The San Francisco call., 1903-12-12


courts. In each the contestants will
be Will Allen and Drummond Mac
Gavin. They will meet on the Cali
fornia Club courts in the finals of the
handicap singles tournament COM
menced on Thanksgiving day. They
will also come together on the park
courts in the finals of the first class.
All the other classes were finished last
Sunday.
In the match to be played on the
club courts MacGavin has a good
lead. He has two sets to his oppo-
nent's one and in the fourth set the
games are even. the score standing
SIS. MacGavin needs two games to
win the match, while Allen needs two
to even up the score.
On the public courts Allen has
slight advantage. In this case he has
two sets to his opponents one, but
MacGavin has good lead in the
fourth set, the score being AZ in his
favor. MacGavin should win the set
with this lead and thus even up mat
ters..
While tennis is more popular than
it has ever been and there are a great
many more players than in former
years there is less class than ever be-
fore. The so-called first class is prob
ably as large as usual, but the tennis
being put up is anything but first
class. The only man in this class who
really belongs there is Drummond
MacGavin and at times his game is
far from being first class. In the
southern part of the State matters are
different. There are at least six men
in the south who would have no diff
ficulty in beating all of the first class
men here with the exception OF Mac
Gavin.
The only hope of wrestling the
championship from Bell lies in Mac
Gavin and Percy Murdoch. the Ala
media crack. MacGavin looked to be
steadying down some, but last Sun
day PLAYED his old time wild, care
less game. If Murdock improves this
year as he did last he will surely be
the strongest player from the north.
One of these two players Will un-
doubtedly win the state champion
ship tournament. The winner will be
called upon to play Grant Smith, the
present champion. The latter will
probably be able to play this match,
but Will participate in no other tour
naments during the year.
VIII Taylor and Joe Tobin, two ex
champions, have again taken up the
game and play almost as well as ever.
In a doubles on Sunday they showed
surprising form, beating Frank Mitch
ell and Sidney Salisbury with ease.
Tobin and Taylor make strong COM
bination in doubles, as both play a
safe game and aim to get everything
back. Taylor is as steady as a clock
and makes few errors. He would be
much more dangerous if he played a
more aggressive game. The game he
plays now is the one that made him
the undefeated champion for SO many
years. The game, however, has gone
ahead a great deal since Taylor was
champion and he Will have to culu-
vate more speed to win.
Tobin combines speed and accu
racy. but mis- volleying and overhead
work are rather weak. When he
brings his net game up to his back
court game the cracks will find him
hard man to beat.
Both the California and Golden
Gate Tennis clubs will hold tourna-
ments on Christmas day. The former
will hold a handicap doubles tourney
for the challenge cups. The Smith
brothers are the holders, but will not
enter the next event. Chester Smith
will join forces with VIII Collier. The
latter has tried almost every good man
in the club, but does not work well in
double harness. All of the teams that
participated in the last event and sew
eral more will play in the holiday
tournament. Will Allen and DIR. Hill
are the only others to have their
names on the cups. They must be
won three times. An informal lunch
con will be served the members and |
their friends.