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 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 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 R. T. Van Arsdale, built
up a magnificent system of tournaments and coaching. Hardy left
Chicago and came to New York in 1919; but the work which he so
ably organized will continue under the supervision of the Western
Association. The leading juniors developed in Chicago were Lucian
Williams and the Weber brothers, James and Jerry.