The San Francisco call., 1905-05-06
TENNIS CRACKS
Are TRAINING
First Championship Tourna-
nlent of the Year to
Be Played This Month
MURDOCH WILL DEFEND
Holder of the Title Is
Expected to Prove In
vincible ON the Court

The arrival OF the trade winds viii
undoubtedly lessen the attendance on
the tennis courts and those who can
will do their practicing in the neigh
boring counties May. June and July
are the poorest months in the year for
tennis in San Francisco. The morn
ings are ideal. but few Of the players
can get out before 3 or o'clock AT
that time the wind is usually too
strong to make playing much OF
pleasure. The absence Of many OF the
PLAYERS from the city will also lessen
the attendance. During the next three
months most OF the playing will be
done late in the afternoon, when the
wind dies down.
The first championship tournament
of the year will be played this month
and the cracks are all practicing hard
for IL. The announcement by Cham
pion Percy Murdock that he will de-
fend his title to the San Francisco
championship adds considerably to the
interest in the event. II the cham
pion is in any kind of condition he
should be successful in defending his
title The only man who will have
a chance 10 beat him is George Baker
and he will have to be at his best II
he hopes to win. The other candidates
are mostly young players who hardly
figure in the championship class at
present.
No tournaments are scheduled for to-
day or tomorrow, but 1t is expected
an Impromptu tourney VIII be held on
the park courts tomorrow. The cracks
at the public courts figure scratch
singles would do them more good than
just practice matches. This event
would bring together the best players
at the park and most Of the promi-
nent entries in the San Francisco
championship tournament Those who
will probably compete are the Baker
brothers. c. Foley. c. Dunlap. c. Grif-
/ fin. F. Adams. c. Lytton. E F1nnegan
/ and several others.
A handicap doubles tournament for
the Directors cups viii be held on the
/ California Club courts on the 14th-
| These trophies have been competed for
/ but once and are in the possession OF
Herbert Schmidt and Harry ROlfe.
On the 18th the annual singles tour
nament for the championship OF the
Academic Athletic League viii be
played The doubles which We're played
last Saturday resulted in a victory for
the Long brothers Of Lowell High
/ School Herbert Long will represent
| that school In the singles and many
expect to see him carry on the honors.
The only man who has a chance TO
beat Long is Charles Foley OF Polys
technic- Foley is fully as clever as
Long and when they meet the best
match in the history Of Academic
League tennis should result Herbert
| Schmidt won the singles championship
! for Boone's University School last year.
This event will be played on the Cali
| fornfa Club courts in the morning
The handicap singles tournament
played by the members Of the Ladies
Annex on the park courts during the
week was by far the most interesting
/ held since the reorganization OF the
club. The tournament was remarkable
for the number Of long deuce sets
played. The young ladies' will meet
\ in handicap doubles tournament two
weeks from to-day.
Miss Hazel Hotchkiss, the clever
young player from Berkeley, left for
Scotland last Saturday. She will COM
pete in the English championship tour
nament in July.
| Miss May Sutton. national champion.
will also be a candidate for Champion
ship honors in England. Miss Sutton
so completely outclassed every woman
! player in the United States last year
| that the Southern California enthusi-
asts are determined she shall have a
| try at the worlds championship this
/ year. 1t would be hard to convince
any one who has seen Miss Sutton
| play that there is a woman In the
world who can beat her.