The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-13
TENNIS RANKING IS
MOST COMPLEX JOB.
champion Johnston Probably
Will Be No. I. Although
Some Doubt Exists.
OTHER PLACES CONFUSE

With the closing Of the tennis season
n, unusual task looms up before the
anking committee. for the year has
KAN reple,e with all sorts OF ~upheavals
I'D form reversals. Last ear. when
pichard Norris williams I'd OF Phila-
a.,pbia wrested the national title from
Maurice 4. Mclaughlin Of San Fran
eco. Fred lnman, Merrill Hall and
waiter Pate were AZ unenvied trio, but
,,mnared to this year last years job
u,s mere child's play. Then only frst
"A second positions were involved.
Vile This season h committee finds
Golf facing a muddle of practically all
mo hrst ten,
IN spite Of the fact that William NJ.
,,brs,on. the twenty-yesr-old cham
,on from san Francisco, made a miser-
,,bls showing in the early part of the
,.ason and closed II with a defeat by
rIuiams. d: seems that his title to first
,,sce should be undisputed. In order
:, win the championship he a TO go
sroneh the most difficult field ever a
aver had to TO win. All doubt should
/, az, at rest by hts consecutive vtcto-
=, IN order over Nos. }, . and / on the
mixing list. OF course many will make
he years case a parallel.
Last year. however. II was different.
usLoughlin lost only one match all sea-
! on. the one that gave Williams the ma
,onal title. ard his record stood far
,boye Wllliams's. II is true that this
ear Johnston was beaten by Heath
syford. Nathaniel w. Niles, McLough-
N. Theodore II. Pell and Williams
,rice. McLoughiin's victory was in hHe
..,s on asphalt. while the others won
,-nm Johnston on turf, Williams n
yles In -four sets and Pell in two
Straight sets. II must be taken into
consideration that Niles beat him al
iongwood before Johnston had gotten
s-rr,,omed TO the turf. that Williams
ers, turned the trick at Newport in the
so1r,h round OF the invitation tourna-
men, at the Casino and again last
saturday in the East-west series
! Az NeUpor; Johnston had not found
,Ss form that he showed here and even
Al tina, ne won the first set from the
phNade.ph!an and forced h second 10
s.ace four times before Williams. play
,rx his best. won. At the West Side
CUB the Harvard man won when John
,,on had let up after the strain OF the
championship tournament. Pel o
from the Californian at southampton
when Johnston was resting up n
merely tuning his strokes for the ma
toral tourney.
suppos!ng the committee ranks john
aon hrst. which 1t probably Will. that
vii he the least of its troubles. Where
viii Mclaughlin AVID Williams be placed!
Where will Behr go and who will NIL
10 the other positions in the first ten?
N%eLoughlin, Williams and Behr were
ne, two and three last year. The
we're all beaten by Johnston. Williams
md Mclaughlin met twice on turf and
nee on asphalt. They split even on
urf and Mclaughlin won on asphalt.
Williams was beaten also by Griffin on
asphalt.
Ordinarily that would place McLough-
IN second. but there is another aspect.
he Comet played Behr twice and d.
yited the honors, while Williams beat
Behr the only time the two met. SIN
oil who saw all these matches will ad-
nit that Behr played better ennis
asains, Mclaughlin than he did against
Williams. Certainly these three play
sS will have the call on second, third
and fourth places with the likelihood
o. the order being Mclaughlin. Williams
and Behr. and the first W Of them
close enough 10 be ~bracketed together.
That disposes OF four, but what Of
he six others? Griffin will surely get
4 place on his seasons showing. for it
vas much better than last year when
ae made the second ten. The same
ao,is good for Pell. whose good work
IN the championship tournament must
be enhanced by his victory over John
s,oa and Fred Alexander, although he
played In only two tournaments, cannot
te overlooked, Watson NJ. Washburn.
Nat Niles and George VI. Church ais
spear 20 have a good chance. William
J Clotaier, r. Lindley Murray and Ella
? Fo;;-ell OF last years first ten have
Tot played enough TO be rated.