Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-21
TOUGH JOB AHEAD
FOR NET RANKERS
Whether to Consider Play
Abroad Is One Problem.
First Ten Listed.
BY WILLIAM t. T1LDEN, I'd.

BY WILLIAM 1. IILDEN, I'd.
N JEW YORK, September 90
N The tennis season of 1880
1 Y has practically closed, and
from now until the 1881
annual meeting the air will be
full Of rumors Of this and plans
for that, chief among the dis
cusSions being the ranking list
for 1880.
do not envy the men whose duty 1t
is to list the American players on their
records Of this year. There are two
methods Of ranking One is to look
only on the American season. That
works great hardship on the men
who gave up their time to go to Europe
and play Davis Cup matches for their
country. The other method is to give
weight to the records all over the world.
This seems fairer, yet it certainly COM
plicates the task.
Ranks DOeg No. i.
Personally, 1 will attempt to give my
ideas, based Cd on the American season,
with particular emphasis on Newport
and the national singles, since these
two events were the only ones In which
the Davis Cup team had found their
real form in America. (2l The Euro"
pean season (3) knowledge OF condi-
lions governing the records.
My list would be as follows:
l. John Doeg, the national cham
pion.
2. w. T. Tilden, I'd.
3. Wilmer Allison.
f. Frank x. Shields.
5. Sidney b. Wood.
6. Clifford Suffer.
7. Gregory Mangin.
8. Francis T. Hunter
g. John Van Ryn.
10. George NJ. Lott.
Observation-Disclosures Vines and r. N,
Williams.
This list does not satisfy me. can
juggle it around and justify other align.
mentS almost as we'll as the one l offer,
but have finally decided on this.
The only excuse for Doeg at one In
the fact he won the American cham
pionship. 1 have always believed the
champion should be "one," or the title
is an empty one. Therefore give Doeg
the first place.
I place Allison and myself ahead OF
Frank Shields, the runner-up in the
singles, by virtue of our play abroad.
l go at two because of my Wimbledon
victory, my win at Newport and my
long record OF success all over Europe,
which Offset my loss to Shields two days
after landing, and my defeat by Suffer
when handicapped by an injured leg
at Rye.
Shields Record SpOtty.
Wilmer Allison as runner-up at VIM
bledon. where he beat Cochet, runner
up at Southampton, and Newport, just
noses out Frank Shields for g." Shields
gets "A" by his great record in the sin
giles championship. His seasons record
is very spotty ana full of very bad de-
feats. One cannot really place him
higher on his record.
Sidney Wood, by virtue Of his vic
tories at Seabright and Southampton,
his fine record al Newport, Nassau and
Longwood, eliminating in reaching the
semi finals of the national singles, is
solid choice for IS" and might have .
claim to better place.
1 can give Cliff Sutte- So" on his win
in the intercollegiate, Longwood and
Rye, with some very clean-cut victories
over ranking players. Gregory Mangin
by carrying Shields five sets in the ma
tional singles, beating Coen and Van
Ryn. following the latters defeat of
Hunter at Rye, and good record at
Newport just slides into a."
Frank Hunter Notwithstanding his
disastrous early season. certainly gets in
at %" by his victory over Coen and Van
Ryn at Newport, his clean-cut victory
over Williams after the latter's defeat of
Lott in the singles championship and
carrying Doeg to five sets. This late
season play in the most important tour
naments offsets his two defeats by Vines
and the one by Van Ryn at Rye.
John Van Ryn, who is far better than
60" just as is Hunter at g. is I'M
lucky in having a year when he did not
meet any of the boys who outrank him
and his placement must stand more on
negative results than positive per-
formances.
Records Scrambled.
I give George Lott 30" more on his
play abroad than anything he showed
in the United States. One could quite
justify giving Williams precedence by
virtue of his victory over Lott in, tbs
championships, or place Vines ahead on
his two wins from Hunter. Still 1 give
Lott preference ON his Davis Cup play,
with Williams and Vines following.
One cannot quite place such men a.
Junior Coen, Berkeley Bell. not even on
his win from Borotra in the United
States championship: j. G.. Hall or
Bryan Grant i'll the first TO-
l have never seen a year where the
records are 50 scrambled and a logical
placement so difficult / know my list
can be riddled, but so can any other.
have tried to make mine with i'm
personal consideration of the years
work. 1 feel that in some cases better
players have suffered and fallen below
men who are their inferior because OF
the remarkable series of upsetS that
have made 1880 unique in tennis annals.