The San Francisco call., 1904-12-31
PLAYERS RANK
TO Be DECIDED
Annual Class Singles Ten
mis- Tournament Will De-
eide the Rating of Men

AS yet the inclement weather has
not interfered with play on the tennis
courts to any extent and an unusual
number of tournaments have been
held Many old players have rejoined
the California Club and that organiza-
ton has more active players than ever
before. Many of them do not play in
tournaments. but get out for a prac-
tice game on Saturdays and Sundays.
At Golden Gate Park there are fully
as many players as ever, but they
have been given a rest from tourna-
ment play for a few weeks. The first
tournament of the new year will be
played on the park courts about jan
uary IS.
For a year or so the ladies of the
park were without tournaments, but
the annex has been reorganized and
at least one tournament a month is
held. There are many new players in
the club and some of them will un-
doubtedly become quite expert. OF
the younger girls, Miss Sarita Van
Vliet is probably the most promising.
She has not lost a tournament since
she Joined the club, except mixed
doubles event.
The most important event of the
winter season is the annual class sim
giles tournament, which comes up for
argument on January 1. This tourn-
ment will decide who Is the best man
in each class, a question that each
player is anxious to have settled.
Last year Drummond MacGavin
won the honors in the first class, Will
Allen in the second, A. E. Beyfuss in
the third and Bradley Wallace in the
fourth, MacGavin and Allen have
both left the State and Beyfuss has
gone up a class.
AS usual most interest centers in the
first class Properly speaking there is
no first class at the club. Aside from
Dr. Hardy and Grant Smith, the only
man who has any claim to first
class ranking is DR.. McChesney, but
he has played in no tournaments. He
is probably the best man in the club,
but is hardly a first class man. Men
like George James, Will Collier, Frank
Mitchell, Herbert Long, DIR. Hill, Carl
Gardner, Harry Rolfe, B. F. Nourse,
Ray Cornell and Chester Smith will
probably be put in the first class, but
most of them are not first class play
ers.
Collier has always figured in the
first class, but undoubtedly has gone
back or has not kept apace with the
game. Mitchell at times plays first
class tennis. OF the rest. James, DR..
Hill and H. Long might not be out of
place in this class. Cornell, Smith,
Busch. Nourse and Rolfe would be
better placed in the second class.
The second class will be much
smaller than in previous years. Here
tofore the first class has been small
and the second large. A. Beyfuss,
Melville Long, DR.. Younger, Albert
Kenyon, George Cutter and Paul
Jones will probably be in this class.
There Will be many players in the
third and fourth classes, where the
competition will be exceptionally
keen. In the third class the most
promising candidates are c. G. Kuehn,
NJ. Warner, Spencer Grant and Dr.
Lovegrove. w. Knowlton and Brad
ley Wallace look the strongest men in
the fourth class.
The tournament will commence to-
morrow and If possible will be fin
ished on Monday. Entries close at
$50 to-day, when the players will be
classified and drawn.
Several changes have occurred in
the continuous tournament during the
week. In the first class the only men
who have moved are the first FIVE
Ray Cornell, who was No. 1, is now
No. 3. He was beaten first by James
and then by Collier. The former is
No and the latter No 9 Dr RuSh
has lost two matches by default and
is No. 4. B. F. Nourse is No. S.
There has been little or no play in
the second class. which is a small one.
The withdrawal of Beyfuss, who
was No. /, puts Gabriel up to No. 2
and Long UP to No. 3.
George Cutter and w. G. Knowlton
have made the most progress up to
date. Knowlton has advanced in the
fourth class from No. l2 to No. s.
Cutter has gone from No. in the
third class to No. in the second
oi TIo 10 the o,,i,v