Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-31
THE TENNIS PLAYERS.
Annual Tournament of the Southern
Lawn Tennis Association.
CHAMPIONS OF THE SOUTH
Interest I'm the Contests TO Take Place
in Baltimore Next Weck-A Review of
the Tennis Playing i'm Washington
Notes of the Game.
@HE weather has not been especially

~ roN favorable for the tennis players dur
| Gl1 nv ing the past week. Those intending
kf to enter the association tournament
q which will begin in Baltimore Oh
| Thursday next have endeavored to practice as
much as possible, principally with the view OF
becoming familiar with playing on grass. The
courts of the Baltimore Cricket Club, where
the tournament will be held are turf courts.
and very handsome ones at that. The grounds
are located at Mount Washington, suburb OF
Baltimore, on the Northern Central railroad.
distant about six miles from the city. There
is fine club house on the grounds and all the
appointments are excellent. The District
| players are accustomed to dirt courts, but
there are a few turf courts in the city,
notably the fine ones at the Marine Barracks,
and some of the players who intend to repre-
sent this city in the tournament next week have
| played few games on the grass 1t is regretted
/ that the weather did not permit a longer time
for Practice of this character. but the men will
| go into the tournament with the intention
| of doing their best, and the best wishes of all
! those interested in tennis in this city will go
with them.
| THE BEGINNING IN THE DISTRICT.
The tournament on Tuesday will be the
| fourth held under the auspices of the Southern
Lawn Tennis Association. twill be four years
| in October since the first association tourna-
| ment was given. During this period the game
| in this District has developed from a feeble in
fancy into the vigorous manhood which IS
manifest at the present time. There were but
few players in this city prior to the year 1887,
and no such thing as Il tennis tournament was
known. Some of the members of the Metro
poitan Club maintained an asphalt court on l
street near 10th. and there was one or two
clubs i'll addition, with. however. q small men,
bership. Mr.. W. V. r. Berry was the only ex-
pert player resident in this city, and at this
time he was carrying off most of the prizes in
the northern tournaments. He has, however,
not been playing for several years.
ORGANIZING THE ASSOCIATION.
Owing mainly to the enthusiastic efforts Of
DR.. +. p. Mclean arrangements were made in
| the latter part of the summer for organizing
an association and holding a tournament for
the championship of the south. Circulars
were sent out to all the prominent clubs of the
south inviting them to take part in u tourna-
ment which would be held on the grounds of
the United States Marine Barracks on the 3Oth
of October. 1887. The responses received were
encouraging. and entries were received from
Baltimore. Wilmington, Del, and clubs in VIr-
ginia and Maryland. Ga the evening of the
first day of the tournament a meeting was held
at Wormleys Hotel and permanent organiza-
! ton was effected under the name of the South
ern Lawn Tennis Association. DR.. F. p. Nc
Lean was elected president, Mr.. Leigh BOnsal
OF Baltimore vice president and Mr.. Chas. L.
McCawley secretary and treasurer.
THE FIRST TOURNAMENT.
The tournament was very successful and ex-
cited considerable interest among the tennis
players of the city. The first prize in singles
was won by Mr.. Leigh Bonsal. Il. b. Good
fellow then of this city carried off the second
prize. Messrs. Bonsal and lie Moyne won the
fra i'm pnl and Nlo5 L Ial. 4
5. Chiffon the second prize. An exhibition
game was played by Mr.. W v Il. Berry and
Mr.. Abel j. Layard. an Englshman and MEM
Der of the Winchester, Va. club. which was a
hne exhibition OF expert playing. From this
tournament practically dates the history of
lawn tennis in this city. The effect OF it was
seen i'll the number of tennis clubs which
spranS into existence. During the winter the
interest did not die out 1t was decided to
hold the next association tournament in Balti-
more on the grounds of the Baltimore Cricket
Club in June, 1883, but in the meantime ar
rangements were made for holding a tourna-
ment open only to
DISTRICT PLAYERS.
This tournament was the first in the District
series and was held in May on the grounds at
Kendall Green. MIR. John Pope carried off the
prize in singles and Messrs. Chas. l.. McCawley
and Rowan Stevens the first prize in the
doubles. At the tournament in June the Dis.
trlct players were unable to overcome the
strong playing Of the Baltimore PLAYERS and
as in the previous year, the latter carried off
the principal prizes. Bonsal and LIE Movne
were again the winners in the doubles But a
new champion had appeared III the person of
Mr.. A. Ill. 5. Post of Baltimore, who is consid-
cred one OF the remarkable PLAYERS of the
country. He defeated the veteran Eonsal and
won the championship i'll singles. At that time
he was only seventeen years o. age, and his
slim figure and boyish appearance presented a
striking contrast to his strong and skillful
playing The District PLAYERS were not dis
couraged by their failure to win the first places
The interest in the game continued undlmin-
ished.
GATHERING OF CHAMPIONS
In September of the same year an important
event in the history of tennis in the District
occurred. An all-comers' tournament was held
on the grounds of the Highland Country Club
and an opportunity was presented of seeing
some of the crack players of the country.
! Through the excrtions of DR.. Mclean this
tournament was gotten up. 1t was held under
the auspices ofthe United States National Lawn
! Tennis Association. Such players as L. Mans
| field 4. V. L.. Iloppin. III. A. DItson. Dean Mil
/ Ter, Messrs. Ludlngton and Beach of Yale Col
| lcge, +. W. Kellogg and others from the north
entered. In addition Thomas Pettitt the pro-
| fessional champion of the world in court ten
| MS, was present and played several exhibition
| games. Players from Baltimore and this city
| entered and the tournament was great
| success.
| LAST YEARS TOURNAMENT.
| The third association tournament was held
IN this city in June OF last year. The grounds
Of the Bachelor Club were occupied on this &C.
! cason and that fact is an evidence of the great
! advance that the game had made in this city.
/ For at the time the first tournament was held
1t seemed but a remote possibility when club
IN this city would have grounds under its own
| control where there would be five line courts.
! In this tournament Chas. l.. McCawley was
| hrst IN the singles, but defeated in the
| championship game by Mr.. Post Messrs Post
and Hodge carried of the first prize in the
/ doubles. Each year District tournament has
been held and steady improvement has been
noted III the style OF playing