New-York tribune., 1920-02-23

Australian and his partner, Geral
NATIONAL champion and the runner,
the international matches, followin
tournament.
That match marked the first time
.A.t the little Californian and the
n,l philadelphian had ever appeared on
rourt as doubles team, and although
prookes and Patterson were worn to
.as breaking point by campaign of
mcnths and a journey more than half
sround the world, not to mention the
srdors of several years of the world
~sr they were still the most danger
aus team that could be pitted against
the Americans, literally scrub team.
Recently. in Australia, Brookes de-
elared that Johnston and Tllden formed
the greatest team he had met in the
United States, and added that, with
sufficient practice together in the
doubles, they should develop into the
greatest pair this country had ever
i produced. High praise, this, from the
! master
Doubtful of Doubles
The one doubtful shadow that falls
4 across the path of our next Davis Cup
team. when it comes time to battle with
the Australians in the challenge round
usxt December at Sydney, is cast by the
I doubles team of Brookes and Patter-
son. or Patterson and O'Hara Wood,
Or Wood and Ronald Thomas.
With Johnston and Tilden as our
! manstays in the singles, l believe we
NAV be fairly certain of obtaining at
least an even break in these four
matches, but that would not be good
4 enough, if we could not do better in
Z the doubles than we have done in the
] last decade against Australia. The
4 coubles have been our stumbling block
! /, many Davis Cup matches, and this
& viii continue to be true unless we de-
q vote more time and serious attention
to the matter.
\ All our enthusiasm, all our deter
rira.ion. have gone into the singles
i csme. The doubles tournament, even
q ,he one that carries the national cham
4 ujonship, has been relegated to a Sec
endary position, and the reason is not
4 Jar to seek.
4 Mclaughlin ard Tom Bundy and
johnston and Griffin, teams which have
Z held the national doubles title be-
tween them for several years, and
3 which nave now seen the end OF their
championship days, appear to be the
& last pairs that have played together
y consistently. season after season. Since
4 ,Len we have not had any doubles teams
4 that we're up to the standard.
Z Potential Teams Severed
3 Tiden and Vincent Richards, cham
,iors Of 1918 who were defeated in
Z tie national championship by Brookes
q and Patterson last August at Long
\ wood might have been developed into
y one OF the g~eat teams of recent years.
but something happened to disrupt
# their team work last season and they
B we're never able to get the best results
d thereafter. Tilden later had great sue
81 cess with Charles S. Garland as his
4 partner, and here was another po-
u .entially wonderful team, but they did
Il not 60 through q season OF play to-
N gether, and so we have not seen them
a really put 20 the test.
81 Then came Johnston anc Tiiden. In
q the lone match with Brookes and Pat
U ,erson, and they flashed enough real
q tennis or that occasion to Justify the
d most glowing predictions as 10 thelf
team possibilities. But, just when the
4 ideal combination seemed to have been
= found. formidable obstacle cropped
& up. Johnston lives on the Pacific Coast,
q Tilden on the Atlantic seaboard.
q Under ordinary conditions this plain
q iy makes il impossible for the national
b champion and the runner-up to get to-
q gether and practice as doubles team,
d except for the few short weeks when
u Johnston would be here in the East on
q MS annual campaign for the national
81 title. That is not sufficient time to
u develop the smoothness of team work
3 mat Is an essential success in the IN
r arnational matches.
r believe that with some two months
& practice in the doubles Johnston and
Ilden would come pretty close to full
e aling Brookess prophecy, and this in
B spite Of the fact that both men are
81 prone to play their own game. Prob
IS ably there is 10 player in the country
" 70 strongly "individua" in his work as
& Iilden. The Philadelphia has ever
4 been q poacher in doubles. He is such
q tremendous coverer Of court, so
q lightning quick Of foot and on the vol
q ley and smash, that it seems sheer
II lmposslbiity for him not to stray from
& bis own territory when the pace grows
q But, mirabile dctu, Tilden overcame
B :als tendency When he and Johnston
q laced Brookes and Patterson, and what
q vertable engine of destruction they
made -Johnston's terrific forehand
anves and his deadly overland volley.
3 ing, and Tilden's magnificent smashing
D ana uncanny volleys and halfvolleys
Sscked up by the swiftest service II
.eis country to-day. Is it any wonder
mat the weary Australians fell before
tae onslaught
4 The need for great doubles team
represent the United States this
year IN the Davis Cup matches is ur
GENT We should be willing to make
anost any sacrifice, go to any trouble
oattan that end. Because Of this i
eems to me that the United States
lawn Tennis Association ought K
make an extreme effort to develop sucl
,eam the coming season.
.frovided Johnston could so arrang'
~s business affairs next summer, ant
.nasn .asn MS, why would it not be pos
ss.Os' and entirely according to tn
.0oc," for the National Association t.
ssy Johnston's travelling expense
m.me mane here in the East, and Tilden's a
"ssi' and have the national champion
sSae East about the first of July AM
3 'sMaln here until late September?
q rms would afford the California;
aau the Philadelphan splendid op
u ssvailunlty to campaign throughout tn
q .asalt Of doubles tournaments in thi
Msseson Of the country and smooth ou
& ~. rough spots in their team worl
b r;as, sa;sn, IN truth, could We look forwar
81 cMa all confidence to the next Davi