New-York tribune., 1919-03-06
Foreign Tennis
Players May
Co1npeteHere
Davis Cup Challengers Are
Likely to Get Invitation
for Title Tournament
By Fred Hawthorne


1t is possible that the international
lawn tennis team that is to meet the
defep.ding Australian ,cam in the chal-
lenge round in competition for the
Davis Cup next November or Deccm-
Der, may iisit the United States en-
route to the Antipodes and compete in
our national championship singles
tournament at the West Side Tennis
Club of Forest Hills, L. l., next August.
Following cabled dispatches yester
day from Sidney, N. S. W., to the effect
that officers of the Australasian Lawn
Tennis Association had completed the
draw for the Davis Cup preliminary
matches between the British Isles,
France and Belgium, it was strongly
irtimated last night by members of
the United States National Lawn
Tennis Association that the winning
team in these preliminary matches
might be invited to stop here on the
way to Melbourne and take part in the
national singles on the West Side
courts.
AS was the case in 1914, the luck of
the draw has thrown England against
Belgium in the first international
match, with the winner to meet France
and the triumphant team in that en-
counter to face Australasia in the
challenge round The chances look
to be all in favor of the British Isles
coming through these preliminary
rounds successfully and making the
long trip to the other side of the
world, which would mean that it would
be the Englishmen who would be in
vited to compete at Forest Hills.
Ample Time for Visit
If the same procedure in the pre-
liminary matches is followed this
year as on previous years, the last Of
these testing matches will be COM
pleted some time in July and the chal-
longing team will start for Australia
within week or ten days thereafter.
Our national championship tourney
will begin on the West Side Tennis
allow the visiting players ample time
to compete. They could then entrain
for San Francisco and take steamer
from there to Australia, arriving in
Melbourne about the middle of Octo-
ber, in plenty of time to become ao-
climated.
The makeup of the British Isles
and French teams is problematical al
though so far as is known none of the
men who challenged for the cup in
1914 has been killed or seriously
probably play a large part when it
comes to selecting the men who are to
try to wrcst the famous cup from Aus
tralasia.
1t was a team of veterans that rep
resented England in 1914. captalncd by
John C. Parkc and including A. H.
Lowe and T. NJ Mavrogordato. The
French coors were carried by Decugis
and Germot, neither of whom was
young even five years ago. The ques-
ton that will now interest followers
Of the game in this country is whether
England and France have discovered
other and younger players upon whom
they can rely to fifty represent them
in the international competition, or
whether they will have to pin their
faith to the veterans.
Formerly Great Players
Parke was formerly one Of the great
est players on the courts, having vic
tories over Norman Brookes and
Maurice Mclaughlin to his credit, but
it does not seem possible at his
present age, and having gone through
the trying years of the great war in
active service. that he can still com
pete on even terms with younger men.
Love and Mavrogordato were never in
the front ranks of international
players.
1t so happens that the Davis cup
is still in this country, although
Brookes and Anthony Wilding won it
for Australia at Forest Hills in 1914.
Owing to the dangers Of ocean travel
during the war, it was decided to keep
the international trophy in the United
States until after the cessation of hos
tilities, but it will probably be sent to
the Antipodes this summer.