New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-28
PLAN NEW RULES
TO LIMIT TENNIS
LIST OF ENTRIES
Strict Qualifications for
Regulation of Cham
pionship Contenders
BY FRED HAWTHORNE


Among other things Of Importance to
be taken up at the annual meeting of
the executive committee Of the United
States National Lawn Tennis Associa-
ton at the Waldorf-Astorls Hotel on
December s will be the matter Of so
regulating the entry for the national
champ ionship that the field will not be
unwieldy and only those with fair
chance Of success will be fighting for
the crown.
Julian s. Myrick, president Of the
West Side Tennis Club, at Forest Hills.
was appointed to draw up set of quail
ifcations several weeks ago. and his
proposals, which have already been
sent TO the members of the commit
tee, will be passed on at the Decem-
Der meeting.
Both George Townsend Adee, presi-
dent Of the u. S. n. l.. 7. A., and
Myrick are men who know the game
Of lawn tennis and what is best for l.,
from A to Z, and wnen they make a
recommendation it IS pretty certain to
be good one.
When the scene of The annual ma
tional championship tournament was
shifted from the Newport Casino to
Forest Hills Two years ago 1t was
realized that with the tremendous i'm
petus given TO the game there would
probably follow n great increase IN the
entry list. This was to be guarded
against, of course, because it could only
mean that players who had no possible
license to compete with the top ranking
stars would clog up the draw and force
the logical contenders TO wade through
a mediocre field before reaching well
out toward the final brackets.
To Limit Entry List
Aided by the various clubs Of the
national association and by keeping a
yigilsnt eve on the names of entrants
as they were received, such contin-
gency was prevented to some extent.
Even so, at the last championship at
Forest Hills in September. there were
at least a score Of players entered who
never should have been allowed on the
courts in such company. Hence 1t is
the aim Of Adee and Myrick TO avoid a
repetition of this in the future.
In his letter accompanying copies OF
his proposals along these lines MyrlcK
writes:
after careful observation during the
last two wears we find that consider
able number of players who are with
out tournament experience or any cal
ibre whatsoever enter the national
championship, it being the one tourna-
ment in the year in which they partici-
nate. This is an extremely unfair ad-
vantage TO take of players who are con-
,inuaily in tournaments, and also an
extra burden to put upon the tourna-
ment management, and il is clearly a
hardship upon the twenty or thirty men
who might be termed as real contend
ers."
Then follow Myrick's proposals Tor
restricting the entry in the future:
Qualifications for entry in the ma
tional championship are suggested as
follows:
ENTRIES shall close on published
date, at least ten days prior to the be-
ginning of play.
Entry shall be open to players IN
good standing belonging to clubs or as
sociations having membership IN the
United States National Lawn Tennis
Association, as follows:
90" PLAYERS who have been ranked by
the United States National Lawn Ten
mis- Association during any OF the hve
wears last preceding the tournament, or
who have at any time been ranked IN
the first twenty.
"2. Players who in the last three
wears preceding the championship have
been semi-hnalists or better in any two
tournaments sanctioned by the United
States National Lawn Tennis Associa-
tion.
!'3. PLAYERS who have in the current
p1yine season played in not less than
three sanctioned tournaments, and nave
made a reasonably good record, the
committee of management of the tour
nament TO have power to rule on the
value OF players record -.
"a. Players who do not qualify III any
of the above classes, but whose entries
are acceptable to the executive commit
tee bv reason of residence in foreign
countries, promise Of skill or other cir
cumstances deemed sufficient to cause
exceptions in their cases."
Restrictions Necessary
All these restrictions will be found
necessary when il is remembered that
about $500 men players entered the
sanctioned tournaments during the last
season, a'remarkable increase over the
preceding year II is not because OF any
desire 70 curtail the entry list to the
stars alone that the national associa-
ton feels called upon TO adopt these
measures 1t is felt, however, that those
who seek the highest honors on the
courts should at least prove their right
as logical contenders, both out of fair
ness to the public and TO the competi-
tors.
When ambitious players discover
that they have to possess certain quail
fcations before they can compete for
the crown of American lawn tennis,
then they will go about it in the right
way, which means increased competi-
ton in preliminary tournaments and a.
consequent improvement in general
play all over the country.