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Johnston to restore the balance of the modern game by solving the riddle
of the Californian's service。 Brookes and Wilding led the way by first
meeting the ball as it came off the ground。 Yet neither of these two wizards
of the court successfully handled M'Loughlin's service as did Williams and
Johnston。
M'Loughlin swept Brookes and Wilding into the discard on those
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memorable days in 1914； when the dynamic game of the fiery…headed
Californian rose to heights it had never attained 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'Loughlin in the final of the National Championship。 It was the
beginning of the end for M'Loughlin； for once his attack was repulsed he
had no sound defence to fall back on。
Williams and then Johnston triumphed by the wonderful ground
strokes that held back M'Loughlin's attack。
To…day we are still in the period of service and net attack； with the
cycle closing toward the ground… stroke game。 Yet the circle will never
close； for the net game is the final word in attack； and only attack will
succeed。 The evolution means that the ground stroke is again established
as the only modern defence against the net player。
Modern tennis should be an attacking service； not necessarily epoch…
making； as was M'Loughlin's； but powerfully offensive； with the main
portion of the play from the baseline in sparring for openings to advance
to the net。 Once the opening is made the advance should follow quickly；
and 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；
Norton； and Raymond。 Japan sees its possibilities； and Kumagae and
Shimidzu are even now learning the net attack to combine with the
baseline game。 England alone remains obstinate in her loyalty to her old
standby； and even there signs of the joint attack are found in the game of
Kingscote。
Tennis has spread so rapidly that the old idea of class and class game
has passed away with so many other ancient； yet snobbish； traditions。
Tennis is universally played。 The need of proper development of the game
became so great in America that the American Lawn Tennis Association
organized； in 1917； a system of developing the boys under eighteen years
of age all over the United States。
The fundamental idea in the system； which had its origin in the able
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THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
brain of Julian S。 Myrick； President of the United States Lawn Tennis
Association； was to arouse and sustain interest 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
championship。 These sectional championships in turn qualified the
winners for the National junior Championship； which is held annually in
conjunction with the men's event at Forest Hills。
The success of the system has been stupendous。 The growth of tennis
in certain localities has been phenomenal。 In Philadelphia alone over 500
boys compete in sanctioned play annually； while the city ranking for 1919
contained the names of 88 boys under eighteen； and 30 under fifteen； all of
whom had competed in at least three sanctioned events。 The school
leagues of the city hold a schedule of 726 individual matches a year。 The
success of the Philadelphia junior system is due to the many large clubs
who give the use of their courts 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
aided greatly in obtaining a real start； Dr。 Chuton A。 Strong； President of
the Interscholastic League； Albert L。 Hoskins； for years Vice…President of
the U。S。L。T。A。； and others。 This plan brought great results。 It developed
such players as Rodney M。 Beck； H。 F。 Domkin； G。 B。 Pfingst； Carl
Fischer； the most promising boy in the city； who has graduated from the
junior age limit； and Charles Watson （third）； who； in 1920； is the
Philadelphia junior Champion； and one of the most remarkable players for
a boy of sixteen I have ever seen。
New York City was fortunate in having F。 B。 Alexander； the famous
Internationalist； to handle the junior tennis there。 He； together with Julian
S。 Myrick； and several other men； built up a series of tournaments around
New York that produced some remarkable young players。 It is largely due
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to the junior system that Vincent Richards has become the marvellous
player that he is； at such an early age。 Second only to Richards； and but a
shade behind； are Harold Taylor and Cecil Donaldson； who have just
passed out of the junior age limit。 Charles Wood； the Indoor Boys
Champion； is a remarkable youngster。
In New England； particularly in Providence； through the efforts of J。 D。
E。 Jones； junior tennis is rapidly assuming an important place； and many
young stars who will be heard of in the future are coming to the fore。 By a
strange coincidence the list is headed by the two sons of Jones。 They seem
to have inherited their father's ability。 Arnold W。 Jones； the National Boy
Champion； is a player of marked ability； with a