New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-27
Victory OF. Kumagae .
DimS Johnston S Chances

Californian work at tremendous speed
from beginning to end, and Johnston
was a tired champion when the strug-
gle came to a close. He seemed trihe
overplayed, but since then he has
rested up and should be pretty nearly
at the zenith of his game when play
begins tomorrow.
Nothing has been seen here in the
East of Mclaughlin this season until
last week at Southampton and at For
est Hills, where he INDUCED in lite
practice with Ward Dawson and others,
so hazarding a guess as TO what tate
holds in store for the Comet is like
buying something unseen.
We all know what Mclaughlin was
capable of when at the height Of his
glory on the courts. We remember
how he sent the mighty Brookes and
the great Wilding Keeling back at this
same Forest Hills two years ago, when
the Australasians invaded America IN
search of the Davis Cup and won 1t
in spite Of Red Macs heroic stand.
But different days have come upon
us, and since then Mclaughlin has
tasted of defeat on more than one oc-
casion. All early season reports of the
magnetic Californisn's playing have
West tribe of lawn tennis players have
come East with stories that the once
invincible one had gone back hopelessly
and was only shadow of his former
self.
Yet Mclaughlin, paired with Dav-
son, defeated Church and Davis at Chi
cago less than ten days ago in the ma
tional elimination doubles, and now the
Californians stand as the challengers
20 those other two mighty little men
of the Golden West, Johnston and
Griffin, who hold the title between
them.
Dawson Improves.
Dawson did not make favorable i'm
preston last year when he visited these
parts and defeat was often his por-
ton. From what we saw Of him at
Southampton last week he has i'm,
proved perceptibly, both overhead ana
on his ground strokes; but that alone
would not account for the defeat OF
Church and Davis, fancied until the
meeting in Chicago as one OF the
strongest pairs in the country.
Mclaughlin appears to have re.
gained his strength and vitality, and
his every action in the practice matches
at Southampton indicated high spirits,
which only come from perfect health.
His color is good and he looks trine
heavier, broader, more capable, than
last year.
Ground strikes were never the
Comets forte, but it seemed to us that
the Californian was in better command
of fore and back hand strokes than IN
1915. Overhead he sent the high lobs
crashing back with the fire that was
his in 1913 and 1914, and his close vol.
leying at the net was like the play OF
the fencer's blade, dazzling as to speed,
deadly as to execution.
Distinctly, Mclaughlin must be re-
spected when the names Of the posi-
bilities are gone over. 1t may be tnat
the stress of gruelling tournament
competition may bring forth the hid
den weak places in his armor, but it
is entirely within the range Of posi-
blities that the Comet may again fash
across the tennis heavens this year.
A back court player by instinct and
teaching, We cannot see how lchiya
Kumagae can hope to attain Americas
leading place in the lawn tennis world,
even though he has already defeated
our national champion, Johnston.
Playing as he did at Newport, he is
quite capable OF VahqulshlHB mayor
ity of this country's leading players,
but when opposed to succession of
net players such as Johnston, Will
Jams, Mclaughlin, Church and Behr
it does not seem likely that the great
little japanese can come through the
mill and carry the American cham
pionship back to Japan with him; not,
that is, if our players are playing the
game as they know how to play it.
Without pinning ourselves down to
any narrow lines we should say that
the candidates, IN the order of their
strength. stand somewhat as follows:
Johnston, Williams, Church, McLough-
lin, Griffin, with Murray, Behr, Kuma-
gaze, Armstrong and Roberts as outside
chances, but we shall not dispute with
any confidence the man who finds fault
with this selection.