The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1905-05-20
PLAYERS TRAIN
FOR Bic MATCH
Tennis Championship of San
Francisco County to Be
Fought For Next Week
WORK EXPECTED
George Baker Has a Chance
to Wrest the Title From
the Holder, Percy Murdoch

J with the annual tennis Tournaments for
the championship Of San Francisco only
/ ten days on. but little time remains for
the cracks TO get into form All OF the
prominent candidates are practicins daily
and the first championship tournament
Of the year should be productive OF soma
| clever tennis.
| At Golden Gate Park the cracks aban-
doned tournament play some weeks ago
and are putting in every spare moment
! before the nets The honors have never
gone to a public court player, but this
year George Baker Of the Golden Gate
/ Club seems TO have the best chance to
wrest the title from Percy Murdoch.
Baker will have several clever players to
dispose of before he earns the right to
/ challenge the champion George James
and Carl Gardner look TO be Bakers
most dangerous rivals
Herbert Long is another young player
entitled TO consideration He plays a
great game at times in practice. but with
anything at stake he goes TO pieces
| Long played a wonderfully clever
game when he beat Foley IN the AGA
denic Athletic League tournament AS
Foley is considered by many TO rank next
| to Baker at the park. Long looks to have
chance. Gardner is another player who
I ~C-@--@-~---~--~-
He has overcome this to an extent or
| late and plays with a great deal more
confidence than formerly.
Neither James. Long nor Gardner has
ever beaten Baker in tournament Ba-
ker is a veteran whose game does not
/ improve to any extent james has nearly
all of the qualities necessary to success
/ in tennis. He has strokes. nerve and
stamina but lacks delicacy and head
work When he learns that direction IS
more important than speed he will un-
doubtedly graduate into the champion
| ship class.
| Murdock. the champion, has had but
little practice of late, but IT is figured he
outcIasses the other players enough. TO
successfully defend his title even if not
| at his best. II Baker wins the tOurua-
ment Murdoch will have hard time win
ming If not at his best II any Of the
/ other players dispose OF Baker. Murdoch
should have little trouble winning. Last
year Schmidt beat Baker but otherwise
cut little or no figure in the tournament
The coming tournament will be the
/ fifth for the championship Of the county.
AS yet the title has never been won more
than once by any player. George Whit
ney was the first champion; Grant Smith.
| the second; Drummond -MacGavfn. the
third, and Percy Murdoch. the fourth
Whitney and Smith did not stand out.
as there was no championship cup until
TWO years ago.
Two tournaments are scheduled for the
park courts to-day. After a rest OF two
weeks the young ladies viii again meet
\ in match play. A handicap doubles tour
nament for the Odds cups will bring to-
gether the clubs best players. The en-
| try list is rather small, but the handi-
caps have been adjusted TO bring out
some close and exciting matches. Six
teams entered the competition three Of
which have won the trophies. Miss Vod-
den and Miss Myer have their names
on the cups twice and a victory to-day
would make them their property. Miss
Wegener and Mrs Watson and Miss
Weed and Miss Van Vliet have won the
trophies once.
The Juveniles have had q long rest
from tournament play and consequently
are anxious to try conclusions with one
another. Mr.. Marvin, founder and man
sger of the club. has returned from the
East and will have charge OF to-day's
event 1t will be scratch singles tour
nament for a handsome three-time loving
cup emblematic OF the club CHAMPION
ship. These events are held once every
six months. Morris Mclaughlin won
the last tournament Of the kind and the
majority pick him TO carry on the hon
ors to-day. He will have to dispose OF
such clever young players as H Getz.
the Strachan brothers. +. Maggs and
many others. Twenty-seven boys win be
in the competition.
The finals of the handicap doubles tour
nament commenced on the California
Club courts last Sunday will be played
tomorrow afternoon The contestants
will be Harry Rolfe and George Busch
lowe $50 and Carl Gardner and Melville
Long lowe 80