The New York herald., 1922-12-31
Lawn Tennis

That there Is n great year ahead for
tennis IN America the fact that at least
four or five OF the Davis cup challenging
nations expect TO play their preliminary
ties in this country renders certain. In
IS aernational competition has always been
the power behind tennis boom and will
continue TO be for all time. There Is the
assurance that tho presence OF foreign
tennis stars will make our championship
tournaments doubly interesting and Will
have the effect OF attracting thousands
CT new devotees to a game that in recent
vcars has grown by leaps and bounds.
The constant growth in the schedule
OF sanctioned tournaments, the phe-
yomenal advance in municipal court con
etruction as reported by tho United
states Lawn Tennis Association com nit
tee, the recognition OF tennis as a major
e,port by many of the leading colleges
ard the marked increase in attendance
ct tournaments last summer are all in
d.cative OF the sports upward trend.
With the Davis Cup emblemahc OF
the worlds team championship In
Americas possession and with the
worlds singles championship owned be-
yond dispute by William T. Tilden "a,
OF Philadelphia, the United States ap-
pears TO be the center Of the tennis
universe for the time being. How long
mo OnlteQ CLatcS Will COHllnuc ~ ohcV
the way depends first on how long
Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston, tho Davis
cup conquerors. can retain their effec-
tiveness and, second, on the country's
success In developing International ma
teriai to replace the two stars when they
are ready to step down.
Johnston already has declared that he
will come East In 1923 to compete in the
national championships and assist In
A AZ f.xsa f@..o .Afsln
again. He seems n Davic cup team
certainty. Tilden Is somewhat of an
uncertainty. Through severe infec-
ton no has lost valuable portion OF
the middle finger of his racquet hand
and he Is still considerably In doubt
whether that loss will have any ma
teriaI effect on his game. whether some
of his most effective strokes VIII be
impaired. The champion Is fairly con-
fidcut that he will be able to adjust
his game quickly to any change oil
ptroke or strategy the abbreviated digit
may demand, but should he fall to re-
turn to the top of his form this season
the Davis cup will scarcely be as secure
as il was last summer.
Vincent Richards, third In national
rank for two years, looms as the logical
successor to Tlden should the title
holder find II impossible TO strike his
championship stride. Not a few tennis
critics. Norman L. Brookcs and Gerald
Patterson OF Australia among them
have long doubted Richards ability TO
develop into q national champion. ye'
The youth has mounted higher each year
un.il now only Tilden and Johnston rate
above him. The success with which ne
plowed through the national champi-
onship field to the semi-final last sum-
Iner. and his great experience in playing
before large galleries. should make the
twenty-year r-old star n worthy interna-
tlonaiist II called upon to play an Inn
portant role In the cup defense. But In
the event that Tiids IN has to remain off
the United States team the strong Aus
tralian squad will be a dangerous tennis
Zoe next summer.
The long reign Of Mrs. Mola Blur
stedt Mallory as queen of women's ten
mis- In America. bids fair to be inter-
ruptcd next season. A title contender
OF exceptional promise has developed In
tho person OF sixteen-ycar-old Miss
Helen Wills OF California. who. II she
improves as rapidly this year as she
did last. will come pretty close to taking
the national championship back TO the
Pacific coast> on three different occa-
rions last summer. Il win be reniem-
hcrcl, this California schoolgirl took
ret from Mrs. Mallory and once ad-
yanced to within two strokes OF beating
her.
Mrs. Mallory. by the way. Is going
abroad again In quest OF the worlds
championship title Mile. Suzanne Len
glen Of France won so imprcssively al
Wimbledon last July. Molla still feels
confident that at her best she can ex-
tend the French girl TO the limit to re-
tain the title, and she Is determined to