The Washington times., 1915-09-08
Capital Racqueters Slow to
Grasp the Fact That the
Comet Has Been Bettered
on Courts.
Johnston Hailed as Wonder
When the Field He Defeated
Is Reviewed, Player by
. Player.
By KIRK c. MILLER.

BY KIRK G. MILLER.
Although some 200 miles separate
Washington from the scene Of the
shifting Of a sporting crown which
took place at Forest Hills, Long Is
land, yesterday, there is no nook nor
Granny of the Capital today, but
what is more or less agog over the
loss of the lawn tennis title by Maui
rice E. Mclaughlin to William M.
Johnston, a youth Of twenty sum-
mers who halls from the Pacific
coast.
On street corner, on common car
rier and over breakfast and lunch
con tables this championship round
which was decided in four short
sets was the main topic of sporting
conversation the gist Of which
seemed to indicate that The Comet,
for Mclaughlin has been thus styled
throughout his tennis career, is as
great in defeat as he ever was in
victory, and Johnston, as far as
could be judged, is a good winner.
At the Columbia Country Club. where
the invitation tournament is now in
progress and where Washington's host
Of court votaries is now mobilized, q
feeling Of wonderment that McLough-
lin had been beaten. seemed to pre-
vail. Here, and at other tennis cen,
ters. the Comets praise has been sung
in such emphatic strains that the COM
ing Of Johnston as the king Of racket
wielders seemed almost weird-all the
more SO when It was recounted that he
had to work his way through a field
OF the country's very best in order to
win his justly deserved diadem. Ref
erence is made to Karl Behr and Nor
ris Williams. both Of whom were
thought in the beginning to have excel
lent chances to survive the tournament
to the finals.
Johnston Is only twenty years old, the
youngest national champion on record
for the United States. Although hia
record for the season is none too good.
he certainly has played consistent
It ID a long time since any man has
won with so hard a draw and 30 much
real work to do a. did he. To have
beaten the three great leaders Of the
sount.y IN succession s, seem: hSn9r
the list Griffin. one Of the best Of the
next class, and Hackett. That he 10 a
poor starter Is shown by the fact that
he lost the first set to Behr. the first
set to Williams. and the hrst set to
Mclaughlin.
So there is. after all. some substantial
tlon for the apparent wonderment which
seized Washington tennis folk when
the dispatches from Forest Hills were
perused today. At hrst 1t was unbe:
lievable to many, particularly some of
those who have seen The Comet dash
the whole width Of the court to get re-
turns which. to the layman eye. ap-
peafed impossible.
cans. Never do we admit that the new
10 better than the old until conclusive
proof has been procured. Regardless Of
the record Of the CHALLENGER. in things
champion to the fray a decided favorite.
Bitterly we mourn the fall Of McLoush-
lin and blithely we turn to his sue
ces:or. always accepting the unbeaten
The situation in tennis now seems at
first glimpse to be ,the he's. same ne as s,r IN Eoit. n
Isst cssn the snd es ss
beaten in the national championship
tournament. and now all Of the big three
in tennis have followed them into the
Ts II s1snds s'hSs r ss IT. thsns smks Is
Of battle had cleared away from the
golf course not one of the conquerors
Of the champions had taken their crown.
while in tennis the player who defeated
not one but all three, Of the leaders
replaced them as champion Of the coun-
try.
Johnston's victories cannot be con-
sidered now as upsets at all. but rath-
er as the rise OF q new champion who
had to step over the others in order
to secure his place. Instead Of the
big three in tennis now we must con-
slider the big four, for Johnston has
entered the charmed circle.
Behind all Of the sentiment which
surrounds the passing Of one cham
pion and the inauguration OF new.
It must be declared that this very
thing Is largely responsible for sur
viving interest in any pastime. It Is
good for sports to have new title
holders step in. 1t adds to the interest
In competition; whatever feld 1t may
embrace and strengthens the game in
so vital a manner that many sports
would indeed die II the champion
ships were not changing hands from
year to year
This year. when baseball Is under
so severe a criticism at the hands Of
the public, seems to be a fitting one
for the tenpis and golf to stage the
upsets which have marked the last
week. Throughout the country there
has been an inclination to turn away
from the national pastime because Of
baseball. and golf and tennis. more
hna