New-York tribune., 1919-12-29
Tennis Marvel
Follows Advice
OF His Doctor
Poor Light Conditions Have
Already Affected Cham
pion's Eyes, Says Physician

A striking demonstration Of the eli
! feet Of the wrctched light conditions
for lawn tennis in the 7th Regiment
Armory Ca subject have touched .,
before in these columns) is afforded
by the announcement Of Vincent
Richards. national senior and JUNO,
indoor CHAMPION that he VIII never
again play in a tournament on these
ful young player Will let his senior
title go by default next March.
Richards's sole reason for lnakina
this decision was the fact that he feI,
he was running his eyesicht by con
tinuing to play in the 7th Regiment
Armory, and he had confirmation ~
this belief, for DR.. Frederick II
Robinson, editor of The Medical Re
view of Reviews" and a friend of the
young champion, stated that Rich
ards's eyes already had been affected
by the poor light conditions in tho
armory.
Statement OF Physician
DR.. Robinson's statement was to
this effect:
'In order to prolong his tennis
years, this years participation in
the indoor tennis Tournament at the
7th Regiment Armory will be Vim
cent Kichards's last.
"Folowing Wednesdays game, in
which Richards defeated A. Bass
ford Sd, expressed the wish and
hope to him that he would never
again compete in an indoor tourna-
mcnt Mr.. Richards's eyes plainly
showed the i'll effects Of playing on
indoor courts, and while he dislikcd
the idea of abandoning the wooden
floors on which last year he beac
William Tilden for the indoor
title, he consented. in order to make
himself more useful to tennis
Il have advised Nh Richards that
he cannot reach the supreme heights
in tennis without the accompani-
ment Of perfect health, and neither
Mr.. Richards nor any other young
player can hope for this condition
while ne plays tennis indoors.
There is nothing calculated to ruin
the eyesght so quickly as this
game, and | am more delighted than
| can say that Mr.. Richards has con.
sented to abandon the game in order
to insure more Immediate and
greater success in outdoor tennis"
Certainly, this is a strong Indictment
Of indoor lawn tennis, particularly as
1t Is played at the 7th Regiment
Amory. 1t would be bad thing fol
the game in general if Rlchards's ac-
ton in withdrawing from future indoor
competition were to be followed in a
Wholesale manner. but it plainly indi-
Gates that there is urgent need for a
suitable building in this city for the
playing of indoor tennis. Boston has
such place in the Longwood covered
courts, where there is splendid diff
lesion of light, even Oh cloudy days
md If Roston can afford such a build
ing why cannot New York?
Something Radically Wrong.
am moved to remark that there
seems to be something radically wrong
with the system of ratlng the value
OF tournaments as at present used by
the ranking committee Of the United
states National Lawn Tennis Associa
ton IN making up the annual first
ten list Of players.
ne ranking committee is in no way
to blame for this condition of affairs
1t appears to be rather ruling by the
executive committee Of the association
tnat is responsible for the system.
In discussing the recent ranking list
given out by the ranking committee
earned from member Of that COM
mIttee that that body is instructed by
lHe executive committee to place I,
value OF points on the national sim
giles and doubles turf court champion
SNIP tournaments; 3 points on the ma
tional clay court Journeys; z points on
sectional championship Journeys, and
J. point on other Journeys, including
the great invitation affairs at Sea-
bright, Southampton and Newport.
IN other words, player competing
IN the clay court tourney last Julv
was credited with accomplishing far
more, relatively speaking (supposing
ne had won the same number Of
matches), than a man who had com
peted at Newport The absurdity of
thus system is shown only when we
compare the entry lists in the two
Journeys
At Chicago, in the clay court cham
plonship, the leading players were
William M. Johnston. William r M
den I'd, Vincent Richards, Walter r
Hayes, S. Howard Vosheu. Robert
Alnsey aud Dr. Samuel Hardy. Place
1hls Hst against some OF those who
>V'-i p''St az -Nt"p port, ana what do we
md? Simply this, that Johnston, Til
oeN' humagae, Lindley Murray. X.
Norris Williams I'd, Gerald l.. Pat
terson, Norman L. Brookes. Maurice
Alcl-aughlln. Richards. Voshell, Wal
lace, lace johnson, Charles S. Garland
W llhs Davis, kinsey and notable
lst or other prominent men played on
the CASINO courts, comprising a really
remarkable field.
Clay Court Tourney Rating
Yet, under the conditions named
the clay court tourney was given a
weight of points in Importance as
against only l point for the Newport
tourney. La other words, the man who
"aded through the strife of play on
the casino courts was deemed to have
accomplished feat only one-third the
NalAe OF the man who won the title
by coming through the meager com
Petition at Chicago
AS understand it, the reason for
thus rating OF the clay court tourney
IN comparison with the Casino event
'les IN the desire of the national asso.
cation to discourage the invitation
tournament as against the open fixture
ms may be perfectly laudable am
t'tlon IN itself. but why make the rule
arbitrary? Why not rate the tourna.
nents according to actual value. as
/ determined by the entry list. instead
o. assigning the values before it is
even known who is to compete?