The San Francisco call., 1909-09-12
Tennis Tame
With the Best
Players Away
James Returns From East and
Drops INTO Soft Spof
al Del Monte

The annual coast championship ten
mis- tournament. which began at Del
Monte last Monday. is hardly ND to the
standard of past events Particularly
is this so with the mems singles. This
event is by far the most important
held during the year on the coast. and
there has always been battle royal
for the honors. With the four. best
players in the state away from the
scene of activities, the tournament is
certainly proving a tame affair.
George James, who, with Maurice Nc
Loughlin, won the national preliminary.
10 challenge Hackett and Alexander for
the national doubles championship, re-
turned just in time to drop on the
softest s,f spot Imaginable. With Long.
east, James had little cause to worry,
and on@e more he will land the coast
ute; me only contestants who looked
to class with James were Louis Free
man and Reuben Hunt and they came
together in the preliminary round.
freeman held the coast championship
IN Iyoz. put MS game in recent years
has been only shadow of its former
self Hunt is another PLAYER who must
be placed in the has BEEN class. The
remainder of the field James completely
the preliminary round and was in turn
eliminated by James in the first round
lanes worry ended right here. OF.
youngster, might be tabled dangerous.
but hardly figures to win from James
James won the, title in 1905. when
He beat Melville Long in the finals. but,
1T was not the Melville Long of the
present day. The two were about ON
an even footing that year, and James
not amount to much.
James can hardly be blamed for going
after the big title when the going is so
sitIe s9ff, 1t II Is IS pity; however that the
player who is outclassed by Long and
Mclaughlin. Bundy- probably did not
realize what a grand chance he would
have had to annex the title. He has
gone after 1t number of times, but
players like Long and Mclaughlin have
always stood in his way. He left the
east in time TO participate. but has
been making the return trip by easy
stages. playing exhibitions en- route
With Sinsabaugh, his teammate. Had
Bundy known that the title was his
for the asking he no doubt would have
arranged to be here in time to play.
Once more will James have his name
engraved on the handsome three time
cup, and if he can win again it will
pass into his permanent possession.
Long. has twice won the cup and Nc
LoughIin once. Long would have had
an excellent chance to carry off the
trophy for good and all this year. He
would no doubt have met Mclaughlin
duplicated his performance of a year
ago had they both been here.
While the mems event Is someWhat
shy of class the same can not be said
of the women's tournament. National
Champion Hazel Hotchkiss and Miss
Florence Sutton Will once more ngnt IL
out The absence of Miss May sutton
proved disappointemnt TO the rams,
but with two of her sisters, Miss Hotch-
kiss and Miss Golda Meyer. in the COM
petition the tennis of course was Wen
n is expected the mems doubles,
which caffies no title with 1t, VIII
prove more interesting than the Singles;
Hunt and Murdock and Freeman anu
James are the strongest teams entered
and they should furnish good matcn
when they come together.
Mclaughlin and Long will be nome
in a week or ten days and no doubt
something will be arranged to give
them a chance to show what they have
learned In the east. The boys are al
they do not figure to lift the Davis cup
there is always the possibility of a
surprise They will no doubt acauit
themselves eredlta oily, 5i at any swpiIe rars NO
doubt greatly pleased when they
learned they would go to Australia II
probably somewhat disappointed when
they learned that they would not be
allowed to de the. qualifying them
selves OF course, the Californians ap-
and are anxious to represent America
in the international matches, but at
the same time both Long and Nc
Loughlin are the KIND who would muen
than have the best players In the east
do so for them. The easterners are
sure to dispose of the Engnsn PAYERS,
Californians could no doubt dispose OF
the representatives of Great Britain
II they can not beat the Englishmen
l. Of sending them to
Australia against Brooks and W1ldinE9
This method of qualifying by proxy is
hardly in keeping with the true Amerl-
can sportsmanship on which we pride
ourselves The California boys would
have welcomed a chance to play the
Englishmen and 1t would have anorded
them practice that would prove valu-
able in a match with the worlds cham
pions.
praeticing almost daily. with Larned.
Clot hier Hackett and Alexander and
will no doubt be at their best should
they get the coveted chance to play
for the Davis cup tts They VIII ta no ia d9ubd
the national singles. Playing before
a gallery of 5000 of course did not
helm the chances of the Californians.
despite the fact r .pas ,th the Syn bsympafftnieis e.
more than likely the large and dem
onstrative gallery caused the downfall
Of McLoughlin In NJ, the n nnal match match with VT
MAD for him, as the press dispatches
state. Mclaughlin no doubt was car
ried away and put In most of his time
tearing off brilliant shots. The New
York papers are unanimous In their
opiuion that Mclaughlin would have
Won had he been a trifie more steady
and a little less brilliant. His "uppfng,
rearing" service, as it has SO often been
referred to by the eastern papers, to-
gether with his terrific smashing and
driving, proved revelation TO the
fav
After his defeat by Mclaughlin in
the early rounds. which, by the way.
was encomDassed only after five hard
sets Long was forced to take a back
seat while his teammate absorbed the
Ifmelight. IT was hard luck for Long,
hut If the Caiifornians go to Australia
he will have chance to redeem him.
self Many of the local fans. while ad-
hitting that Mclaughlin will beat
Long more often than he will lose to
him are of the opinion that Long
yyonld have made an even better show
ino than McLoughlin. The latter is
mich more brilliant player. but lacks
Hangs steasiiness. Mclaughlin won by
a small margin both times he met Long
in the east and on account of the re-
naated victories of the former during
fhe wear il must be conceded that Nc
Ioughlin is the cleyerer of the two.
n would not be surprising. however,
if long proved the point winner in
Australia instead of McLoughiin, al
ways providing. of course. that we will
~ Fortunate enough to win a pOinf