New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-14
Newport Casino Fixture Is
Most Important Event
Omitted
By Fred Hawthorne

To the casual observer. glancing over
the list of 1873 sanctioned tournaments
for the season of 1918, just issued by
the United States National Lawn Ten
mis- Association, there will not appear
many changes in the annual assert
ment, and, to tell the truth, there are
few changes as regards the more noted
fixtures of the American courts. 1t is
only among the smaller Journeys. of
interest only in their own immediate
vicinity. that We notice difference.
Many OF these will not be played this
season, and that. perhaps, is just as
we'll, considering the unusual circum-
stances under which lawn tennis will
be played in 1918.
One notable absentee from the his
toric tournaments this year will be the
annual event on the celebrated courts
of the Newport Casino, fixture that
has come to be so thoroughly identified
with the history of the game in. this
country that we cannot think of one
without recalling the other.
For more than thirty years the
Casino was the cradle of American
lawn tennis, and it was on the CLASSIC
stretch of turf on the championship"
court that this country's first cham
pion, Richard D. Sears. won his crown.
Richard Norris Williams, I'd, the pres
ent national champion, was the last OF
the mighty to win the title of the
Casino, for in 1915 the national cham
pionship tournament was taken away
from Newport and transposed to the
West Side Tennis Club, at Forest Hills.
Long Island, where it has been played
since
In 1915 and 1916, although deprived
of the classic event of the courts, the
Casino staged an invitation tourney
that was only less notable in the quail
ity OF entrants than the former All
Corners. There was no tourney there
in 1917 For the second time IN thirty
seven years, therefore, Newport Will
not be the meeting place of cham
pions, and the lapse is to be regretted,
even though the field that could be
measure up to the standard SET IN
former tournaments.
First Tourney Here May II
The season in the metropolitan dis
trict will get under way on May II,
city, will start its annual open tourney:
The Essex County Country Club, of
East Orange, n. j., will put on
tournament May 20, when the men and
women will contest for the county
championships.
events starting, the Sleepy Hollow
Country Club beginning it's mems in
vitaton tourney on May q. and the
Pelham Country Club beginning a
women's invitation tournament on the
following day.
June will be ushered in by the New
York Tennis Clubs annual Bronx
County singles and Manhattan doubles
championships, starting on the first of
the month, and on June the Ardsley
Club will stage a women's invitation
tourney. The Brooklyn championship
fixture will begin on June on the
clay courts of the Terrace Club of
Flatbush. and on June 10 the women
will compete for the metropolitan
pionships in singles and doubles
on the clay courts of the West Side
Tennis Club. The competition in this
event should be keen, for there are
many among the younger players who
will dispute Miss Molla Bjurstedt's
title.
mcnts on nearby courts intervene be-
fore the women's and the girls ma
tional championship tournaments be-
gin on the grass courts of the Phila-
delphia Cricket Club. rear Philadel-
phia, on June II. Here, again, Miss
Bjurstedt will face a notable field in
defence of her national honors, and,
although she is regarded as a fairly
certain winner, there may we'll be a
surprise in store for her and close fol-
lowers of the game.
The girls will compete for title for
the first time in the history of the
game in this country, and there is GER
tain to be widespread interest in the
holding of this new event.
Clay Court Meet in Chicago
The scene of the national clay court
championships for both men and wom-
en- will be shifted this year to Chicago
on the courts of the South Side Ten
mis- Club, starting on July !. Willie L.
Davis, of California, and Miss Blur
stedt are the present holders, respec-
lively, of the mems and women's sin
giles, with George NJ. Church and Dean
Mathey the doubles title holders.
Cincinnati, Pittsburgh and Cleveland
have all had their turn at conducting
that is no reason why Chicago should
not fully maintain the standards of the
past, and this will probably be so. The
field will be strengthened, it seems
likely, by several players from the
Coast.
For the first time in several years,
the annual Eastern New York State
championship tournament will not be
played on the courts Of the County
Tennis Club of Westchester, the event
going to the Mount Pleasant Tennis
Club, of Pleasantville. Play will be-
gin Saturday, July 10.
What will probably be hailed by the
players as welcome change comes in
the transferring Of the annual mems
metropolitan championship tourney to
the excellent courts of the Crescent
Athletic Club at Bay Ridge. This i'm
portant fixture has generally been
staged on the clay courts of the West
Side Tennis Club, and last year was
held at Bronxville. The Middle States
tournament was played on the Crcscen,
courts last year.
Because of the lateness Of the date
this season, the metropolitan is sched.
uied for July 80, it il to be presumed
that the championships will be decided
on the turf, and there arc few finer
stretches Of turf in this district thar
the Crescent Clubs courts boast
George M. Church, the present title
holder, will be flying in France wher
this tourney Is played, so there is Ger.
h6 vat ~.