The San Francisco call., 1906-06-22
TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
PLAY WILL Be HELD
ON CALIFORNIA COURTS
Sharp Competition Expected
Among Closely Matched
Experts.

The annual scratch singles tennis
tournaments for the championship of
the State of California will commence,
tomorrow on the California Club courts
The mems event was inaugurated in
1901 The first event for women was
held in 1908.
Ex-Champion George Whitney won
the 1901 tournament and successfully
defended in 1902. Whitney would un-
doubtedly have made it three straight
had not his health failed him. In 1903
Whitney was succeeded by Grant
Smith, who won the tournament and
annexed the title by default. In 1904
j. d. MaeGayin took the title from
Smith. Last year MacGavin was in
South Africa and the title went to Fred
Adams, the tournament winner, by de-
fault.
Neither Whitney nor Smith will be
In the competition, both having retired
several years ago. MacGavfn Will in
all probability compete, and as he ts
fast regaining his old-time form has
an excellent chance to win.
San Francisco and Bay Counties
Champion Charles Foley. Coast Cham
pion George James, Carl Gardner, Percy
Murdock and MacGavin are the strong
est candidates for the high honoTs
Foley has already won three big tour
naments this year and is naturally fig
ured by majority to again win out.
If MacGavin plays he will be in much
better shape than he was In the tour-
nament just completed.
Murdock was the only player who
won a set from Foley in the tourna
ment. He came dangerously close to
beating the little champion.
Gardner is a player who will have to
be figured on in the tournament His
ayoalenf qh EO1au Ia St
Sunday stamps him as dangerous op
ponent at all times.
Coast Champion James also played a
great game against Foley. While he
failed to win set IL is safe to say he
played the new champion as closely as
anybody. James is a rather uncertain
quantity and would be beaten by Foley
more often than he would win from
him.
While Ii would be great surprise
to many If Foley should lose it should
not be. Foley by no means outclasses
the other cracks and in many cases
has just squeezed through. He has
demonstrated his superiority, but can
hardly hope to win every tournament
from players almost If not equally as
clever as himself
State Champion Fred Adams is prac-
ticing hard, but it is very doubtful if
ne will be successful in the challenge
match. Adams is not playing the game
he did year ago when he was the
most promising player on the coast.
While many of the other young play
ers have been going ahead Adams has
been retrograding He plays wonder
fully clever tennis at times and IL he
is on his game when he defends wilf
have a good chance to win.
The women's tournament which
starts tomorrow is the fourth annual
event. In 1903 Miss Miriam Edwards
won the title. In 1904 Miss Hazel
Hotchkiss carried off the honors. Miss
Ethel Ratcliffe succeeded Miss Hotch-
kiss and is the present holder. Miss
Ratcliffe outclassed the other entrants
last year and won as she pleased.
About the same players will compete
again this year, but they have i'm
proved wonderfully Miss Mearns. Miss
Meyer, Miss yodden and Miss Crocker,
ers entered and one of the four will
in all probability meet Miss Ratcliffe
peculiar circumstance in connec-
tion with the women's championship of
the State is that the event has always
been won by Berkeley woman. All
three champions arc from the college
town and all have represented the Uni
versity of California.
Play will begin at 10 o'clock tomor-
row. All matches will be two sets out
of three.
Spectators will be charged an ad-
mission of 25 cents on all days except
the Fourth of July, when so cents will
be charged. The money will be used
to defray the expenses of balls and
prizes.