The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-06-08
CHAMPIONS AT TENNIS.
PREPARING FOR THE FOUR GREAT
TOURNAMENTS OF 1890.

-
Prospects in the Eastern and West
ern Doubles-The Battle for Cham
pion Honors and the Cup at New
port Famous Players Who Will
Compete - Ladies in the Tennis
Court, and Why They Cannot Excel
at the Game.
players all over the land are girding up
their loins and getting out their blazers and
flaDnels in anticipation of very lively and
interesting season. Indeed, it promises to
be the liveliest that has been known since
the game was introduced here from EGG
land some half d zen years ago. There
are already twenty odd matches arranged
as fixtures for 1890, but the interest," centers
in the four great championship tournaments
of the United States National Lawn Tennis
Association.
Good form is everything in tennis, and
grace is its accompaniment. These charac-
terisiicS will be seen to perfection in the
coming tournaments, for every season shows
a remarkable advance in the quality Of the
playing as well as in the multiplication of
tennis clubs. Yet SO varying is the stand
ny WHICH, Jn6 6AC6litIC6 VI one DlaX at
tennis is reckoned, that it would probably
be difficult to find dozen amateurs in the
whole country who would agree as to the
likeliest winner OF the championship for
singles or doubles during the coming season.
henry w. Slocum, Jr., is the present
holder Of championship honors, having
won them in 1888, after the title had been
held for seven successive years by Richard
| d. Sears, who two years ago was compelled
| tn abandon the in Of
| accident which incapacitated him for a
time. Sears playing has never been equaled
| in this country. 1t is strong. brilliant and
| remarkably even. Like all the great
players, he is cool, and rejects the tempta-
zion to stand up by the net aud smash at
the ball, even when it seems safe thing to
| do. His strong point is mentally calculat-
| ing how to place the ball to best advantage.
His stroke is said to be not unlike that of
| Petit, the famous professional tennis
player, who has a free movement that
most players envy. 1t is worth remember
ing, too, that the name of Sears ranks
| among the pioneers of the game in the
United States. When a tennis set was
brought from England by gentleman of
Boston and first used at Nahant sixteen
years ago-the racquets light and toy-like
affairs and the balls like the rubber ones
children play With. X. Sears and Dr.
Dwight were the first to ATTEMPT the game
and both liked it so much that they soon
became experts. Dwight's skill is second
only TO that of the ex-champion, whose
elder brother was instrumental in bringing
the game into prominence.
If there is one game above another in
which the American girl delights, and
which she can indulge without laying her
self open to the imputation of being romp,
tbs tennis. In recognition of her fondness
for the game, the place of honor in the
national association matches has been con-
coded to the ladies, who will compete for the
single and double championships for women
at the grounds of the Philadelphia Cricket
Club from June 9 to IA. The tournament
will be followed on June 80 to
July 5 by toe double championships for
men at the Staten Island Club grounds, the
double championships of the west for men
at Chicago from July IA to 10, and the
single championship for men at the New
port Casino Aug. "a to Sept. 6. On the
latter dates the play off between the win
ners of the two double championships for
men will also take place. Ia every instance
the matches will begin on Monday, but
the fixtures may be changed to suit the con-
venence of the clubs.
The tennis rage has taken hold of Amer
leans more emphatically than any other
outdoor game for both sexes that has pre-
coded 1t. Indeed, we make good deal
| more of it here than they do in England.
Besides, winter tennis is coming into vogue.
the enthusiasts being unwilling to run the
risk of being beaten through lack of prac-
tice. The winter games-they can hardly
be called matches-are held in available
racquet courts, and where there are no
such courts the game Of hand-ball suf-
fees to keep the player in trim For the
ladies, the old-fashioned battledore and
Enthusiastically the progenitor of tell
nis-iS the finest possible exercise for keen
ing their hands in until the real work of the
turfed court begins. So 1t happens that, I'M
like many other sports that belong to the
summer alone, tennis does rot stagnate in
winter. A week hence its devotees will
come up to the low nets, racquet in hand,
and in good form and playing as strong
game as though the last tourney had closed
only a few days before.
The following are the champio 1ship re-
cords since 1881, in tine single for all-com-
ers, the doubles. aud the intercollegiate
tournaments: