The Counter Attack

Britain's Struggle to Regain Her Lost Trophies Will Be the Feature of the Year

GRANTLAND RICE

HAVING seen the international pantry shelf sadly depleted in the way of cups during the stirring campaign of 1921, extended preparations, now under way beneath the Union Jack, indicate a counter attack of no slight proportions this coming summer.

Last season Great Britain lost more than her share of these international trophies. In the course of events Tilden and Johnston, among others, went to Australia and brought back the Davis Cup. The Polo Four headed by Devereux Milburn went to Hurlingham and returned with the Polo Cup. Jock Hutchison stopped off at St. Andrews and picked up the British Open Golf Championship, bringing it to Glenview, Chicago. Tilden returned and defended his tennis championship at Wimbledon. The sole British Bulwarks among the larger events were Willie Hunter and Cecil Leitch, who defended British amateur golf with rare skill at Hoylake and Turnberry. But in the main the count against Great Britain was almost overwhelming.

What then about the counter charge of 1922 which is waiting just beyond the border of spring?

From early indications it will be the most serious Uncle Sam has been called on to meet for some time. There will be no Polo sector to defend for at least another year, but, in golf and tennis, the campaign will be notable. This applies especially to the Davis Cup, where the United States, even with Tilden, Johnston and Richards, will need all it has to meet the issue.

The main shadow is drifting in again from Australia. Back in 1908 Norman Brookes and Anthony Wilding, one of the most formidable Davis Cup teams of all time, conquered Fred Alexander and Beals Wright in the challenge round and took the big trophy to the other side of the world. Ever since that triumph, Australia has been a strength to reckon with in Davis Cup affairs. Her teams were victorious in 1908, 1909, 1911, 1912 and 1914 with the great Brookes in each instance a vital factor. Now the word has gone forth that Brookes, well up in the forties, is organizing his forces again for a final drive. He has been grooming Patterson and Anderson for the singles while he with O'Hara Wood will take care of the doubles in the strongest combination that is to come this way.

The Strongest Team

ANDERSON is the brilliant young player who made a fine impression by his play last summer over here, finally defeating Tilden out west, in one of the most sensational matches of the year. He needed just that year's experience to take his place among the ranking players of the game and, by late summer, he will be a formidable opponent to head off. Coupled with Anderson in singles play, is Patterson who made his first appearance in the United States three years ago. His game then had pace and power, but no great amount of finesse. He had vital weak spots to work on, and, for two years, under the watchful eye of Brookes, he has been getting ready for the new assault. With Patterson and Anderson in improved form, Australia will be able to make a hard fight in the singles, with at least an outside chance of breaking through. With these two in charge of the singles, Brookes and Wood, a veteran combination, will then be left to wage war in the doubles. Brookes has now passed beyond championship stamina for the singles' test, but he is still one of the greatest doubles' star in the game, when it comes to looking after his part of the play. This combination will be stronger than the Japanese challengers of last fall at Forest Hills.

How About Golf?

THE six main titles in golf are—the British Open, the British Amateur—the British Women's Championships; the American Open, the American Amateur and the American Women's Championships. Of these six titles at the new season's start no less than four are held in the United States, by Hutchison, Barnes, Guilford and Miss Marion Hollins.

For her amateur championship Great Britain still has Hunter, Tolley, Wethered, Jenkins, Armour and at least eight or ten others of strong possibilities, with numerical superiority too pronounced to be overcome, unless a Guilford or a Ouimet happens to be at the top of his stride for a week. It is difficult enough to go through a United States Championship where the test calls for one 36-hole match a day. It is even harder to survive a British Championship where there are two eighteenhole matches on the docket and where a slow start means almost certain defeat.

In the way there is only a bare chance that Miss Hollins or any of the remaining strong women players on this side will have any great chance to beat Miss Leitch, Miss Wethered or Miss Jackson on home soil. Miss Hollins has improved her play immensely and with her fine length from the tee will be a formidable opponent anywhere. But she will have too many good ones to beat to have anything but an outside chance to win.

In the late winter councils it was announced that Sandy Herd and J. H. Taylor would be the two selected to go after our Open Championship at Skokie.

Both have been among the most brilliant of all time, but as they have now passed fifty by several milestones, it is hard to figure that either will be strong enough to stand up under the 72-hole test in July weather.

There has been a late winter rumour that Guilford and possibly Ouimet will leave for Prestwick in May to take another shot at the British Amateur and, if they go, one of the two might easily go a long way through the list. Guilford, with a title under his belt, will play with greater confidence than ever, and if Ouimet is with him the two will add more than a trifle to the international year.

In any final summing up the chances are that Great Britain will at least improve her 1921 showing, even though she doesn't come quite as far as an even break. All of which adds to general interest and the gaiety of nations in a world that can use a trifle more gaiety without becoming flippantly hysterical.