Omaha daily bee., 1914-06-14
MUST AVOID ORTHODOX GAME
Americans Will Have to Play Slam
Bang Tennis to Retain Cup.
PRETTY STYLES WILL NOT DO
Mclaughlin Found that Out when
He Tried # at the AlI-EngIand
Championship mt WimbIe-
don Last July.


tennis is not the sort that will retain the
Davis international challenge cup for the
Americans. This. at least. is the opinion
that has been generally expressed during
the past few days. as the players have
begun to discuss the possibilities of the
great battles across the nets which will
be fought out in this country within the
next two months Now that the places
for deciding the matches have been dis
posed Of, after more than the usual
amount of care and thought, the thing
that occupies the attention of the fol-
lowers Of the game is the selection of
the team of four that will defend the
famous trophy.
The general attitude toward the sub
ject was we'll expressed by Theodore
Roosevelt Pell. "It will be one of the
greatest things for tennis in this couu-
try" said Pell. "lf we can manage to
keep the cup. Our men have got to, be
better than Anthony F. wildlng. Norman
e. Brookes. A w. Dunlop and Stanley
N. Doust, for there does not seem to he
doubt in any quarter as to the Aus
tralasians winning the preliminary series
and standing In the place of the chal-
lengers. Speed is the thing that will save
the cup for us, but outside OF McLough-
lin there does not appear to be q fire
eater anywhere in sight"
Remembers the Matches.
Karl II. Behr was of the same mind
as Pell. He said My reeollections of
the Davis cup matches, in which played
against Wilding and Brookes, are still
vividly impressed upon me, and know
that victory must be hammered through
them. The kind of tennis that will win
against wilding is the slam-bang kind.
At Wimbledon. last year, Mclaughlin, in
the final OF the all-England champion
ship, attempted to play the pretty, scien-
tific tennis of the British brand. 1t was
about as easy and simple for wilding to
kill the shots as 1t Is for the cook to
swat the fly that lights directly before
her. That is not the sort of tennis that
has made Mclaughlin famous. He'll
never gain anything by tactics of that
sort, either. 1t is the explosiveness of
his tennis, the vagaries as Of q devastat-
ing cyclone. with its tremendous power.
that has compelled his victories. It's the
sort of punch that the American team
will need. and which must be developed"
Americans who are abroad, and who
have been watching Wilding, and the
others in action, have written letters to
those in charge of the American defense
in much the same words. 1t is the old.
bewilderins game of Mclaughlin that Is
likely to be successful, and not the tap
shot from the back OF the court or
pretty drives along the lines As a con-
sequence, the committee has been deluged
with letters pointing out the folly of a
plan of procrastination which will not
bring the men who may be selected for
the American defense together until prac-
tically the time Of naming the team,
which Is July p.
Urged to Come Early.
These things were brought home so
strongly to the committee that, at a
recent meeting George T. Adee was
instructed to notify the Californians that
they must arrange their plans to arrive
in this city by the latter part OF this
month. George T. A6ee. in talking of
the plan of the committee, said that IL
was intended TO work the men striving
for places on the cup team 10 the limit.
There is high hope that Elisa FottreIi,
the yung rlayer who won 30 handsomely
last winter during his trip through the
Orient, may come up to the expectations
OF those who have heard glowing tales
OF his prowess Fottrell is said 10 be
another McLoughlin. He has the same
dsshing style. in which nothing comes off
according TO a preeonceived pattern, but
like the bursting Of rockets and bombs,
with all OF the dazzling effects. The
youthful William NJ. Johnston is also in
high favor with those who have seen
him in action. The thing the committee
wants. however. is to get the men on the
turf and put them through enough
competitions TO ascertain exactly what
may be expected OF them. There is tho
belief that Thomas c. Bundy win hardly
be able 10 make the doubles along with
Mclaughlin. and that he has gone back.
ward as 10 form. There is the question
as to whether or not Fottrell can take
his place. as he Is thought well OF as a
doubles player, and has displayed con-
Siderable skill at this department OF the
game.