The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-16
Ky J. PARMLy PARET.

IN the Wllule Ut a SedSOH diTtiuN Y
supplied with surprises last weeks do
feat OF the great Mclaughlin by Karl
Behr was quite unexpected. The Cali
fornian had been in steady
practice long enough this season tn have
reached his championship form. He IS
always a worker and his play improves
steadily with hard competition, so 1t
IL 70 be expected that he will be II any
thing stronger by the time the champions
ships are reached than at S'obright last
: eek.
M~cLoughlins two victories over WILL
Jams were both under conditions that
were not favorable for the champion,
but then there is nc certainty that the
Longvood conditions might not be- re-
peated at Forest Hills when trey meet
in the championship series. still the
chances OF the two leaders WEI thou. hi
TO he fairly equal. But this II est de-
velopment puts a new complexion on the
| situation. and Behr mus be- reckoned
with In the championship calculations
The brilliant international. %
player OF the erratic school,, with =
number of unorthodox strokes that ar
very effective when they come 81 prop
erly. When Behr is in his best mood no
shot is too difficult. no speed TOO fast.
NV wv SNANhAh ~ f'NAA ~ f~F
I into. He can be counted on to do the
unexpected most OF the time. and he 10
almost as likely TO play a mediocre
match and lose as TO play a brilliant
| match and beat the best antagonist the
country can produce.
He is a believer in speed with aggres
| sive vol.eying and sharp angles for at
tack, but IL is his constant variety or
play that makes his play most interest
ing as well as most dangerous 10 ms
adversaries. That B'hr ~ able TO show
such form Is remarkable. since he Is
a rather busy lawyer here in Manhattan
and has no such freedom for constant
practice az Mclaughlin, Williams,
! Church and some ~ the other regulars
in the tournament circuit. | have played
ourname tennis under both e ldi'ions.
and / know the great advantage the
man has who need do nothing hut play
matches over a hUsin, man who has
| other matters constantly on his mind
and only intermittent opportunities for
play and whose tennis must be second
airy.
With Behr in the hunt FOR the cham
pionship as a serious contender, pred.c-
lions for Forest Hills results longer
are narrowed down 10 the two former
! candidates. Clothier has been on
soldering at the volunteer camp up the
state. and he Is not thought to be- dan
serous II he starts at all Murray prob
ably will not be in tn. East AT all John
ston has been beaten vice since he
came East by men OF the lower classes,
and he will have TO show marked improve
ment over his form at Longwood and
/ Chicago TO be dangerous at Forest H!ls A..
Church is still a possibility, as he IL in
such constant tournament practice and
mas such good possibilities In his play
that he may make the necessary im-
provement before the championship
starts 10 reach the first class Fot,r-ll
IL still in the West and not dangerous,
while neither Alexander nor Wash purn
has shown form this year THAI would
make him a championship poss! Iility.
SO, taking the whole list of last years
first ten, there seem to be only three
candidates in sigh; whose claims must
be considered seriously and few newer
men who cannot be ignored altogether
N these Clarence J. Griffin Of California
and Wallace F.. Johnson OF Philadelphia
ara the most prominent and light
ming might strike on either. Both
are within the range OF han %pionship
possibilities. but hardly more than that
Vanderbilt Il. Ward. Ward Dawson and
Harold Throckmorton, three OF the
younger men who have yet 10 win their
3 Nbit- III ~ tfNN COMPANY 10 ''
watched also.
While II IL true that Mclaughlin.
Williams, Behr and one or two other
veterans still hold the top rounds Of
the ladder OF tennis fame I'm this coun-
try the game was never in such a
healthy condition as to-day because OF
the presence Of such a strong and grow
ing class OF young men-I mean OF play.
awa rtFslaR "a AhA a -. r..1AAHnu
SO rapidly the truly high class form tina
produces future champions. In addition
to Dawson. Ward and Throckmortot
there are Douglass Waters of New or,
! leans, Chuck Garland of Plttsburg. J. J
I, Armstrong Of Harvard. Leonard Beck,
! man OF Brownsville and a do2cr othcri
scattered well over the country whc
are climbing steadily into the ranks OF
the championship division.
one thing Is certain and that Is tn,
value OF tournaments as an educatinI
force II is not very many years ag,
that Eastern players mad no idea how
the men in the far West played and /
was a total revelation when the frs
players from the Pacific coast reaChe,
Eastern courts and saw the strokes use,
= here. Professional coaches, open tour
Z naments in which players from othe
sections compete with the local mel
and better literature on the game hav
done wonders 20 spread the technica
: knowledge that Is necessary 70 develo
! good form in the ambitious young play
ers who are so numerous I'm al sections
At LongNoo this year there wer
players from North, East. South an
- West, and ~ Forest inns there are ex
~ peCted representatives from every sec
ton Of the country, In the far scout
the game" was played ny only the poor
. .EF ~ TAI ire I'm ~ tffA.N 80. 80 av,
To-day the tournaments in Texas. I
New orleans, i'm Atlauta and In Mem
phis are conducted on almost as high