New-York tribune., 1919-03-29
$ Indoor
Tennis TOURNEY
Starts To-day
Noshell, Present Title Hold
er, Tilden and Richards
Rule as the Favorites
By Fred Hawthorne


Everything is in readiness for the
twentieth annual mems national indoor
lawn tennis championship tournament
in singles and doubles, which starts at
the Seventh Regiment Armory, Park
Avenue and Sixty sixth Street, at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning. A. Castle
Postley, the referee, expects the field
Of fifty eight to do a full days work,
and it is probable that only half of
the original number will still be in the
running when the last match tomorrow
evening is completed.
On the eve Of the big tournament
there are three players who stand out
as favorites for the title now held by
Lieutenant S. Howard Voshell, who will
play through in defence of his laurels.
These are Voshell, William 7. Tildon,
I'd, national clay court champion, and
Vincent Richards, the sixteen year-o old
national boy and~doubles champion.
Craig Biddle, the veteran International
ist from Philadelphia, is another who
is expected to put up mighty strug-
gle before succumbing.
Lawn tennis players are human, like
to humanitys comman failings, and
it may be that the winner of the title
will turn up in the person of somebody
not so we'll known to court fame. But
if the game goes as it logically should,
the national indoor champion for 1919
will be found among these four men,
with Tilden the most likely choice.
Tilden set up remarkable record
of consecutive victories last season,
g., l0fn of ho
of Lindley Murray, in the final round
of the national championship on turf
courts at Forest Hills last September
He seems bent upon making an even
more comprehensive campaign the
coming season, for this will be the
first time the sensational Philadelphian
has ever competed for the national in
door honors.
Richards is another who will be
watched with interest in every match
he enters, and this is partly because
of his extreme youth and partly be
cause Of the fact that he is constant
ly improving with every tournament
and is regarded by competent critics
certain holder of the highest hon
ors on American courts within the
next few years.
The University Heights Tennis Club
youth has faced Tilden, who has been
the last two years, on many occasions,
mostly in practice matches, and has
almost invariably met with defeat. But
the margin of difference between the
two is steadily lessening, and last
month, in the Middle Atlantic States
tournament in Philadelphia, the school
boy amazed the gallery by playing his
teacher to standstill in five Cruel
ling sets, only losing the match by a
hairs breadth.
Voshell, who was beaten by Wallace
johnson in the semi-fnai round Of The
same tourney, was victim Of lack Of
practice in that event, having only
recently been discharged from The
army. Since then, however, he has
been paying more attention to the
game and has improved both in CON
dition and in playing efficiency. Those
who have seen the manner in which
Noshell can rise to the occasion when
danger threatens look to him to put
up desperate struggle in defence of
his crown.
Harry l.. Graft, Y. M. G. A. athletic
director who supervised the recent A.
r.. J.. tennis championships in France
and who will be one Of the "Y" rep
re6entativcs on the board Of managers
Of the great A. T.. T. championghips
IN May, arrived in this city few
days ago, and Yesterday he told in
detail Of some Of ,ho happenings on
the other side.
According to Mr.. Graft. the tourna-
ment for American officers attracted
an entry list Of 1873 players, represent
ing forty.four states Of tho Union, and
IT was through this great field that
Captain Richard Norris Williams, I'd.
who held our national title in 1914 aud
1916, came through to victory.
Tho former champion was playing in
splendid form, according to Mr. Graf,
who seemed TO think that it would re-
quirc only few big tournament com
petitions TO put Williams right on his
gnme AS it was whom ho last hold the
national honors.
Milo. Lenglen. the spectacular French
girl, ia tho feminine marvel Of the
courts, IL Mr.. CRAFTS reports Of her
playing arc to be taken at their fnco
value. He believes her to be the great
cat exponent Of the game who ever
played in the ranks OF women.
Iun nrnvuo o4 (knoa