The San Francisco call., 1896-05-11
Great Match Game Between John
Riordan and James Harlow,
Riordan Winning.
SPLENDID TEST OF ENDURANCE
The San Francisco Court Crowded in
Every Part by Admirers of
the Sport.

RiordaD held the cham pionship for sew
eral years, and during that time no PLAYER
on the coast had the courage to attem pt
to wrest it from him. With the exception
of John Jones, the Australian champion,
Riordan was considered to be without a
peer, and when ]. Harlow challenged him
about year ago to play for the champion
ship and 500 side, hand ball players gen.
orally were amazed when Riordan declined
to cover Harlow's deposit with THE CALL
and forfeited the championship to Harlow.
Since then Harlow has been recognized
as the champion, but neither he nor
any one else felt satisfied that he should
hold the title without playing for it. All
efforts to get up match between the two
| failed, but when Harlow defeated T. f.
Bonnet three weeks ago for a trophy pre-
! sented by Phil Ryan, proprietor of the
San Francisco court, Riordan pleased his
| friends and every lover OF handball by
challenging Harlow to play for the cham
! pionship, the match to be the best of five
| games.
The match was played in the San Fran
| cisco court yesterday afternoon. The court
was crowded with critical audience. and
although it was the general opinion that
| Rlordan would prove the victor, no one
was courageous enough to lay money on
| the result.
Shortly after 8 o'clock Riordan made
| his appearance in the alley and he was
Immediately followed by Harlow. 1t was
evident that both had trained well for the
| event. No two men could present a
4 stronger contrast. Riordan looked like a
| giraffe, with his long, thin legs and thin
body, while Harlow, who is short and
compactly built, had the appearance of a
gladiator.
George Hutchinson was the scorer and
referee and he lost no time in starting the
play. j. c. Nealon tossed up dollar and
Harlow made wioDg guess, so Riordan
took the ball.
The first game was scorcher Riordan
| started of with Ia consecutive aces, the
| first being tossed without a chance for
Harlow, and his friends were iubilant.
Harlow kept up his usual record for
| splendid service and scored IA before be-
| ing retired making the game equal. Rior-
don followed with aces and Harlow
| failed to score. Riordon only made l and
Harlow followed with 8; then Riordon
| scored and Harlow 1. Riordon had only
| TO make to win and he did not disap-
point his friends, the game being won by
the score of 21-1S.
The second game was acknowledged to
be the keenest contest ever seen in the
| court. 1t was essentially a test of endur-
ance and skill between the two players,
| and al its conclusion Harlow seemed to
have suffered the most.
Twelve times each player had the op-
portunity OF serving, which shows the ma
ture OF the game. Riordan's scores were
1,2.2 2, 9, 5, l, Q, Q, 2, l, 3. 1. and Harlow's
to 20, and the game seemed easy for Har-
low, who had tossed a straight 6, but he
fumbled the ball in returning and had to
Igive place to Riordan. Riordan tossed a
bail ana Harlow failed 10 catch it, but i'm
| mediately protested that il was not over
the ace-line. Hutchinson decided against
him and Harlow appealed against his de-
cision. 1t looked for few minutes as If
the match would end in fzzle, but when
Harlow saw that the feeling of the specta-
tors was IN favor of the referees decision
he gracefully withdrew his protest and tie
second game was credited to Riordan.
The time wasted gave the players a
chance to get their second wind, and
Riordan started off on the third game like
a Young colt. He scored 6 aces before
being retired, and Harlow was only able
10 make l. Riordan added more to his
scoN and Harlow made 4; Rlordan fol-
lowed with 3, Harlow with 1, and then
Riordan made and out, winning the
cham pionship In three straight games
amid the cheers of the spectators.
1t was great match, aud, although de-
feated, Harlow proved that he is a stayer
|
| the game. He is tritie weak III his left
| hand, but he is gradually overcoming that
| defect. Riordan's victory was a popular
| one.
| At the Union court the attraction was a
| match between r. Drea and A. B. Beaton
] and Frank Larkin and II. Whitlow. Each
team won two rubs. and the final will be
played next Sunday.
| Following were the games played in the
courts:
| San Francisco Court-Robert Shea and G.
and each side won a rub. NJ. Mcguire and C.
| Collopy defeated j. Graham and f. Mitchell
21-11, 1921, 21-9. R. Murphy and
W., stansbury defeated NJ; Edwards
J. Brown and j. McCauley defeated
! j. Sharkey ard NJ. Bowen, 21-11, 1871,
| 2I-15. ]. Sharkey and NJ. Bowen defeated d.
oBrien. and J. Brown, 21-11, 14-21, 21-6
T. F. Bonnet and P. Kelly defeated T. Dom
| nelly, the amateur champion, and Al Pen
4 noyer 21-16, 21-19, 12-21, 2l-14. ]. Rior-
dan defeated J. Harlow for the championship
| OF the coast, 21-1S, 21-2o, 21-6.
Union court-William McManus defeated
| Charles Madison and L. Latchiee. 21-14, 81
| 10, 21-5. J. Bradley and J. Moffatt deieated
21-s, 1911, 2I-14. William Giiheney and
| NJ Morton defeated J. j. McGonnigle and
Austin Hendry, 21-14, 1921, 21-l9, 21-I9.
| N. Powers and William O'Neal defeated James
| Lee and David Burk, 21-19, 21-14, 14-2I
| 2l-l9. William Phillips and q. Thorn pson
| defeated Paul Kelly ana T. Hughes, 21-9,
21-19, 21-14. George Lynch and George
| Ackerson defeated A. Swanton and Charles
! O'Brien and Joe King defeated Judge Camp
| bell and "King' Mcfarland. 21-1, 2I-Ii,
| 21-20. R. Drea and A. B. Beaton played
frank Larkin and II. Whitlow and each team
| won TWO rubs.
L