The sun., 1916-08-28
Johnston and Griffin Favored
to Beat Mclaughlin and
Dawson in Doubles.
STELLAR SINGLES Tits
BY DANIEL.

chaIlenee match for the national doubles
title as we'll as several stellar singles
contests the thIrty-sixth annual Ameri-
can championship lawn tennis tourna-
ment will get under way to-day on the
tvrf courts Of the West Side Tennis
Club at Forest Hills. The doubles event,
bringing together William NJ. Johnston
and Clarence J. Griffin. champions. and
Maurice Il. Mclaughlin and Ward Daw-
son. challengers. will be started at 80
o'clock In the afternoon.
In the singles the match with probably
the greatest bearing on the Champion
ship question Is scheduled for 10 O'Clock
In the morning, and will feature Joseph
j. Armstrong. the Philadelphia. who
has been going great guns OF late, and
Willis r.. Davis. the young Californian,
who holds the national clay court title.
When they have finished the limelight
will be centred on Kari II. IIehr. veteran
internationalist. and Conrad Il. Doyle OF
Washington.
The afternoon feature in singles. to
be started at . o'clock. will ind william
j. Clothier. national champion a decade
ago. facing HachIshIro Mikami. the
lesser OF the japanese entries. Ichiya
KumaEae. who Is expected by quite a
few to come through with the title. will
play on one OF the outside courts in the
afternoon against Danforth Geer. Jr.
One Feature At . Time.
The committee In charge discarded the
three ring circus system which obtained
last year and scheduled only one match
at a time for the grand stand courts
Last year II was impossible to con-
centrAte attention upon any one match
In the arena and interest suffered. While
none Of the four participants in the
doubles Is scheduled to compete In the
single to-day It is likely that they will
20 through with their contests In order
not to retard the tournament. Their
opponents are not formidable.
There will he a number Of matches
on outside courts that fully deserve be-
, ing staged on the grand stand turf
Robert Lindley Murray. by no means to
be ignored In considering candidates for
the title. will meet Alfred s. Dabney. the
Boston star. Fred Alexander. the great
est master OF strokes In this country. In
slated to take on James s. O'Neale. Jr..
while Harold A.. Throckmorton IL to en-
counter a very formidable opponent In
W. 7. Tildsn. Jr. Of Philadelphia.
Richard Norris Williams. I'd. who
seeks to regain the laurels he won In
1914, IL likely &c sc: lively opposition
from Jerry Weber Of Chicago. Richard
Harte and Sidney Thayer. Jr. should
make another fine match. while Roland
Roberts and Craig Biddle are sure to
attract n host Of onlookers to their
court. ]. c. Nicely. j.. the Western
star. and +. r. Mccormick Of California.
Alrick II. Man. Jr.. and Harold Van
Dyke Johns OF California. Douglas q.
Waters Of New Orleans. Southern cham
pion, and r. A. Holden. Jr.. former Yale
star. are very likely to furnish exhibit
lions well worthy Of a national tourna-
ment.
Champions should win.
Discussion among the followers Of
tennis and players who went 10 Forest
Hills for their final tuning UP yesterday
centred about the probable issue Of the
doubles match this afternoon. A vast
majority favored Johnston and Griffin
to retain the honors they won SO brill
liantly from Mclaughlin and Thomas
Bundy last year. Johnston and Griffin
have been playing together too long to
allow themselves TO be beaten by n new
pair who do not. or paper. measure up
collectively to the present champions.
Johnston and Griffin are not only
brilliant individually, but they have de-
veloped doubles play far beyond that OF
any DINER team III tue Country. Auey
have worked out several little tricks,
including their famous squeeze play
and have attained remarkable proficiency
In combination work. OF Mclaughlin
and Dawson. not only as a team but even
as individuals. little Is known this sea-
son.
What we do know IL that McLough-
lin and Dawson proved strong enough
In every department to beat so fine a
pair az George NJ. Church and Willis T..
Davis In the doubles Anal at Onwentsla
recently. Western experts lauded Nc
Loughlin's improved play and declared
that Dawso was far more efficient a
partner than Bundy had been last year,
Dawson held up his end OF the game in
great style.
There Is one great drawback about
Dawson's tennis. The youngster has II
In him to become one Of the really greal
stars Of all time. but he does not take
.,is tennis seriously. Every match IL
for him a lark singles an absolute
Joke. Dawson made his Eastern debu,
at Forest Hills last year and failed tc
live up to the fne reports that had pre-.
coded him simply because he woum no,
try.
In their short workouts at Forest HIS
and Southampton last week the fac,
that both Mclaughlin n Dawson are
weak in ground strokes was accumulated
McIoughlin's low backhand was also
bit of color, but these weaknesses are
nothing new in the Comets game. They
were there when he was at the height
OF his form and they will never disap'
near. II Mclaughlin and Dawson car
make a target of Griffin and the weather
Is at all hot their chances will bt
heightened. At n rate, II will be
match worth going miles to see.
william an Uncertainty.
Most OF the leading %aspirants were
content to rest yesterday. coming In from
southampton on a late afternoon train
Johnston looked far better h he die
a week ago. His rest from singles play
and his few matches In doubles a
Southampton put him right on edge.
williams Is not yet sure how his veal
anluc will stand the strain OF play. I'll
injured n ankle In n match with Rob
cr,s mt Newport and at Southampton de
faulted to Watson VI. Washburn. as N
lei, that because Of the bad ankle h
could not do himself justice against 81
stronx an opponent. Thai was only {
few days ago.
Despite that, williams will no doub
teat Jerry Weber and will meet prob
oh,v Robert lie Roy tomorrow. I'LL
next pponent Is most likely to be Rich
ard Har.e. his doubles partner and Eel
law Harvard student. Cioth!er Is mos
lk,ly to meet him in the fourth round
waters In the NTH and Griffin In tn
sIxth. The fortunes OF the draw wer
In WNIiams's favor, for nearly all tn
---. - cha AalsI NJ 1Dk liap In III