The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16
Berger Agrees to Meet O'Bren IN Ring at Colma
LONG A PUZZLE TO
THE CRACKS WITH
THE RACQUET.


Nov that the coast championship
tennis tournaments are over and the
orestion OF supremacy has been de-
cided. the cracks viii enjoy much
needed rest The respite viii BE- \
sIert one as sun another champion
snip event remains 70 be PLAYED this
year Unlike any other place in. the
world tennis is played the year round
n California. This accounts for the
rsct that champions develop early in
iife and their careers are comparatively
short
With an opportunity 70 practice al
most every day IN the year. the young
siers are nct long in reaching their
-llalL Il they are OF championship tim
per tney VIII climb 10 the top n
eo-lp1rarlrely short space OF time 4
a. atinual round ot hard tournament
pay throughout the year has much 10
60 with the rapid decline OF the tennis
Champions in this psrtfof the world
A nen the wiseacres were looking
about for new champion Just before
the big events cOmmenced Young Mel
vile Long was pretty generally over
licked 4 majority figured he had
p, but they considered Il rather
- Followers OF the game had il
1larroHed down 70 Bel. Foley and Bun
o. 1oUng Long upset calculations BY
beating all three han6sIy. OF courEc.
3 was figured the winner Of the tour
DaInent would annex the championship
Ti-le- Ex-chanpion James. on his forn
curing the year, could hardly hope 70
retain the title He was clearly out
c-ssseo by Long and made q poor
showing for q defender.
The new champion has been coming
&C The front gradually during the last
s-N months, but his victory. neverthe-
less. came as q great surprise Few
rfe- =
reach the top. but nobody expected 70
see him co Il IN single stride While
his play throughout the tournament
vas anything but sensational, he put
uI 2 good. steady game. He used the
SINE strokes he has used for year
cr more and undoubtedly owes his VIC
tory 10 nis hea6work This part Of
tte game he was utterly lacking in be-
fore the tournament. and how he ac-
clirec Il 50 suddenly viii always be
z mystery The knsck OF working his
opponent out OF position and placing
his shots seemed 70 come 70 him all OF
z sudden The aew champion IS any
thing but z speed marvel. but he has
good hslf-speed strokes which. when
paced. are far more effective than ter
r.iC speed over which the player has
10 control The challenge match was
z gcod illustration OF this fact James
,.- the ball as hard as he could. but
& 10 idea in which part OF the court
we're going.
Long is the second player on the
coast 10 win the championship before
reaching hrs seventeenth year. About
twelve years ago sam Hardy turned
the trick. which had never been du-
plicated until this year. TIE new
champion is q modest youngster and
VIII prove E popular champion
he Long family gathered II the two
biggest events OF The year Herbert
Long won the State championship IN
July and his younger brother Melville
went him one better last week ard won
rhe most important tournament Of the
year. The new champion also won the
The Southern California players
proved z great disappointment They
were expected 70 carry everything be-
fore them. bUt. strange 70 say. they
failed 70 win even one OF the six events.
They simply mel better players The
mixed Doubles and ladies' events were
conceded 70 them before the tourna-
rn1r- Miss Hotchkiss, the new cham
pion- ourclsssed the players from the
south and beat both Mrs Bruce and
Kiss Dobbins handily. Miss Coda
2Tver was the only player in the tour
nsment who caused the champion any
ufeasiuess- The little player from the
park proved Z great surprise and al
most beat Miss EIotchkiss. These two
players VIII be right after Nay Sutton
81 year or two. and the latter viii
rot have as easy time as she has
laG in the past. Playing as she did
AGAINST Miss Dobbins. Miss HotchkIss
could defeat any of the Suttons except
Ne
-e next tournament OF importance
= Re played and the last championship
event OF the year VIII be the annual
hay counties championship event This
tournament viii commence on the
Golden Gate Park courts on October =
Charles Foley is the present champion
4 handicap singles tournament for
the Judges cup viii be played al the