The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-24
bES1tTENN|S
IN THE West
BRILLIANT PLAYING AT the
STATE TOURNAMENT IN
BUTTE.
Many College Men Among the Players
Critical Review. Of the Players
Who Faced the Net This Week
Armstrong Was a Surprise
Mclaughlin Of Butte Play
ing strong-Today's Play
Was Not UP to the
Average.



Was Not UP to the
Average.
It is the general belief of tennis players
of the state that the Montana State
tournament, which IS to be brought to
close this afternoon, has brought out
more brilliant play than any other sim
| liar gathering in the west, this or any
other year. The number of players Is
| nearly double what has been recorded
at other meetings of the Montana asso-
| citation, and the play almost uniformly
excellent. The players come from all
parts of the country; most of them from
| high-class colleges and universities,
where they have had opportunity to test
their skill with that Of others from all
over the United States. In this way they
are able to get good line on what the
tennis world is doing.
Tennis is pre-eminently gentleman's
game. 1t has as yet never gone into the
professional class. Three out Of four OF
| the players in the tournament just clos
ing are college graduates, and most OF
the other fourth have attended some OF
! the seats Of high learning, where they
| got their start in the game. Busch is
from the University Of California; Arm
| strong and Matteson from University OF
| Minnesota Botkin from Yale; Hillman
/ A'SNA
and Fulford, Chicago university; Frank
halls from Cornell: Putnam from Col
umbia; Fowler from Harvard. And
most of the others come from somewhere
| within the mystic circle that separates
the college man from the rest of the
world.
Now that the tournament is about
over, 1t is possible to speak with de-
gree Of certainty Of the capabilities OF
each player. There have been some
N1H
Some were won by brilliant play at the
start; some by steady, consistent play.
and determination. Chance, also, might
have entered into some Of the matches,
as where a steady, enduring player,
whose stronghold was in his staying
power, met a brilliant man at the be-
ginning of the tournament and was put
out of the running before he had a
chance to show what he really was
worth.
Botkin of Livingston is the bright par
ticular star OF the meeting. He has
played more games, It is said, than any
other man on the courts. This Is one of
the penalties of good play. The good
man must meet all the other corners. and
10 kept on the go from the beginning.
both singles and doubles, which added
to his labors.
But Botkin is not the only tennis play
er Of the tournament. 1t was only by
the hardest work that he won some OF
his matches, notably those with his
partner, Armstrong, and the one in the
finals with Busch Busch is speedy,
accurate player, who fought his way up
through the preliminaries, and gave
Botkin a close race for the lead. The
score OF their game yesterday 4-6, 6-3,
60, 4-6, Ga. shows that they won almost
the same number of points in the set.
busch has fine serve, the ball being a
d:n1cult one to return. but he exhausts
himself In his effort to serve hard ball,
and strong player like Botkin has the
advantage. Busch's back-hand stroke II,
the rear of the court is all but unap-
rroachable.
Armstrong Surprise.
Armstrong, of Livingston, is one of the
surprises OF the meeting. He had not
heretofore been seen in the Montana cir
cult. He is an old football player, hav.
ing served as half back on the University
of Minnesota team for two or three years
He Is particularly good at covering the
back end of the court in the doubles
and one of the most graceful players
on the court. He and Botkin make a
really great team. Botkin. who is active
as cat. and high jumper, usually
takes the net position, where he car
reach balls that would seem almost out
. of reach Of a fishing pole. It is all bu:
L.
playing singles he always advances tt
the net after serve. his phenomenal
groundcovering power making 1t hard tt
return the ball into his court. The two
had played together but a half dozer
| sets before coming to Butte, and had nc
thought of coming out SO near the top.
Mclaughlin. of Butte, is a cool. steady
player, a tireless worker who is at his
best when ordinary men are worn out
He came near to the finals. and the game
between him and Armstrong was thu
longest of the tournament He ane
| O'Connor made a hard fight for tn,
/ doubles, and came near winning.
Hillman and Chessman of Helena pla,
good game. They were fortunate il
| drawing, and have not had to play s,
often as the Livingston players. Thel
they were both put out of the singles
and had a good chance to rest. Thei
play against the Livingston team thu
/ morning was all that could be desired.
/ Neel and Matteson of Great Falls, wer
looked upon as probable winners of tn
/ doubles, and their defeat by Botkin an.
> Armstrong was somewhat of a surprise
Neel serves rather a slow ball, that look
easy but is In reality the perfection o
deception, and he wastes not an ounce o
strength in giving it too much speed. Il
TINS, ne IS IN marked contrast with busc1
1 Neel seldom requires the second ball. tn
: first one. almost always being within
bounds. This saves his strength greatly
b His returns are we'll placed, and hi
/. back-hand return Of backcourt lob is
dream of accuracy. He serves with judg
e ment, studying his opponents manner o
r standing, and then aims to give him
ball that cannot be returned with speed
Then he rushes to the net, and endeavor
= to kill the slow return, with wonderful