St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-17


the excellent opportunities they would
have for good play.
! 1t will need much praise from Good
body, however, to offset the impression
that has gained such a strong foot
| hold abroad of our inferiority. This
was augmented, rather than dimin-
1shed, last season, by the playing
| abroad of E. l.. Hall and j. F. Tai
mage, Jr. Hall used to be one of the
| best players in America, but he has
| fallen off badly, and his play last year
did not by any means sustain his
| reputation. Foreigners could only
| judge him by his form at that time.
and, knowing he was one of the best
men we had, they naturally supposed
our other experts ranked with him.
AS a matter Of fact, Hall was beaten
several times by second class men
when he returned in August.
Talmage, too, has been playing for
several years with the best men in the
country-or, they have been playing
with him-and this has given him rep
utation far greater than his skill
warrants. When he went abroad last
year the Englishmen expected much
of him, but he did little of note on the
July, he met Baddeley, formerly cham
pion of all England. A good story is
told of this match, which shows the
spirit abroad. Baddeley had expected
hard match, and he found Talmage
very easy fruit AS another Amer
lean, who saw the incident, told it:
Baddeley was simply playing horse
with Jack Talmage, and after each
stroke would tbn
Americans play. He kept up a run
ming fire of amusing remarks as he
drove the balls by the Yale man, and
finally convulsed the British onlook-
ers by remarking, after an easy pass
at the net, well, is that the best the
Yanks. can do? They'll have to send
our third-raters.' :"
Talmage was beaten in three straight
sets by Baddeley, and hurt Americas
tennis reputation by his poor showing.
The first open event he played in after
returning to these shores was in Ny
ack early in September, where he was
beaten in three straight sets by J.
Parmley Paret, of the Morris Park
Tennis club. Paret is one of the best
local players about New York and
first-class expert. His decisive victory
over the Yale man so lately returned
from English courts showed the latter
to be very poor representative for
America abroad.
FIRST-CLASS MEN HERE.
But we have several reliable. first
class players on this side of the At
lantic. in Wrenn, Hovey, Hobert, Lar
ned, Chace and one or two others. II
one of these were to visit the other
side and train long enough to get into
his best form, the result might be
very different from that which has
fallen to other American players
abroad. Wrenn and Hobart made a
conditional plan last summer to go
abroad together this spring, but this
has been abandoned, and Hobart will
not be able to go, on account of bust
ness. Wrenn is working hard at his
studies at Harvard, and he, too, says
he does not believe he can go over this
year. Many of his friends, however,
still believe that he will do so, and re-
turn in time again for the American
championships in August. The Eng
liSh championship event takes place in
Wimbledon in July, so players can
take part in both.
1t is certain, however, that Eddie"
Hall will go abroad very soon, and
that he will play tennis there a great
deal. 1t would be difficult to find a
better representative for American
players than Hall if he were in his
best condition; but he was not last year,
and it is doubtful if he will be again
this summer. He was placed fourteenth
in the official ranking Of American ex-
perts at the end of 1894, "three-quarters
fifteen" below Hovey, Hobart and Lar
ned. At his best few years ago. he
was equal to any man in the country.
If Wrenn decides to go, however,
America will be better represented in
England than ever before, and the Bri
tish championship meeting will assume
more of an international character
that any other tennis contest ever held.
Goodbody will be over here again
soon after the Wimbledon tournament.
He played in all the most important
tournaments last year from the time
he reached this side until the end of
the season. and he is expected to do so
this summer. He will be invited to
take part in all the big invitation
events and in Newport, for rule of
the U. s. N. l.. T. A. permits foreign
ers to compete for the American cham
pionship only by invitation.
He has promised to bring with him
some of the other English cracks, but
past experience has taught Americans
how hard it is to get the BritisherS
to come. They usually back out at
the last minute, and many fear that
they will do so again this year, though
Goodbody is almost certain to come,
even If he has to come alone. Those
whose names have been mentioned as
possible companions and fellow yam
kee beaters" to come over with Good
body are Ernest Renshaw, formerly
champion of England, and H. S. Ma
honey, formerly champion of Ireland.
ACTIVE INDOOR SEASON.
The indoor tennis season this win
ter has been more brisk than ever. 1t
had been many years since an i'm
portant tournament had been held in
doors, until this winter, but the ten
mis- lovers in West Newton, Mass, the;
home of Fred" H. Hovey, have re-
vived interest this year by the forma>
ton of the Winter Tennis club there.
A novel court has been arranged in a
big hall, and on this an invitation tour
nament was nelQ on washington
birthday, and the following day, in
which were five of the first ten players
of the country. Fred Hovey won
first prize in this event with a clean
record of four victories. Larned got
second prize, while Cnace Hobart
and Foote also took part in the
matches.
The court on which the tournament
was played was a novelty. Instead OF
marking it out directly on the board
floor a piece of green canvass was
stretched over the boards at great
tension, and the lines marked on that
in white. The effect was the same as
a grass court, and the canvas offered
a better footing than do wooden
and night playing, were specially ar,
ranged and screened so as to give as
nearly the effect of sunlight as pos
sible. All who went up to West New
ton to play and see others play agree