Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-10-12
tennis RECOGNIZED
As RANKING AMONG
OUR MAJOR SPORTS
Once Considered as Effeminate,
Now Game for Real Rooters
Records Of Johnston, Til
den and Kumagae, the Jap. 4

The game Of tennis has been much /
country, but in spite of this fact, It
has made mighty strides in the last
few years and is now coming to the
front as one of our major sports. Many
people heretofore considered tennis q
Sissy" game and this had it's effect in
keeping the game from being more
widely played in America.
1t is true that there was reason
for this feeling on the part of the gen.
eral public in regard to the net game.
Formerly, it was purely a social af-s
fair and the tournaments We're used !
as such. Women attending these tour
naments, discussed the latest scandals
among society folk and exhibited the
latest Partisan decollette gowns.
Unless a tennis aspirant had fam
F! lily tree, containing the names of Will
lam the Conqueror, Louis XIV, Blue
beard or Attila, he was not considered
ran artist as racket wielder. These
are the things that prejudiced the ma
jority of sport-loving Americans
against the game Of tennis.
Recently, however, the feeling has
changed and the game is now consid-
cred one of the best for all-around
physical development that exists.
| Players of today must have the same
endurance, agility and skill as those
! playing any of the other sports. The
tennis fans, too, have played an i'm
portant role in bringing about this
change In the feeling toward the /
game. Heretofore it was considered
rude and unsportsmanlike to cheer and
applaud at a tennis match. How can
| any American become interested in >
/
and roofing are permitted? Lately,
| however, fans at tennis tournaments
are rooters in the strictest sense of
tho word. The game has spread
| through our entire country and is
played everywhere.
ONE YEAR CHAMPIONS.
1t is the opinion among tennis ex-
perts. that it is now practically i'm
possible for a champion to hold the
title longer than one year. Never
again, they say, will champ hold the
title longer than one year. Never,
again, they say, will champ hold the
| title seven years, as did William
Larned. The younger generation Is
taking up the game, and whenever tho
youth of our country play any game
with all the vim and vigor that youth
only can produce, a champion Is al
ways in danger This has been the
experience in every one of our games.
The racket game has always been
popular in England and Australia in
the past, representatives Of those
countries possessing superior ability
to those of our land. as former Davis
cup playoffs will testify. America
now is burning out better players than1
either of her rival English speaking }
lands. This year no Davis cup tourna-
ment was held, because of the wars
effect on the tennis ranks of foreign
1 n cia1e ufaf
that 1t would be taking unfair advan-
/ tage of our rivals to demand the cup
| tournament this year.
| In our own country. William John
ston of California. was placed in first
place by tennis experts This player
makes up in skill and courage what
he lacks in size. The champ is but five
feet six inches tall and weigs less than
| 120 pounds. Yet he literally fought his
was to the top among the tennis play
ers of today. During the past two or
! three years, he has been a contender
but never before the champ.
Johnston is classed by critics. as the
best champion the game has ever pro-
duced. He Is much like Maurice Nc
| Laughlin, in his smashing style OF
game, but experts rank him even
higher than the Comet" He easily
defeated Brooks. the great Australian
veteran, in the piay-off this year be-
tween our PLAYERS and the represen-
tatipes of the Antipodes. Brooks is not
only one of the best of forme stars but
is still wonderful performer on the
court.
DEFEATS SUFFERED.
The only defats the title holder SUI
| fered this year were two at the hands
of William Tilden H. of Philadelphia.
Johnston. however. took revenge for
these defeats in Cincinnati and New
port, by trouncing the Quaker per-