The sun., 1916-08-27
SEARS AND HARMED
WON SEVEN TENNIS
TITLES IN SINGLES
"Richard the First" Enjoycd
an UnbrOkcn Tenure and
Retired Undefcatcd.
PIONEER TOURNEY IN 1891

National championship lawn TENN,
history In America extends over a period
Of thirty-six years. during which four.
teen individuals have held the title In
singles. II was in 1881 that the frs,
national tournament was staged at New.
port and Richard y. Sears emerged with
the championship.
For seven years In succession Sears
held sway-a remarkable record tina,
might have been even more remarkable
but for an injury which forced him 10
retire after he had defended the honor,
successfully against Henry ". Slocum
Jr.. in 1887. only William 4. I.arnsd
has equalled Sears's feat, but Larned,
tenure was not unbroken. L.arned frs,
won the championship in 1901. KEEP, 4. in
1902. but lost IL to Hugh l.. Doherty or
England in 1908. In 1907 Larned began
his tenure Of Ave successive years.
There were several so-called national
championship Journeys before 1851, but
none was official. There was no ma.
tional governing body and the game wa,
~ " ~ 's'"otst L htI pfHn
introduced from England in 1874 and
there was no uniformity about the RUE.
or the implements. In the early days the
game vas played with ordinary rubber
balls. The distance from the service line
to the net was only twenty-six feet. Dr.
James Dwight and Sears soon es,ab-
lished their supremacy In the new game.
which even In the press of those days
had to undergo considerable ridicule az
a sport ft only for ladies'"
Englishman a winner.
Tennis developed very rapidly and me
leaders soon began to realize the need
for n central association. In 1850 there
were several tournaments which were
styled the national championship. ono
was held right in this section. on the
courts Of the Staten Island Cricket and
Baseball Club-now the Lawn Tennis
and Cricket Club. at Livingston.
1t was the first tournament open to
all Corners. and q. +. Woodhouse. from
England. was the winner ~! precious
events had been closed to various sec.
tions. and the lack Of competitive inter.
course among the players retarded the
progress OF the sport. In the spring OF
1851 several clubs got together and +.
sued a a for a meeting to organize
a national body. ON May Il. the United
States National Lawn ennis Association
was formed. and the recognized EDglish
rules were adopted. Some time later the
Casino courts at Newport were adorted
for the first official national nan
| Sears not only won the first title 'has
year, but he also introduced vollcy .ae
to American tennis He walked through
the field with ridiculous ease. In 'hos.
days deuce sets were allowed oaly in
the final. Sears did not lose a set IA the
entire tourney and in the final defeated
W. +. Glyn OF Staten Island. az 81
6-3. 60.
Challenge Round Inatituted.
While Sears and DIR. Dwlght were
head and shoulders above everybody
else in singles. they could do LITTLE In
doubles, the championship being won
by c. NJ. Clark and +. W. Taylor o.
Philadelphia.
In 1882 Sears again won the singles
and with Or. Dwight succeeded IN WI
ning the doubles. beating Clark and
Taylor in the semi-tnals. In 1880 'Ne
challenge round was instituted, and I
was not until after the 1912 tournament
that this unfair system was abolished
and the playing through system Was
instituted.
In 1854 II \. Taylor % Harvard
won the all Corners aud lost "a Sea-s
in the challenge ound. 80. -, 50,
e., The second set was TIE a-s'
Sears had ever lost at Newport. - VI
Rrinlcy Of Trinity was Selrs's Win
d in the ehpli,pu. ,p,,t,l Of .,1 n
1856 r. l.. Beeckman lost :" tho frr"n-
NAL title winner. In 1877 Sears beat
Slocum. hut the next year saw "E'ehari
tho First" out Of the running, ard
Slocum o the title by default
Slocum was again the winner In !Na
In 1890 the third American champion
Oliver Campbell. appeared on the : ere
In the challenge match c,wphe,' TO-
feated Slocum. three OF u: four SGT,
Campbell was also the winner ~ 1891.
This tournament marked the mrs az
pcarance Of William \. 1aruel ~
Cornell University. who was ra'ed
among no first twenty.
Wrenn Mounts Pinnacle.
In 1892 Campbell Won FOR q 'hrlrrs
The next year saw our fourth chan '
mount the pinnacle. lie was Robert =
Wrenn.'a young Harvard student. -
Whom Campbell dcfiulted. NI''H vi
destined To play "A very important '',"
in American tennis. for he became ~"
president OF the United States National
Lawn Tennis Association. whir. 't
Tuesday nirht Is 10 tender him "A d'i'r
In 1894 NJ, +. ioodbody ~ Ireland
won the open tourney and lost 10 Wf'"'
in the challenge round. Tho neat war
saw success finally crown IN" efforts -
Frederick ~. Hovey. and he Defeated
Wrenn In the challenge match Ng''a
came back III 1895 and defeated ii',cy
in 1--WE sets. Wrenn had beaten lai'ed
in "A five set final.
Wrenn was once more successful m
1897. which marked the second fore ~
invasion. W. v. caves of England and
II. \. Nisbct OF England had = an N
the final and caves won. only 20 'N
before Wrenn.
The year Of the little uuplcasan'"e''
with Spain. 1898. saw Wrcnu and I.ar'el
with the Rough Riders In Cuba, leariie
Malcolm II. Whitman IL win tho WA
and take the title by default. Wli'tmln
kept the title for three years. and ~ "l
defaulted to l.arncd. who had beaten
Beals Wright in the final.
Hush DOhcrty winner.
Reginald T.. Doherty won tho l'o!
1htt hI1 mat ~ N ~ v