New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-05-24
Test Matches Show Turf at
West Side Club Is in
Good Condition.
LIVELY BATTLE IN
DOUBLES is STAGED
Hackett and Alexander Forced to
Fight Hard to Defeat Behr
and Mathey.

The turf on the championship courts
OF the West Side Tennis Club. at Forest
Hills. Long Island. on which the inter
national matches for the Davis Cup may
be played in August. is in excellent con-
dition and should readily respond to the
treatment calcnlIted to bring it up TO
Davis Cup form.
Such is the opinion Of George T. Adee.
secretary of the international committee.
which has the final selection OF the Davis
Cup matches in hand.
Mr. Adee. after viewing the exhibition
fve-set match between Harold II. Hackett
and Fred =. Alexander and Karl II. Behr
and Dean Mathey yesterday. went over
the bit Of turf carefully and announced
himself as well pleased with the way the
turf had held up under the test 1t had
been subjected 10.
The match had been arranged expressly
for the purpose Of trying out the stretch
Of grass in front of the clubhouse, al
though the courts had not received any
special grooming beyond being subjected
to treatment with a light roller
Mr.. Adee complimented Julian s. My
rick, vice-president OF the West Side Ten
mis- Club, on the good appearance OF the
courts. but would nor make any official
announcement until after he had inspected
the turf on the courts of the Crescent
Athletic Club. in Brooklyn, and the Long
wood Cricket Club, in Boston.
BY the first week in June, il is expected.
the definite selection Of the club to gain
the coveted Davis Cup matches will be
made.
A large and enthusiastic crowd Of club
members and their friends went TO the
West Side Clubs courts and both before
and after the match strolled over the
sward and remarked on its frmness.
AS was to be expected thus early in the
season, and without the advantage OF
special preparation. the turf is slightly
soft in spots, and occasionally a ball
would take an eccentric bound. but this
was only after the sod had been indented
with heel marks by the players. Between
now and the date set for the international
matches the officers Of the club feel GER
tain the grass courts will be the equal Of
any in the world.
AS TO the match user, hachetl ANU
Alexander tried campaigners in many
hard fought battle of the courts both here
and abroad, won a smashing five-set vic
tory from Behr and Mathey, the score
being rs, IS, 4-6, Ii. g.
All four men joked with Myrick and
Adee about the quality Of the turf as they
began to play, and all seemed we'll pleased
TO get back on grass once more.
Starting with full speed. Behr and
Mathey reeled off the first four games or
the set before Hackett and his partner
awoke TO a realization of what was 60
Ing on. Then the older men got down TO
business and accounted for the next five
games in a row. After allowing Behr and
Mathey to win the next, the old Davis
Cup team took the last two with the loss
Of only q single point.
The second set brought the game up to
n faster pitch, with Alexander, Hackett
and Behr scoring many spectacular shots.
The former two won this set at Is, but
in the third and fourth sets Behr and
Mathey raced to the net at every oppor-
tlnity and evened the set score winning
at ca and 6-1.
The final set found Hackett and Alex
ander at their best, the high wind SEEM
ing not to affect their game so much as
it did that OF the younger men. This set
went TO Alexander and his partner by
score of GO.