The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-07
AMATEUR TENNIS STARS
VIE WITH PROFESSIONALS
Match Between Agutter and Mcneil Called a Draw
With Score 81, 5-7-Behr and Alexander Win;
Miss Bjurstedt and Man Beaten.

One Of tho biggest. crowds that ever
turned out to see exhibition tennis
matches in the Eas, was over at the
West Side Tennis club at Forest Hills.
l.. l.. yesterday to watch the star racquet
wiclders perform for the bencft Of the
American Red Cross. The crowd was
well repaid too for the 300-odd dollars
that It contributed TO the socicty's fund,
for the play was good throughout and
brilliant in spots.
Miss Molla Bjurstedt. national cham
rlon on all sorts VI courts Mrs. Fred
erick Schmitz. former national indoor
champion Watson NJ. Washburr. met
ropolitan champion Alrick II. Man. ,tr..
former New England champion, Karl
Behr. middle states champion Fred
Alexander, holder of all varieties of
titles George VI. Church and Dean
Mathey. Northwestern doubles cham
pions. n Harry Mcneil and George
Agutter, two OF the foremost profess
%sionals. furnished the entertainment.
Professionals We'll Matched.
Although there was probably more
preliminary interest conferred around the
professional match In which Agut,er.
mentor ut the West side club, and Nc
Neil. coach at the Rockaway Hunting
club. met, il turned out to be the least
interesting OF the days contests. The
professional tilt was sandwiched In be
tween a mixed doubles and n mems
doubles and strung out SO Ions that It
finally was called "A draw after Aguttcr
had won the opening set at - and
lost tho sccond at 81 II was called
Ia ALLOW time for the mems doubles. In
which Bon and Alexander. "A newly
formed team OF veterans. defeated the
veteran team Of youuEcr players,
church and Mathey. at i3--1I. "a.
In the mixed doubles. which started the
days exhibitions. Miss Bjurstedt played
with Man and they were bea ten by Mrs.
Schmitz N Washburn ut g.. SO,
b-1.
Just what vas the trouble with the
professionals Is hard to say. Certainly,
the GROVE was anxious 10 see what they
could do. for heretofore the activities
Of tennis professionals have been con-
fined 10 teaching the young idea how
to shoot and the old idea how 4, should
have been shooting in earlier years II
real proficiency at tennis were to be at
,ained. Some of the oldtimers who were
out at the courts yesterday and who
have been following the game for u
quarter Of a century or whereabouts could
not remember ever having seen a pro-
fesSional match before and most of them
agreed that If yesterdays play was to
he taken as "A criterion. they had not
missed much.
Agutter. II he feels so inclined, can
OFFER n perfectly good excuse for his
showing yesterday. because he has been
suffering during the last week with a
bad case ~ tonsillitis. Whether or not
Al. Nail L.G b.l anv,tFp- vp1npps ,.gst,
him is not Known. but certainly he mas
played far bette. tennis then he dis
played against Agutter, In the various
exhibitions which Mcneil p'ayed during
tho winter with Miss Alberta Weber
against Miss Rturstedt and Robert Lind
ley Murray, his tennis was OF a mu N
better calibre than that Of yesterday.
Mcneil Put. ~ B-ttcr Ga me-
In spite OF the fact that he lost the
first set TO AEutter after IL had gone TO
deuce three times he played the better
tennis. He had more speed In getting
around the court, put more pace ob the
ball and was quicker 90 grasp opp"ttuni-
ties. Agutter's strokes. however. We're /.
trif. more fluent.
The mems doubles. IN which tho ter
miuhtion vas quite al upset because IL
the victory of n newly formed cunh;ni-
ton. hIor~' Htf .u"N If tn" best all
around ...s Of ia, day Alexander.
who Improves With ag, and seems to
have the happy faculty OF playing Just
a. good tennis I'm spring As III midsum-
mer. Was very much in evidence IN that
match. Il was interesting for The crowd
to watch how the veteran you'd get
along on the courts with the tempera-
mental Behr, and he added ono more
proof If any were needed that H." can
play doubles with any one. He steId.ed
the M,ddl. states champion remarkably,
and few who watched Behr and A,eXan-
der pull out tn. victory could help think
what "A hard combination that would bc
to beat II the " men played together
for a season.
Behr, with all his snap. vim and
bounce, was hardly more brilliant han
Alexander, whose remarkable steadiness
always has been Il biz factor IN hiS
game. i;ehr was wild at times y%cstcr-
day, but hts wildness was not as Elaring
as ordinarily because he did not do any
poaching. II was also noticeable that
Behr is gradually working of some ~
the rough edges developed by half "A
years absence from the courts. His
drives had plenty of fire and he hit the
ball with more assurance tina when he
played against Harvard a. the West side
club a couple OF weeks ago.