The Art of Lawn Tennis

ere it gained a firm hold on public favour. The game divided; the original form being closely adhered to in th

s always from the same end, the players changing courts each game. It was mor

t period, which is deeply shrouded in mystery, came the terms of "love" for "nothing" and "deuce" for "40-all." What they meant originally, or how t

3, 4. The real reason for the proposed change was the belief that the word "love" in tennis made the uninitiated consider the game effeminate and repelled pos

whole scoring system. It is far easier to substitute the words "zero," "nothing," for "love" than cause such an upheaval as was proposed. In my opinion the best way to obviate the matter is to use the player's na

ord "love" in the score, I heartily advocate removing it. This removal was successfu

comparatively short space of time it was universally played in England and France. The game was brought to America in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Its growth there in the past twenty-five years

mental stimulus, and healthful exercise. The moral tone is aided by tennis because the fi

, but the Allied Governments lent official aid to the various service tournaments held in France following the signing of the Armistice. The importance of tennis in the eyes of

in the competition. Among the most notable were Wallace F. Johnson, Conrad B. Doyle, Harold Throckmorton, S. Howard Voshell, and myself, all of whom were granted leave of two weeks or a month. Captain R. N. Williams an

titanic struggle. The passing of so many from

ure of knowing Wilding personally yet I, like all the tennis world, felt a sense of keen personal loss at his heroic passing. Wild

the young Harvard man who gave his life in Flanders fields. I cannot touch on the many heroes who made everlasting fame in a bigger game than that which they loved so well. Time is

er from war's blight, but everywhere the game sprang up in renewed life at the close of hostilities. The season of 1919 was one of reconstruction after the devastation. New figures were stan

ing? Gerald Patterson, the "Australian Hurricane," as the press called him, came through a notable field and successfully challeng

ica to compete in the American Championship. Meanwhile R. N. Williams, W. M. Johnston, and Maurice E. M'Loughlin were demob

ards and myself, after defeating the best teams in America, including W. M. Johnston and C. J. Griffin, the former champ

Patterson in a marvellous 5-set struggle, while Brookes lost to me in four sets. M'Loughlin went down to Williams in a match that showed the famous Comet but a faint shadow of his former self.

in four close sets, while I succeeded in scoring another point by nosing out Patterson by the same score. Thus 1919 gave Johnston a clear c

than I otherwise would, to attempt to show the revival of

that can be traced. The picture is clearest in America as the steps of advancements are more

t the style, without the method of thirty years ago, is coming back in vogue. It is a polished, decorated version of the old type game. It is expanded and developed. History tells us that the civilization of the old Greeks and Romans held many so-called modern luxuries, but not

at were not thought of before the War. Tennis is becoming an organized sport, with skilled mana

es been so universally played, nor by such great multitudes. Its drawing power is phenomenal, hund

usly in the last decade. No less an authority than Norman E. Brookes, whose active playing days cover a period of twenty years, told me during the American Championships, last year at Forest Hills, t

elopment of a large group of boys ranging in age from thirteen to eighteen,

aval, so that the game today is a refined product of the game of twenty years ago. Refined but not vitalized. The World War alone placed its blight on the English game, and changed the even tenor of its way. Naturally the

ves, hit leisurely and gracefully from the base- line, appealed to the temperament of the English people. They developed this style to a perfe

recognized now in America that the country is divided in various geographic districts by the national association

tyle. American tennis followed the English baseline style through a period that developed Dr. Dwight, R. D. Sears, Henry Slocum, and other stars. Tennis, during this time, was gaining a firm hold among the boys and young men who found the deep-driving game devoid of the excitement they desired. Ame

d its crest in the person of William A. Larned. Previous to this time, speed, cyclonic hitting and furious smashing were unknown, although rumours of some player named M'Loughlin combining these qualities were floating East f

n the game that can never be erased. His personality gained him a following and fam

his very personal charm that was his made many players strive to copy his style and methods, which unfortunately were not fundamentally of the best. M'Loughlin was a unique tennis player. His whole game was built up on service and overhead. His ground strokes were very faulty. By his personal popularity M'Loughlin dwarfed the importance of ground strokes, and unduly emphasized the importance of servic

