The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-20
RACOUETS.
Champion Latham ana rercy Ashuorth n
Practice.
A. Va. True B!uos, at Paterson.

Peter Latham, with his running mate. Percy
Ashworth, until this year amateur racquet
hampton OF England, and who has come over
with the worlds champion to practice with him
for his match with Standing on Nov. -, entered
the west court of the New York Racquet and
Tennis Club shortly after II o'clock yesterday
morning for their second days practice. After
n few minutes of preliminary work h.shworth,
with u handicap of Z aces. won tho toss. and
scored an ace on his first service from the right
hand court. with a heavily cut ball. which
proved too much for the champion. The next
service resulted in a pretty rally, Latham finally
putting Ashworth out by a woll-placed return.
Lathum's first service was returned. the sub
scqucnt rally ending in his favor. He carclcssly
scored himself out by two faults, however. Ash
worth was retired on n wcli.plaCed return by
Latham. The latter scored a couple of aces,
after which, chiefly by fast, clcan-cut service of
wonderful length, the amateur ran up his score
TO 1i-5. With only one ace to win. however,
was put out by a low return just over
the =" tcll-talc." Then Latham went in to win
what looked like n hopeless game. Hc
made three aces, but, Nth the score ut SD
against him. he once more served two successive
faults. He was not to be denied, however, for
by dint of a most wonderful recovery OF the bail.
in the return of which the champion showed his
marvellous reach. he again put Ashworth out.
Shtishih oSoiti IouE htt5 Gil ellTt Dy
a low return from the amateur. Again ASH
worth failed to score. Latham. after bringing
the game up to Ii all, lost his hand and a hard
fought battle by failing TO return a somewhat
easy half vOllcy. AS might have been expected,
the work of both men was decidedly ragged"
particularly when it came to half volieyins. q
stroke OF vital Importance and of necessarily
frequent recurrence in so fast a game.
The second game was characterized by q dis
tinct Improvement on tho part Of both players,
especially Latham, who won somewhat easily
by the score of 10 to 10. The amateur scored
only three aces. In the third game the pace
was very hot. Latham forced the work, appar-
emily more with the object of getting oil a slight
accumulation of weight put on during mis- JCeHn
voyage than from any serious desire to win.
Ashworth won the game rather easily by the
score OF 10 to II.
The fourth, fifth and sixth games also went to
the amateur, who won the rubber by , games to
l.. The champions main object seemed to DO in
feeling the court and getting used to condi-
tions OF speed and angles, which are ~dissimilar
from those at his home court at Queens. that
he succeeded to mis- own satisfaction is highly
probable, for as the practice games progressed
it was noticeable tnat Latham. although he was
apparently being beaten. had Ashworth ION
the jump y all the. time. Indeed. at the finish
of the game. the champion had hardly turned a
hair, which speaks well for his condition. The
control of his legs and wonderful wrist work
were the salient features OF Latham's exhibit
ton.