New-York tribune., 1916-07-30
Miss Bjurstedt Forced to
Sit Idly BY and Watch
Men Play.
By JAMES S. ONEALE.

The sight of the Morse nonpareil,
Miss Molla Biurstedt, watching the
men play in the New York State tennis
championships at Utica and In the
Longwood events at Boston aroused
strange thoughts in our mind. Let US
hasten 10 explain that these thoughts
had TO do with the dearth OF women's
tournaments after the last OF June
In other words, women's tournaments
are not holding up their end. There
should be more. All of us hate to see
a perfectly good tennis player Ike
Miss Bjurstedt 20 to waste.
OF course, the champion ekes out
the weeks By watching the men IN
competition, and occasionally plays ex-
hibition matches. But exhibition
matches are not satisfying. The play
ers. without titles at stake, do not
appear to be really trying. The trying
part Of it is only too often the bur
den of the spectators.
At Utica Miss Bjurstedt and Miss
Florence Ballin, Of the West Side Ten
mis- Club, sterling player, put
forth their efforts in an exhibition
match. sandwiched between the mems
singles and doubles finals, on the last
dav Of the tournament. Many OF the
spectators in the grandstand wandered
AWAY. coming back later for the dou-
n tnteY-
est-was not there.
The movement, started too late to AZ
feet this years event, to play the
women's national championship In Sep
tember instead Of In early June. would
undoubtedly not only increase the IN
terest in women's. tennis but In the
number Of tournaments as well. The
women's championship commencsd
June 8, the clay court title play June
a. The few tournaments coming after
serve as anti-climax.
For instance, the women's champion
ship Of Long Island, starting to-day st
the Woodmere Club. holds no record ~
all for number and quality Of entrants.
After this tournament there is big
iump TO August 2l. when the invitation
event of the Meadow Club, Southamo-
ton. bows and scrapes 10 the fair rack
eters. but the women here are com
pletely overshadowed by the events for
the male stars.
The women have two tournaments
their very own, however, in late sum-
mer lust before the fall. One is the
invitation event OF the Rockaway
Hunting Club, August 30, and the
other is the New Jersey State cham
rionship for women, September IL and
following days, at the Montclair Ath-
letic Club.
Even if more big events were not
added 10 the list, in case the vomen's
national championships were held in
the fall, it is most probable that there
would be decidedly more interest in
the Long Island, Rocksway and New
Jersey events il they preceded the
championships.
Interest in mems tennis takes a
sudden decline after the nationals,
which are. as they should be, the cul-
minating clashes of the season. II the
women's nationals were held a week
or so before or week or so after
tn. mems, or even three weeks before,
many tennis followers, particularly
the women, think things would work
themselves out nicely.
The women would be in better con-
diton, for one thing, at that stage Of
the season. Furthermore, things
would not be reduced 70 such a pass
that an invitation mixed doubles event
for the benefit OF the women must be
added TO the national mems champion
ships. as was done last year, TO the
utter lack OF interest by the general
public.
The movement 10 advance the date
of the women's nationals appears 70
stand a good chance of going through
next year. Most tennis followers who
are counting on the women's game TO
advance just as fast as the mems is
advancing hope that il will succeed.
Three years ago young Elliot Binzen,
the sandy little Fordham captain and