New-York tribune., 1918-09-15
Philadelphia Player Mad.
Better Record for Season
Than Did Murray
By Fred Hawthorne

~ ""O no A'N0' ien among tha
court players there is a vexatiop. =.
certainty as to who should have q
place of highest honor at the n, :.
the list. The same problem confront.
US to-day, although three weeks 80,
blind man could have named WiH,-
T. Tilden, I'd, Of Philadelphia, for a.,
position and found hone to oppos. ~.
choice.
But in the single week Of play IN u.
national championship tournansn. >.
Forest Hills Robert Lind: Nor,.,
the meteoric son of California, BY win.
ning the title, completely upset all or..
conceived ideas as to who was the M
man in American lawn tennis for III.
year 1918.
Tas ing defeat at the hands Of Il.
brilliant Tilden in the Southamp,o.
tourney a week before the battle for .hs
national championship on the wes
Side Tennis Club courts began, Murray
more than evened the score by his A.
toundingly easy victory over the tai
Philadelphian in the final round for III.
title.
Selection a Bit Difficult
We are free TO admit that we are il
trepidation at this moment, when
comes to picking the player qualified
to be placed in the No. l position. Prec.
edent has a most always accorded that
% ace 10 the man who won the national
championship, and ordinarily there
seems coed logic in this. since the na
tional singles tourney stands as the
climax of a season OF play and the
goal TO VII ch all players set their
faces at the begiging Of each season.
But the season of 1918 has not been
q "repular" season IN the strict mean
ing OF the word. The ranking men usu-
ally point heir game so that il will
reach the zenith Of its power and ef.
fcctiveness by the time the national
tournament begins, in the latter part Of
August.
1t is a gradual tuning up process, in
the long course Of which the contend
ers for the highest honors Of the
courts have to take their chances Of
defeat in the early stages, and even be
content to accept defeat IN some Of
the minor Journeys, so long as the ma
tional will find them at the top OF then
form.
In the case of several of the leading
court stars this season this condit!0:
OF affairs has not occurred Murray
himself is shining example Of this
lack of tournament play. The forme'
Californian took part IN only two sane
toned tournaments during 1918. nams'
ly, at southampton and at Forest Hill
He rad none of the grind and wear Il
several months Of tournament play
hence none Of the chances of beng
DEBATED tnat Tilden, for example
faced in his triumphant sweep Of ths
courts right up to the hnal round O.
the rational championship event
tt den had defeated Murray earlier
in the season IN an exhibition match
and scored again in straight sets al
Southampton. In addition, he had Won
the national clay court title. the ma.
tional doubles title, with young Vim.
cent Richards, and had been the fnsl
round winner IN every other tourna
mont in which he took part during tn,
outdoor season of 1918. It was nets.
bic record. and in some Of the matches
played Tildcn rose to heights Of law
tennis seldom equale ed on Americsl
courts.
Sentiment Must Be Barred
Sentiment must have no part in The
raining of the man entitled to BE-
hailed as the foremost player in tt.
land. There has been a lot o. comment
printed since the winning Of the cham.
pionship by Murray, to the effect thai
the Californian is sportsman Of tn.
finest type, and that be only entered
the Forest Hills tournament becaua
of the urging Of friends, and again
his own personal incinations. Al
these things are true, but do .hey
alter the facts in the case. when Vs
come to consider and to compare The
records of Murray ana Tiden? Ne
90 not believe so.
TIE mere fact that Murray won The
rational title and completely outplayei
lliden on that day should not auto
matlcai y place him in the No. pes
ton, ana we. for one. refuse to sub
scr be to that rather arbitrary notice
+ Rule of the Rules for Ranking pro
vldes that: ITO be cons dcred for a
ranKlng an Individual or team mus
participate during the season in at
least three sanctioned events, but OF
+ tAe unanimous vote Of the ranking
committee occasional exceptions u
! TINS rule may be made"
Murray took part in only two sane
/ toned tournaments during the season
/ and, although the ranking committee
would be within the iaw in making 81
exception IN his case it would be the
irst ume, If our memory does not pa!
rs false, that player had been ranKe'
at NO. uNder such circumstances.
lieutenant K chard Norris WIZ
lams ID won the national title ID
1919. defeating McLcug ln in hen,
orable struggle at Newport; yet 'ne
( ranking committee that year placed vas
famous Comet" ahead of the chan
pion, taking into account McLs'sa.
Inns superior Tournament play iuAhs
the season.
Why. then. should not the same osN
be used thls year in ranking iho'.
and Murray? Certainly the fornt
made by far the more notable recos
and the fact that he twice defes's.
Murray, while suffering the same -,
only once at the hands of the N. ns'
champion, must be given due welgD
by the committee in It's delioera'ion'
Thus, while we are convinced ih'
Murray was immeasureably Tildea
superior on the day that the natlohI
singles championsh was decided asl
N eht, in series Of matches, wn u
major share of the honors. me e
dcnce IN the case is all in favor
the clay court champion. On ae'wI
accom- pi.shment, Tiden stands hssI
and shoulders above the Californ''.
and so we 6 We him the No. poslt'
in the First Ten"
Third Place for Alexander
With Murray at No. 3. third phe
SppnlS NrnlI ". a IL IL .r,ns OF Z Nv