ained previously, and he defeated both men in the Davis Cup. Less than one month later Williams, playing as only Williams can, annihilated that mighty delivery and crushed M

ed by the wonderful ground strokes

e. Yet the circle will never close, for the net game is the final word in attack, and only attack will succeed. T

the point ended by a decisive kill. That is the modern American game. It is the game of Australia as typified by Patterson schooled under the Brookes tutelage. It is the game of France, played by Gobert, Laurentz, and Brugnon. It has spread to South Africa, and is used by Winslow, Nor

raditions. Tennis is universally played. The need of proper development of the game became so great in America that the American L

nterest in the various sections by dealing with local conditions. This was successfully done through a system of local open tournaments, that qualified boys to a sectional champio

ourts and the balls for an open tournament. Among these clubs are Germantown Cricket Club, Cynwyd Club, Philadelphia Cricket, Overbrook Golf Club, Belfield Country Club, Stenton A. C., Green Point Tennis Clubs and at times Merion Cricket Club. The movement has been fostered and built up by the efforts of a small group of men, the most important of whom is Paul W. Gibbons, President of the Philadelphia Tennis Association, together with Wm. H. Connell of Germantown, the late Hosmer W. Hanna of Stenton, whose untiring efforts aid

urnaments around New York that produced some remarkable young players. It is largely due to the junior system that Vincent Richards has become the marvellous player that he is, at such an early age. Se

lity. Arnold W. Jones, the National Boy Champion, is a player of marked ability, with a fine all-around game. Following closely on his heels come J. D. E. Jones, Jr., and Wm. W. Ingraham. From the South one finds John E. Howard. Around Chicago a group of men, led by Samuel Hardy, captain of the 1920 Davis Cup team, and assisted by

matures early in California. M'Loughlin was about eighteen when he first came East; Johnston less than twenty-one when he

amuel Hardy, and one of the most remarkable figures in the tennis world. Dr. Hardy practically

a fine young player, Marshall

the Davis Cup star

, and a product of

so ably handled by

stars developing incl

ard

tail because I want to prove that America has gone into the matter of j

d golf in school. This is a big mistake, as these two games are the only ones that a man can play regularly after he leaves college and enters, into business. The school can keep a sport alive. It is schools that kept cricket alive in England, and

h little or no knowledge of tennis. One thing that forcibly bore in on my mind, during my trip in 1920, was the complete absence of boys of all ages at the various tournaments. In America youngsters from ten years of age up s

R. F. Kingscote, the youngest of the leading players in England, is older than any man in the American First ten, with the single exception of Walter T. Hayes. J. C. Parke has stated definitely that 1920 marked his retirement from the game. He

r possible. There is little question but that the grass game is the best. In the first place, it is the old-established custom, and should be maintained if pos

grass season opens late and closes early. The expense of upkeep is very gr

form conditions in more kinds of weather. The bound is truer and higher, but the light and surface

ith less chance of weather interrupting important meeting

court country. France is entirely on a hard-court basis; there are no grass courts at all. Play in South Africa is entirely on hard courts. Australia and the British

ed surface is the most popular comp

ecade. Grass will continue to be used for the most important events, but the great m

, since the surface of a hard court is slippery and tends to make it hard to reach the net to volley. Thus the natural at

ca has been a big factor in the spread of the game's popularity. Formerly a man or boy had to belong to a club in order to have an opportunity to play tennis. Now all he needs is a racquet and balls, and he may play o

ve wood surfaces, true but lightning fast. The perfect indoor court should retain its true bound, but slow up the skid of the ball. The most successful surface I

ossible to play real tennis. The two covered courts at Longwood Club, Boston, are very fine, well lighted, with plenty of space. There is a magnificent court at Providence, and another at Buffalo. Utica boasts of another, while there are several f

orld. The French players are remarkable on wood. Gobert is said to be the superior of any player in the world, when playing under good conditions indoors. The game of tennis is worthy of having all types of play within rea

e world over. Grass must fight to hold its positio