The Washington herald., 1914-08-30
Has the M. S. Tennis Committee
Learned Its Lesson in Latest Defeat
Develop Crack Double Pair Lost
Trophy-Wiliams Defeat Due Trying Too Hard"

| giving each two points, would have sent
| the interest TO a fever heat, but II might
I have been that facing the situation that
II was In his hands to say whether or
not the cup would stay would have
reused Williams from his mood Of dis
appointment in himself to a desperate
fighting one, which would have brought
out the tennis Of which he Is capable.
The writer has seen Williams in tour
nament play on a dozen occasions, and
in none OF them did he play as poorly
as he did at Forrest Hills in the cup
matches On two occasions only did ne
rise to his own level and display The ten
mis- which many thousands in the gallery
had seen him show and Of which they
knew HIM capable and those werE in his
first five games against Wilding, and at
the close Of his third set with Brookes.
His shots on those occasions were
dazzling brimful Of confidence and pace.
At all other times. he lapsed into an un-
certain, nervous, jerky stroke, seeming
TO lose confidence in himself at times
He tried hard every minute Of the time.
however, and his record In American
tournament play forbids any player
pointing the finger of criticism in his
direction
II the loss OF the cup calls for criticism
at all. then the Davis cup committee is
the most vulnerable, for as had been
freely predicted our chances TO retain the
cup depended upon our showing in the
doubles, and as our effort In the doubles
was little short Of pathetic, the Davis
cup committee must shoulder the blame.
The strength of the Antlpodeans in
douh,es play is not something recently
develo,Hed or brought to light. II has
been so and known for years. Why then
did not the brainy tacticians in the
United States National Lawn Tennis As
sociation, Immediately upon the return
Of the cup team from England last sum-
mer, select a partner for Mclaughlin and
play them together the remainder of the
summer? They could have practiced at
Newport against half a dozen crack pairs
and at the beginning Of the present sea
son McLoughlin's partner could have
gone to the Coast for a period Of early
season practice and could also have
wofked with him ever since the latter
came East for the big tournaments. II
this had been done the doubles could
have been won, as the Australians did
not make a wonderful showing.
Hundreds of experts in the stand
agreed that II was the poorest doubles
match they had ever seen played by
first flight players. The exhibition doubles
which followed II in which Church and
Mathey defeated Dunlop and Doust, two
enjoyed infinitely more by the gallery.
Bundy received lots OF praise for his
showing, but this was so because Nc
Loughlin played so poorly. Bundy's
shots were all soft He lobbed inces-
sanity. and while the lob is perhaps the
most important shot in doubles, It's ef-
feet Is discounted II It is. not mixed up
with driving placements The lob Is most
effective when II is tossed Unexpectedly.
With Bundy 1t was never unexpected.
Every time he approached the bail the
Australians stepped back and waited for
the lob, which was sure to come. This game
could only be expected to prevail against
an erratlc pair or II one Of them was
erratic. The theory being that after re-
turning several deep lobs. the erratic
player. who is usually impatient. lunges
at one at the wrong time and in at
tempting to kill Il sends the ball into the
net or out
Against the Gibraltar-like steadiness of
Brooles and wilding these tactics were
lAughable. II was the hopelessness of
securing any proportion Of games by this
route that drove NcLoughlin 70 proach
and ovarhIt nearly every shot. When
they found him In this state. the Aus-