The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1904-08-29
MAKING READY
FOR THE TEST
Crack Racket Wielders Give
the San Rafael Courts a
TryOut Before Tournament
STAR TEAM is BEATEN
MacGayin and Murdoch Fail
to Show Speed and Lose
to Will Allen and Baker

The tennis players availed Of their
opportunity yesterday to practice for
the forthcoming championship tourna-
ments. The courts in this city and in
San Rafael were taxed to their ca
pacity.
On the San Rafael courts, where the
tournaments will be played, the feature
was doubles, in which the contend1ng
teams We're Drummond MacGavin and
Percy Murdoch and VIII Allen and
George Baker. MacGavin and Murdoch
are considered the strongest team, but
their play yesterday was hardly up to
expectations. In the morning they won
three sets out of five from AL
len and Baker. In the afternoon the
latter turned the tables and won two
out of a three-set match. Baker and
Allen are not as good individually as
either Murdoch or MacGavin, but the
latter by no means outclaSsed them.
If MacGavin and Murdoch meet some
easy teams in the early rounds they
will probably work into form. If, how
ever, they draw the best team from
the south they will have to play better
than they did yesterday to win.
On the California Club courts nearly
all of the regulars were out, and in
many cases the players had to double
up. The best match was doubles, in
which George James and Herbert Long
were opposed to Frank Mitchell and
Melville Long. The match resulted in q
tie, each side winning two sets.
Long and James are developing into a
strong team and another year will put
them right UP with the best players.
They play we'll under handicap condi-
lions, both giving and receiving odds,
and with more practice will be hard to
beat. Melville Long is another young
ster who is coming to the front. He
played with a first class man and
against two of the best men in the Sec
ond class, but he was by no means out
claSsed. He gave Mitchell good sup
port and played like a veteran. Mitch
ell and Long won the first and fourth
sets and Long and James the second
and third.
B. Nourse, a crack from Boston, who
recently joined the club, won two sets
out of three from Harry Butler. After
losing the first set by a small margin
the Eastern man took the next two.
Nourses daily practice has improved
his game wonderfully in the last
month.
Harry Rolfe. playing from "15" back
of scratch. allowed w. G. Knowlton.
the New Zealand champion, odds of
800 and won two sets. Rolfe's careful
game allowed the champion few oppor-
tunities to score.
George James and Melville Long
played four fast sets. Young Long
played his opponent a close match and
took the third set handily.
Al Kenyon again tried to beat Knowl-
ton with 49," but, as in their last
meeting, Knowlton carried off the hon.
ors by a small margin.
The scores follow:
George James beat Melville Long SO. Ga
Sc Ga; B. Nourse beat Harry Butler ell,
6-3, 7-5 A c. Bozarth beat Gus Hisser 60
6-3; ". G. Knowlton (30) beat Al Kenyon, Ga,
10 O-3; Harold Gabrill beat Werner stauf,
60, 6-1; NJ Long tied G.. James ga 4-6
George James and Herbert Long beat F. s.
Mitchell and NJ. Long 7-5. 4-6. 81. 6-3; A
Ames beat w G. Knowlton SO. Ga. 9-T
Harry Rolfe beat w G. Knowlton 900 e-3
11-9; Rolfe lowe $50 beat Knowlton 600 81
rs.
In a letter received from Champion
Bell he stated that he will be here If
possible to defend his title to the sin
giles championship on the 9Th. He is
playing in the East at present. and 1t is
doubtful If he will be able to get here
IE