The sun., 1916-04-09
~ lGENE n. O'CONNELL.

What is this game OF court tennis, in
which the national championship was
contested last week at the Racquet aHd
Tennis Club. and in what way does II
diner from the regular indoor tennis as
played at the various armories around
the city? That is a question that has
been heard frequently during TIE las:
week among followers of sports and II
is answered almost as easily as why
does the wind blow" Probably the best
way to tell the difference between the
two is to tell how they resemble each
other. and that Is told easily. They are
alike in ,ha, both games are played with
a racquet and ball over net. and in both
the first ace is called 10 the second
go" the third 40 and the fourth
game" with vantage points after deuce
There similarity ends. In court tenpis
the racauets are OF a different shape. the
balls are hard and the points are scored
differently.
Court tennis as a name Is not tolerated
by devotees OF that sport. 1t Is tennis
and the only tennis. IL IL the parent OF
all racquet and ball games. and its CO.
horts feel that II should not he placed in
the same category ~ lawn tennis. They
feel that lawn tennis. the offspring. doe
not do justice to court tennis. the par
ent They hold that there has been re-
versa IN the ordinary laws of evolution.
The natural evolution should bring about
Improvement. hut In the case of :cnns
there has been decadence. Lawn tennis
is certain, q more primitive game than
court 'e'S,S The complex has gwen
way TO the simple instead OF following
the reverse order.
Lawn Tennis q Game for Al.
IL has been admitted, however, even
ny the most ardent lovers Of court tennis.
that the change has had some advan-
iages. In lawn tennis all that is needed
Ia a small plot OF ground. racquet and
hall and couple Of persons looking for
activity. II is a game that is within the
reach OF all. and hence {, has grown.
Court tennis, on the other hand. can be
played only BY the wealthy. /, costs a
small fortune 70 build cou,;. $4,000
being about the minimum outlay. and
the accessories come relatively high.
The high cost OF the game has kept /;
from growing. for certainly no one ever
sa, In the dedans watching the play Of
exp, r,s who has not entertained the de-
sire 80 take racquet IN hand and slam
the bali along the service penthouse. II
is a game which never can grow among
the younger generation. for there are
mighty few youngsters who can afford
TO buy couple Of dozen racQuets al $40
the racquet. The ordinary run OF lawn
tennis players who became highly skill
ful as youngsters should they have de-
sired to play conrt tennis might have
found some difficulty also ping up a
membership in one OF the high class
clubs that maintain courts.
And even then the clubs in which
court tennis is played are few and fas
between in this country. There are two
courts in tn. Racquet and Tennis CLUB
in New York. another in the Boston A.
4. one each in the Eos'on Tennis and
Racquet club. the Philadelphia Racquet
club. the Chicago Racquet club and the
MNopia Hunt club. Aiken and Newport
also boast OF courts. and there are pri-
vat. courts OF Long Island owned by
Clarence Mackay and FayVe Whitney
as well as George Goulds court at
Georgian Court, Lakewood In England
there are a great many more, most of
them private. II is remarka BILE. too. that
with the Inception OF the twin courts in
the Queens club. London-desg 10y
the same architect and erected by IN.
same builder built simu,taneously with
like materialS-no TWO courts are "a
actly alike.