Omaha daily bee., 1916-12-10
WILLIAMS NAMED
BEST NET PLAYER
Philadelphia Ranked as No, /,
With William Johnston
No q
COMETS NAME IS MISSING

New York, Dec. Or. Norris vii.
liams, I'd, Of Philadelphia, national
single champion, is the ranking lawn
tennis player OF the country, accord
ing to the official lists made public
here today by the ranking commit
tee of the United States National
Lawn Tennis association. William
M. Johnston OF San Francisco, 1915
title holder and runner-up to Will
liams this season, is placed second,
with George NJ. Church, third; X.
Lindley Murray, fourth, and Ichiya
Kumagae, the Japanese player, fifth.
M. E. Mclaughlin, former national
champion and the famous Davis cup
contestant, is not ranked among the
first hundred through lack OF data,
and for the first time since 1909 his
name does not appear in the singles
review except as an addenda to the
records Of the ranked lawn tennis ex-
perts. This is due in part to the re-
quest OF DR.. Sumner Hardy, presi-
dent OF the Pacific States association,
that where California players did not
compete frequently enough to furnish
complete data for comparative pur-
poses their names should be omitted
from the ranking lists entirely.
Mclaughlin, coupled with Ward
Dawson, is placed second in the
doubles pairing ranking, however, be-
ing preceded by w. M. Johnston and
Clarence ]. Griffin, while Church and
Willis Davis get third place.
Miss Moila Bjurstedt heads the list
OF women players.
Is No Surprise.
The selection OF Williams for first
place Is no surprise. as he has been
ranked second every year since 1912
and was conceded to have earned the
premier position by his showing dur
ing the national tournament at For
est Hills last September. The inciv-
sion OF Kumagae's name in the rank
ing list, however, Is novelty, as no
foreign player has been SO honored
since 1897. when DR.. w. v. Ewes. II,
A. Nesbit and II. S. Mahoney oil
England were ranked third. fourth
and fifth, respectively.
The ranking committee, in its re-
port to the executive committee Of
the United States National Lawn
Tennis association, suggests that the
system OF ranking the players be
changed next year and that they be
classified In groups instead OF the
method now in vogue. 1t also states
that In preparing the lists for 1916
the records OF 223 tournaments, 4,50t
singles and gill doubles players were
considered.
The first twenty singles players, al
ranked, and the FIRST ten double.
teams, together with the leading ter
women players, follow:
Singles Ranklng--tD r. Norris Williams
I'd, Philadelphia: t2l William NJ Johnston
San Francisco; tsl George N. Church. Ten
any; 90 Lindley Murray. Niagara Falls. N
y; (5) Ichiya Kumagae. Toxic; t6l Ciar
sncs J. Griffin, San Francisco. t7l Watson
Davis. San Francisco; 90 ). J. Armstrong
Philadelphia; t1o) Dean Mathey, Crawford
N. "; (ii) Karl nshr. New York; us) il
Byford, Chicago; ti3) G. u. Doyle. Wash
ington: ttD II. c, johnson. Boston
tt5) N. w. wiles. Boston; Oe) I. r. pell
bath. N. j.. tis) ", e. rildsn, it,, cynwyd
Pa; tis) r. il. whitney, New York; tsQ> II
II. voshcll, BROOKLYN N, Y.
Doubles Ranking---ti) William Johnston
and c. j. Griffin. tg. NJ. u. McLoughlil
and Ward Dawson, ts) O. NJ. Church an,
Mathey, 90 W. r. johnson and J. J. Arm
strong. ts) r. b. Alexander and X. II. Behi
IA b, Mathey and Harold Throekmortor
(sl w. r. Hayes and r. II. Burdick. pl 4
il. Mann, tr.. nd q. NJ. Bull. jr.. tlo) W. !
Davis and II. v. D. Johns
Bjurstedt, (2l Mrs Edward Raymond, @
Miss Evelyn Sears, 90 Miss Anita Meyer,
(s) Miss Sara Livingston. t61 Miss Mari
Wagner. "a Mrs II. :. Green, S) Mis-
Martha Guthrie, ta) Miss Eieanora Scar
tio) Mrs. BarEer Wallace.
Recommends Changes,
The executive committee announce
that It will recommend to the associa
ton at the annual meeting in Feb
ruary that in the future the nationa
doubles championship be decided !
a separate tournament, open to al
under the rules Of the organization
and in which the title-holding pal
shall play through in the same man
ncr as now prevails in the singles.
A new section Of the association, t
be known as the Pacific Northwcs
section, and to include the states {
Oregon, Washington and parts
Montana and Idaho, is also recon
mended, the territory to be take
from the present Pacific states all
intermountain sections. The exec,
tive committee further states that
stood pat upon the proposed change
in the rules governing the status {
an amateur tennis player and woul
recommend same at the annui