beside the nets. Henry w. Slocum. the
oldtime national champion. had the list
in charge at Southampton and he did
we'll in enlisting recruits. II Is planned
10 conduct the arrangements for lines
men and umpires along the same lines
as In the European tournaments. nrst
and second prize is to be awarded TO
those who officiate most ably the COM
petitors TO cast votes thus registering
ut n