The sun., 1919-09-08
TALK OF MOVING
TENNIS TOURNAMENT.
Comment, Heard Annually,
ABOUT Title Event Leaving
New York Again Up.
HAS HELPED PAsTIME
West Side Club, by Bringing
Tourney Here, Has Hast
ened Growth of Sport.
Nv EUGENE n. o,coNNELL.

a. ny EUGENE n. O'CONNELL.
Again considerable comment has been
heard on the possibility of taking away
the mems championship from the west
Side Tennis Club. There cannot be a
doubt In the mind of any one who mas
the interest Of tennis at heart but that
the bringing of the big event to New
York by the West Side Club has worked
wonders for the health of the sport. 1t
mas brought new friends TO the sport,
many of them persons who had hitherto
looked on tennis rather as social func-
ton than as a real red blooded sporting
event.
bit is one of the odd quirks of human
nature that some of those who could not
have been dragged TO tennis match In
days not so far back. are now among
the most ardent rooters. This might
have been accomplished at some future
date by a slow process without the aid
of the West Side Club. The fact re-
mains. however. that the game has grown
by leaps and bounds, faster by far than
even those looking into the future could
have hoped for when they were fighting
70 take the event away from Newport
The West Side Club deserves great
credit for this, because they brought
the game at its best to the doors OF
millions OF persons. whereas before II
had been within the reach OF thousands.
New York having a radius OF ten mil
Hons Of people to draw from has sup
ported tennis generously. Galleries at
matches have increased steadily and
they will keep on growing.
1t must be borne in mind incidentally
that all of this has not been without
some hardship to the West Side Club
and its members, for 1t has been neces-
sary to reserve the-courts used In tbs
championship for about two months In
the season, part OF this time before the
tourney commences In primplng up the
turf and part after 1t Is over In getting
the lawn back In shape.
Seacon Practically Closed.
although there are still few minol
tournaments on the schedule, to all in
tents and purposes the 1919 season IL
now a part of ancient history. With
the playing of the final round of the
national championship tournament fol-
lowers of the game promptly forget
about anything of lesser importance go
ing on in tennis and turn their Attention
to what will happen next year. For al
the good they do for any except those
actually playing the post-season tourna.
ments might just as well be dropped
from the books. The national champion
ship terminates the competitive season
In tennis Just as surely as does tht
worlds series in baseball.
The old argument that tournament
play at any time is good. as 1t tends tc
stimulate interest IN the sport and u
improve the players who compete. can b'
thoroughly discounted How much In
terest Is promoted can be judged from
the number who watch post season
tournaments. The crowds are small. al
evidenced not only at the America
Australia matches this year. but also II
1915, when the East Vs. West seriei
followed the championship. When events
such as these fail to rouse the enthu
siasm of tennis followers. how can the
smaller tournaments around the metro
politan district awaken any interest il
enthusiasts who already have been sur
feited with brilliant tennis in the cham
pionship event?
AS to the value of these tournament
FOR Improving the play Of the actua
competitors 1t might just as well be sait
that fall transforming trips Of baseball
teams would fit them for the following
seasons play. Whatever the competitor
get out of the late small tournaments Il
an lost during the long hard winter.
Early spring tournaments, on tn
other hand. are OF great necessity bot
for conditioning players and for pro
noting interest in the sport. The wor
OF the men in these tournaments Is fol
lowed closely by persons with an ey
out for possible championship timber.
women's Event Too Early.
All of this leads UP to what appear
to be a very justifable kick on tn
part OF many of the players Of the fai
sex. They hold and have held for
long time that the women's champion
ship tournament is decided too early
They point out that their blue ribbo
event is a thing of the past before tn
season has properly started.
II has been the custom to stage tn
women's event in the very early part o
the summer and that as a result all Q
tho tournaments which come after hav
had the edge taken of them. Further
more. many women complain that be
cause of the early date, which make
Il. impossible to have much tournamen
play in preparation for the champion
ship. they are unable TO get going a
full tilt until after the title has bee
carried off.
w HClhCt vi pOWSTb DO i
tennis will do away with the post-sea
son tournaments for men. especially I
those districts where big tournament
have been played is a doubtful mattel
The fact is that especially In the pas
few seasons 1t has been difficult to hol
many events early In the spring. bG
cause Of the wretched weather. Man
tournaments have overlapped and SUI
fSred through postponement after pos
ponement However, the optimistic hay
hopes that the weather will not alway
be thus
AS far as the national championshi
for women is concerned. there seems n
plausible reason why IT should not b
played later. II the clubs which hay
held the tournament in the past car
not give a later date, probably SON
other club could be found which woul
b glad to hold Y at any time:
ONE IECGEn WAP