Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-09-09
LADIES IN TENNIS.
They Make Their First Appearance
in q Club Tournament.
GOOD PLAY OF THE EAST END GYMS.
Gentlemen's Singles Develop Some New
Talent in the Ranks.
MIXED DOUBLES TO COMMENCE TO-DAY

The first tournament of the East End
Gyms opened yesterday under the most
suspicious circumstances. The weather
was pleasant, the entry list large, the courts
in good condition and the audience large
and appreciative. 1t is a notable event
from the fact that it is the first tourney
ever given in this city in which ladies have
entered, and while the affair is confined to
the club membership, is none the less inter-
esting. The tourney combines four events:
Gentlemen's singles, mixed doubles, ladies'
singles and consultations, the finals of each
to be played tomorrow afternoon.
Yesterday was the gentlemen's day, and
they were on hand promptly at o'clock
and by dark had worked the singles out to
the finals. with but one exception. the
match between Mcssrs. H. McClaren and +.
B. 9arr in the semi-finals, of which two sets
were played, each winning one. 1t devel-
oped early in the afternoon that Messrs. ID.
H. Barr F. B. Barr, H. McClaren and Dr.
Proctor would meet each other in the semi
finals. D. H. Barr met j. A. Aull in the pre-
liminary round and won with apparent ease.
His opponent showed II lack of practice that
soon placed him hors de combat, and he
only took out of the IA games played in
the two SETS
Barr Plays a Winning Game.
Later on Mr.. Barr met R. johnson in the
first round. johnson had defeated c. E.
Aull in the preliminary, after a rather close
fight. Aull captured the first set and then
johnson warmed up and took the next two.
In his round with d. II. Barr, Johnson made
great effort to capture the second set, and
on two occasions he saw victory within his
grasp. Then the games went up to all, and
Johnson's powers Of endurance we're not
great enough. Barr won two games, and
took the set and watch.
Dr. Proctor labored under disadvantage.
In practice football game recently his leg
was torn by spike in ball
players shoe, and he was quite
lame, but he demonstrated his ability
to play q strong game when in good eondi-
tion. He was too strong for Ed bravo In the
first round, defeating him by scores of "a,
6-l, although. at the beginning of the first
set it looked as if Mr. bravo would win. In
the semi-hnals the doctor came against D.
II. Barr, who despite the fact that he had
just finished four sets, a total of 81 games
was still fresh. twas a hard contest be-
tween the two in the first set, but Mr. Barr
won and then took the match rather easily,
for the doctors Handicapped limb prevented
the use of enough activity to capture some
of the balls carefully placed by his oppo-
nent.
McCIaren Comes Up the Best.
Mr.. h. McClnren stands between Mr.. F. B.
Barr and the finals, and he is a formidable
obstacle. Mr.. Barr had two rounds which
he won by good playing, coupled with an
inexhaustible supply of breath. The first,
with K. Hamilton, was won in two sets, but
it took three closely fought sets, oil deuce,
to settle the second with Mr.. Stovey. This
match was one OF the most interesting of
the day. Mr.. Barr had won four games in
the first set and Mr. Stoney none. Then Mr..
Stoney took the five straight, and after that
Mr.. Barr got but one, Mr.. Stoney taking
three and the set. The next two sets were
very close, but Mr.. Stoney's staying powers
were not full enough and he lost both.
MIR. McClaren met Lee Voight in the first
start that the round was his, Voight gave
him a hard fight for the victory. The first
set was McClaren's by love score, but
Voight took the second and tried hard to get
the third. McClaren, however, braced up
and played his game, and that settled it.
Darkness stopped his match with F. B. Barr
taken one This will be played of to-day,
and the winner will play d. b. Barr for the
first prize.
There were some very pretty plays in
these contests and, while there was COM
paratively small amount of rapid volleying,
1t was O very creditable display OF tennis
playing. The four men who came together
in the semi-fnals had the best OF it, simply
because they we're able to place the balls
with good Judgment. Next season, when
they have succeeded in putting more speed
into their strokes, they will make some of the
older players work hard to keep the honors
they have now.
The First OF the Mixed Doubles.
To the Misses Gill and Coffin belong the
honors of being the first ladies to appear in
tournament here and they were closly fol-
lowed by the Misses Wells and Potter. The
first had for partners Messrs. C. E. Aull and
Kiehl, and the latter Messrs. Hamilton and
McClaren. Miss Gill is very clever player.
She handles her racket with an ease and ex-
pertness that betokens frequent familiarity
with the courts and nets She was graceful,
but unfortunate in not being able to make
some of her returns tell by reason of the
failure of the ball to take the
air and rise over the net. Miss
Coffin had less speed, but her
carefulness in placing aided not little in
winning for herself and partner the match.
There was little of the cut in her strokes,
but they told just the same. Miss Coffin is
an excellent player, and she and Mr.. Nc
Claren made formidable pair. Both were
entirely too strong for their opponents,
Miss Wells and Mr.. Hamilton. Miss Coffin,
in the ladies' singles, will undoubtedly find
her way to some of the closing rounds.
The ladies' singles will commence this
afternoon and the mixed doubles will be
continued, and both Will be well worth see-
ing. The play will commence at O'Clock,
sharp.
Following is a summary of the scores
made yesterday: