New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-08-11
National Doubles Champion
ship at Stake, Play Start
ing Tomorrow
By Fred Hawthorne

,
The scene of lawn tennis activity
shifts to Boston tomorrow, where. on
the famous turf of the Longwood
Cricket Club, the annual national dou-
bles championship will be decided.
There is much curiosity among fol-
lowers of the game as to how the ex-
pertinent of conducting the doubles as
separate tournament from the ma
tional singles championship will be
decided. There is much curiosity
among followers of the game as TO
now the experiment of conducting the
doubles as separate tournament from
the national singles is going to work
out.
This year marks the first time that
the doubles and singles have ever been
played as two distinct events, and
while some of the old-timers are in
clined to be skeptical regarding the
new plan there are many players who
feei that either tournament is of suf-
hclent Importance to stand on its own
feet, so to speak.
NO matter who comes through the
tlnal round at Longwood next Saturday
there VIII be a new championship pair,
TOR William NJ. Johnston and Clarence
j. peck Griffin, OF San Francisco.
the wonderful players who conquered
Maurice Mclaughlin and Ward Daw-
son IN 1915 in the challenge round Of
the national doubles on the West Side
Tennis Club courts at Forest Hills,
l.. l., will not be able to defend their
title next week
Griffin will be at sterner work flying
over the Hun trenches in the war
zone, for he is now an aviator with
General Pershings forces overseas,
Johnston is an ensign in the navy,
and while it is possible he will play at
both Longwood and at SOUTHAMPTON
the week following, as we'll as in the
national singles at Forest Hills on
August 26, he will sadly miss his
sturdy little doubles partner
Formed Great Team
The two little Calfornians formed
one of the greatest teams that ever
trod a court, and the wizardry of their
play will linger in the thoughts OF
lovers OF the great game, even though
Billy and Peck are not there in per-
son to thrill the galleries.
to the colors of the vast majority of
our ranking players has inevitably re-
suited in the absence from this sea
sons tournaments of many of the
greatest among the racquet stars. the
entry list at Longwood promises TO be
surprisingly good.
When you can point to such men as.
lchiya humagae, William 7. Tilden. 2d
Vincent Richards, Frederick B. Alex
ander, Beals c. Wright. Nathaniel W
Niles, Harry c. Johnson, Irving
Wright, Ralph Burdick, W T. Hayes,
Lyle Z. Mahan, Elliott II. Binzen and
possibly, Charles S. Garland you have
the nucleus of a mighty successful
tournament. and in addition to the
men named above there are d score
or more Of Only slightly less promi
hence who will take the courts at
Longwood Tomorrow
Particular interest attaches. to the
Journeys both at Longwood and at
Southampton this year because Of the
presence in this country of kumagae.
the wonderful little Japanese, who has
already captured the New York State
and Metropolitan titles.
The feeling has been gaining ground
since kumagae's arrival here that he
held the national championship in the
singles at his mercy, but this is rather
an extreme view of the situation. now
that 1t seems probable that three or
four, at least. of the top ranking
Americans will contest against the
man from the Orient.
The turf courts Of the Meadow Club.
of Southampton. are likely to be dis
tingulshed by the presence of John
stoN, holder OF the national title in
1918; by George Myers Church. No. 3
in the ranking list of 1916; BY Robert
Lindley Murray, the famous Caifor-
nian; by s. Howard Voshell. national
indoor champion; by Tilden, holder of
the national clay court crown, and by
Garland. the brilliant young yunnar-up