Official Organ of the United States National Lawn Tennis Association 



The selection of the team to represent the 

 United States in the International contests 

 for the Dav'is . trophy in England, has been 

 definitely announced. It includes Holcombe 

 Ward, the singles champion and his partner 

 in. the champion doubles, Beals C. Wright; 

 William A. Larned, the former singles cham- 

 pion, and William J. Clothier. The four will 

 sail for England on June 13 to play at the 

 Queen's Club, London, in the first games on 

 July 8. If successful, they will complete the 

 tour on July 24, the last of the three days' 

 play for the cup at Wimbledon, returning to 

 this country in time for the Longwood events 

 preparatory to Newport. 



The choice includes the men who were gen- 

 erally picked to go by tennis experts through- 

 out the country, and is, therefore, hailed 

 with uniform satisfaction. The only doubt 

 expressed anywhere was on the ground that 

 Holcombe Ward might be unable to stand 

 the strain of twelve days' consecutive match 

 play as might be necessary under the con- 

 ditions. On this point it has been decided to 

 take Ward's own estimate as to his ability 

 to meet the ordeal. Since he is confident 

 of his doing so should he be called upon 

 there is nothing further to say on the score. 

 As named, there is widespread confidence in 

 the ability of the team to make the most 

 creditable showing if they do not succeed in 

 actually returning the trophy to this country. 



For the past four weeks the men have been 

 training in the South, preparatory to the in- 

 vitation tournaments at Orange, Knollwood, 

 Manheim and Bay Ridge, with which they 

 are now engaged. The form shown gives 

 every encouragement to the management and 

 justifies the expectation of success. By the 

 time they are ready to sail all of the four 

 should be playing at the top of their game 

 and fit to meet the flower of the tennis world 

 for the blue ribbon event of its schedule. 



PLAYERS NAMED FOR THE TIES. 



As far as is known the plan is to name for 

 the first match with Belgium, Clothier and 

 Larned in the singles and Ward and Wright 

 in the doubles. Belgium will be represented 

 by P. de Borman and Willie Lemaire. While 

 the two are good men and regarded in Eng- 

 land as the strongest of the challengers bar- 

 ring the Americans, it is not expected that 

 either Larned or Clothier will meet mishap in 



their games. The opponents are not dis- 

 counted by any means, but a fair appreciation 

 of the skill of our singles players compels 

 the expectation of victory. So that it is be- 

 lieved when the second tie is played at the 

 Queen's Club on July 13, 14, and 15, America 

 will be matched against the Frenchmen. 



It is possible that a change may be made 

 in our team for this event, though it is hardly 

 likely. The French team is of greater 

 strength than the Belgians, in American 

 opinion. The men named are Max Decougis, 

 M. Vacherot, M. Worth and M. Ayme. De- 

 cougis is the French champion and defeated 

 H. L. Doherty recently in the covered court 

 championship in England. It was not be- 

 lieved then that he was as strong as little 

 "Do" by any means, but his victory must not 

 be belittled too greatly. Larned and Ward 

 should be prepared, however, to do full jus- 

 tice to themselves against him. There is no 

 great anxiety as to the result of the other 

 singles matches. In view of this there is 

 a chance that Clothier may be paired with 

 Wright in the doubles for this tie only in 

 order to rest Ward, though that is a point 

 that can only be settled definitely when the 

 time to nominate arrives. 



If Clothier does not play doubles in the 

 French match it is probable that he will be 

 given a chance in the singles against Aus- 

 tralia in event of America defeating both 

 Belgian and French combinations. The Aus- 

 tralian four are highly spoken of by E. B. 

 Dewhurst, who is familiar with their abili- 

 ties, but he does not think them equal to any 

 one of the three American singles players 

 unless they have improved greatly since he 

 left Australia. These matches occurring on 

 July 17, 18 and 19 allow Ward a solid week 

 of rest with nothing to do except to pair with 

 Wright in the doubles on one of the three 

 days, he will play this match for the pur- 

 pose of practice and it will be beneficial rather 

 than detrimental to their chances agqinst 

 England. 



OUR CHANCES AGAINST ENGLAND. 



Presuming success in the preliminaries, 

 winning the right to challenge for the final 

 match for the cup, the tie against England 

 will occur on July 21, 22 and 24. Of course 

 the team for these contests will be Ward and 

 Larned in the singles and Ward and Wright 



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