The San Francisco call., 1896-07-05

Oakland youth winner, 800 fair summer
maidens applauded with ali the vigor pos
sible to white-gloved hands, and as many
gorgeously arrayed young men made
knowing comments about the game and
joined in the demonstration so far as they
considered consistent with their efforts to
be fashionably biase.
1t was great day for tennis, especially
the forenoon. Then the sun shone just
warm enough to make pleasure-seekers
rejoice that they were not suffering from
the limitations of four walls, and there
was not too much heat for the comfort of
players or spectators at the game.
AS anticipated, the crowd was not so
large at the courts in the forenoon as that
which came later. The events of the morn
ing were but semi finals. The. grand con-
test of the meet was to be the all-comers'
final of the afternoon.
In spite of other attractions the seats of
the grand stand were we'll filled. A num-
Der of people who had come down the
night before or early yesterday morning
patronized the forenoon sport, and they
were we'll repaid.
Among them was V. Artzimovich, the
Russian Consul, who occupied a seat in
the grand-stand. Arthur Allen, q con-
testant of former years, explained to a
beyy of fair damsels the fine points of the
game. John F. Sheehan Jr. and William
II. Harrelson, who were once quite promi-
nent on the courts at Stanford, but still
better known as baseball players, watched
the play with interest. Other prominent
spectators were: Ernest @. Peixotto Mrs.
Folger of Oakland, George T. Cameron,
J, Hubert Nee, the Misses Hush, Mr.. and
Mrs. William Magee, Miss Romie Wal
lace, John +. Archibald, Senator Frank @.
De Long, Frank McLennan, George H.
Gardner of East Oakland, Miss Reilly of
Oakland. W. II. Hynes of Oakland, W. G..
Cooke, J. M. Anginano, w. G. Morrow
and wife and Gustavus r. Madden.
The first match of the day was between
George Whitney and I. A. Driscoll. Whit
ney bad little difficulty in winning. Dris-
and in the second set came very near
being shut out without game. As it was
the score stood 6-3, 6-1.
The second match of the forenoon was
in some respects the contest of the tourna-
ment. r. n. Whitney was up against
Sam Hardy and hard fight was expected.
The first set seemed to indicate a miscal-
culation. Hardy managed to be every
where at once, and the ease with which he
stopped Whitneys hard drives rather dis
couraged his opponent. The harder Whit
pey drove them the cooler Hardy got, and
his ll-placed returns were marvels. The
set ended six love, Hardy leading.
When Whitney entered the courts for
the second set he had undergone great
change. He commenced sending his
wicked drives at his opponent with force
and precision that perturbed even the
non-excitable Hardy. Before the young
man from Oakland had quite collected
himself the scorer was singing -Four
love, Whitney leading which to the in
itiate means four games for Whitney to
none for Hardy.
Then Hardy commenced to play tennis
as only he can play. He didn't succeed in
rafting Whitney again, but he did sue
ceed in putting up winning game. 1t
was necessary TO play two additional
games to decide the set, Hardy finally
winning by score OF S--6.
Those two matches were the only semi
finals to be decided and the results left
George Whitney and Sam Hardy to con-
test for the first prize OF the tournament, q
Columbia bicycle, and by the default oi
the present champion, Sumner Hardy,
who is in Alaska, the cham mpionship of the
Pacific States.
1t was 2.45 when the final match was
called. The grandstand, commanding q
view of the court upon which the tourna-
ment was held, was full beyond its normal
capacity, and chairs and benches were