The sun., 1919-06-02
CHURCH AND BEHR
RETURN TO COURTS
Former Stars, Back in Game,
Begin Tuning Up for Big
Tournaments.
By EUGENE r. o,cosNELL.

During the week Just closed there
we're heap OF happenings on the ten
mis- courts hereabout-. and many of them
were of more than passing interest to
the follower of tennis. The return of
Karl Behr and George Myers Church to
the game In the Invitation tourney at
the Sleepy Hollow country was one OF
the big things of tho week. Behr had
played earlier in the season, but not In
any serious competition and there was
some question as to whether or not he
would be able to round into anything
like his real form in time to make n good
showing in the tournament season. The
same was true of Church.
Neither Church nor Behr showed any
thing like the tennis that brought
them to the select circle of the first
ten in the ante bellum days. They did
show, however. that they stin know the
game of tennis and that about all they
lack is 1.-THE speed and stamina neces-
sary tot carry them through the Cruel
ling tournaments which lead up to the
national championship. tits the opinion
OF many experts that both Church and
Behr need hard work on the courts
more than anything else and that once
they get playing regularly. It will be
no time until they are holding their
own with all Corners.
Clarence J. Griffin, Of California.
former national doubles champion with
William NJ Johnston. was another
whose play was closely watched. The
squat little Californian does not appear
to 'fiave lost anything Of his old court
craft and brilliant playing during his
sojourn in the army. His play at Sleepy
ha that hn yat
right out in any kind of a tourra-
ment and make the other contestants
hustle. Griffin has been selected to go
over to France to compete in the
interall!ed tournament at Paris at the
end of this month.
Davis an Improved Player.
Willis f. Davis, another Californian
who will accompany Griffin overseas, ap-
pears TO have improved il anything. OF
course like the others, he has not been a
frequent visitor to the courts recently
and his game is a little rusty. On the
other hand. however, he has settled down
considerably and is not nearly as err
ratio as he was when he first came
East few years ago. His strokes are
smoother and more accurate. He still
has the power and is a wizard Al max
Ing gets.
-hhOtiti Oh lDe
week was the work OF Miss Eleanor
Goss In the women's invitation tourna-
ment on the courts OF the Pelham Coun-
try Club. Miss Goss has developed into
wonderful player and is going better
right now than when she was runner UP
to Miss Molla Bjurstedt In the national
championship last year. Miss Goss tad
tremendous power behind both her SER
vice and her drives during the Pelham
tournament and not one OF the women
that she met was able to handle the bali
with any degree OF success.
Miss Goss will play In the womens
metropolitan championship tournament
which begins on the courts OF the West
Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills. Long
Island, to-day. and many followers of
the game give her more than an outside
chance of winning the event 1t is GER
tain. judging by her performances of last
week. that with the exception OF Miss
Rjurstedt, the champion, none of the
contenders will be able to give her a
great deal OF trouble. Unless the great
Norwegian girl is right at the top of her
game, Miss Goss may treat her to n
surprise.