The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-20
TENNIS AS IT is.
Prospects for the Spread of the
Game This Season.
a Pastime That Requires Great Skill and
Activity-The Olympic Club Annex
Gives Impetus to the Game.

The opening Of the new courts at the
Olympic Club tennis-grounds is big step
forward in the direction of increasing the
popularity Of the game. The Olympic CLUB
has 1900 mem ers, and many Of them had
previously little knowledge Of tennis or In
clination to become better acquainted with
II .Hut the formation Of tennis annex as An
,fshoot from the club itself will bring the
sport before the members, and tile game Will
soon make Its own way.
Most Of the credit for the laying out Of the
new courts is due to A. J. Treat. who has
warmly pressed the claims of tennis on the
notice Of the Directors. 1t was at first pro-
posed to lay down courts in the grass in the
center OF the grounds. This, however, raised
considerable opposition on the plea that the
appearance of the grounds would be thereby
damaged.
William Greer Harrison came to the rescue
with the suggestion that the club rent the
remainder of the block on which the grounds
are situated. This has been carried out, and
the club now offers four fine courts to its
tennis-loYing members.
a SUCCESSFUL TOURNAMENT.
The tournament which is now in progress
was organized with the object Of giving the
sport a start, and it is intended to organize
the tennis men at its close in the form Of an
annex to the present club. This is rendered
necessary by the fact the Pacific States
Lawn-tennls Association requires an annual
payment from affiliated clubs Of s. for
every fifty members, and the large member
ship Of the Olympic Club would make this
an unduIy heavy burden.
The tournament has been most success
fully managed, and luck could not have pro-
ViGed a better flush than that Hubbard
should meet TObin in the finals. HubbaTd's
chances are considered a little the better,
but TObin's quality Of never knowing when
he is beaten always makes him dangerous
opponent In his first set OF this tourna-
ment the game went against him to the tune
Of to love, and 10 TO 10 in the sixth game.
But Tobin won that sixth game and the
next four and took the next two games and
the set. That was fine exhibition of nerve
and determination, ana player with such
a power Of pulling a match out OF the fire
Is always difficult TO defeat The winner Of
next Saturdays match will play an exhibit
ton game with Joe DAILY on the Sunday
following.
ORIGIN AND PROGRESS.
1t is now twelve years since a small band
OF EDgllshmen started the San Rafael
Tennis Club, and though the game has
grown in popularity and been better PLAYED
every year, the progress has been fairly slow.
IL SpTang into popularity IN England by
leans and bounds, so rapidly in fact that the
cricket men for long time looked on it
aSkance as a dangerous rival. Its English
popularity is, however, no reason for pre-
supposing its success in America. for En-
glish games as a rulesonly struggle on here
in sickly fashion.
Tennis has been somewhat Of an eXeep-
ton. But where tennis has taken a foot
hold here it has been among comparatively
limited class. the richer men. This is the
more to be wondered at because tennis is a
game that need not be played only by men
Of leisure. 1t makes no extravagant demand
On the players time. A set can be played
in less than an hour and it is only necessary
that two men make their recreation time fit.
NOT AN EAsY-GoING GAME.
There has been, too, tendency to re-
gard tennis as an easy-gOing game, only a
tritie more violent than walking exercise.
The BASEL ball player, in particular, looks at
the broad racquet and points his crippled
finger IN deTision. He has heard the game
eXtolled as peculiarly fitted for ladies, and
his former belief t4at it is unworthy Of
strong mans attention is thereby strength
ened. But it is the conceit of ignorance.
Give him a year t6practice in andNHsess he
develops marked ability lady tennis-player