The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-07
JOHNSTON WORTHY
OF TENNIS GROWN
Tilden Ranks Second but Win
Comes Third Will Be
Debated.
CHAMPION MAY REPEAT
Still Young and Plays Type Of
Tennis That Should Not
Burn Him Out.
CHAMPION MAY REPEAT
Veeb
By EUGENE n. o'CoNNELL.

Now that the national championsb,n
tennis tournament of 1919 finally has
passed into history and all of the whv,
and wherefores of victories and feats
have been more or less discussed two
of the main topics of conversation until
tournament tennis returns again will he
the ranking and the 1920 title. Although
there is a perfectly competent ranking
committee, which carefully goes over
all of the records of the men for the
season and publishes the result Of their
orduous labors in due season, tennis fans
invariably sit down and make their own
rankings as soon as the season is closed
1t would seem offhand that William
NJ. Johnston, the young Californian, has
clear title TO first place. His victory
over Tilden in the finsl round of the
national championship tournament more
than offset the two defeats administered
him by Tilden at Cincinnati and New
pert. Most of the experts felt that Til.
den would be the champion, but the
little fellow displayed the same fighting
qualities which carried him to the ton
of the tennis world in 1915.
Tilden undoubtedly has the next best
record, but after him the committee in
charge of the ranking of the players Is
up against a tough job. Neither of the
players who faced these two in the
semi-final round have a very impressive
record for the sea son. Neither has won
a tournament. Williams has been beaten
three times by Tilden, once by Murray
and once by Johnston. The COMMITTEES
is welcome to the job of making the
selection. and it is quite certain that no
matter how the men are placed some
of the followers of tennis will not b
satisfied.
VIII Johnston Repeat
When the devotees of the sport 20,
tired of talking about the ranking It
will be open season for picking next
years champion. Back in 1913 when
Mclaughlin had won the title for the
second time, practically every one felt
| that he would hold the crown indefinitely,
as he was still a youngster and seemed
to have a great amount of reserve en-
ergy.
Many even up to this year believed
that Mclaughlin would come back and
sweep everything before him, but Macs
| showing in the tournament just finished
made II quite apparent that hq S
through as a tennis champion. When
Williams took the title from McLough.
lin in 1914 few figured that it would be
wrested from him by any one but Nc
Loughlin, at least for some years to
| come.
| Yet the following year Johnston came
along strong and won the title purely
on his merits and lost it the following
| year only because Williams played
supertennis to beat him. With no
tournament in 1917 and many Of the
strongest of the players out Of the
draw in 1918, the championship Of that
year did not mean as much as 1t ord
narily would have.
Now that Johnston has regained The
title there seems to be no reason why
he should not hold it for long time
Certainly his tennis is of championship
calibre, and it is of the type which
should not burn him out. But there
are other things to be considered. First
of all Tilden played marvellous tennis
during the tournament, and the chances
are that he will improve by next year
Williams May Come Back.
williams may come back, but it i'
doubtful. In this years national cham
plonship he played excellent tennis In
the early rounds against mediocre play
ers When he met Tilden he was hope
lessly weak His play throughout the
whole season has been of the same
stamp.
There are n number of youngsters
who have been developing rapidly ara
who may cause trouble i'm tournament
play next year. Vincent Richards
Frank Anderson, Cecil Donaldson.
Charles s. Garland and some few Others
may be heard from Ichya Kumagas
will have to be seriously considered u
he keeps improving at the rate he dla
this year. The same holds good for
| Howard Voshell