Omaha daily bee., 1910-06-12
TENNIS MEN TO The FORE
Preparations Under Way for Eumer-
Gus Tournaments in Omaha.
NATIONAL CLAY COURT MEET
Omaha Has Been HOnOred with the
Privilege of Holding the First
Nd. National Clay Court
Championship.


ments scheduled, TO be held on the Omaha
Field club courts during the summer are
beginning to take definite shape and are
attracting considerable attention among
Omaha enthusiasts. The tournament
given most consideration and which has
excited most comment is the national clay
court championship given under the aus
pices OF the United States National Lawn
Tennis club.
The national tournament will open at the
Field club August /. In It will be repre-
sentatives OF tennis clubs and prominent
tennis players from all parts of the coun-
try. From advices and letters which have
already been received from players the
meet promises to be second only to the ma
tional tournament held annually at New
port, II. l. The tennis committee OF the
club has been working hard to advertise
the event and has been assisted by the
publicity department of the Commercial
club.
The way Omaha. through the Omaha
Field club, managed to secure the first ma
tional clay court tournament, was this
Three years ago several members of the
Omaha club put their heads together and
decided II was hardly fair that every ma
tional tournament be held at Newport, II. l.,
and, to make 1t worse on grass courts. A
scheme was mapped out Conrad II. Young
secretary OF the tennis committee, wrote a
letter to the national officers requesting
that clay court players be given an oppor-
tunity to take part in clay court tourna-
ment under the direction of the national
association. The letter was formally brought
before the association at It's meeting in
New York. 1t was also formally turned
down.
Heads were again put together, so to
speak, ahd another scheme evolved. At a
later meeting the city of Omaha and the
Omaha Field club were represented by a
delegation which was successful in secur-
ing favorable action on the proposition As
Omaha had proposed the idea, Omaha was
given the privilege of holding the first ma
tional clay court tournament
Week of Entertainment.
The tennis committee has been given the
assurance OF the club that it may act with
practically unlimited authority in arrang-
ing a royal entertainment for the visitors.
The doors of the club will be thrown open
to participants in the big meet and not a
minute Of the time they spend in the city
viii be allowed to go to waste. In the
evenings various functions will be ar
ranged for their especial pleasure, includ-
ing benefit, dances, automobile trips and
banquets.
The club. which, as entertaining organ
lzation, has the privilege OF presenting
winners with trophies, will deviate some
what from usual methods In the presenta-
tion. The trophy cups will be tke perma-
nent property OF winners without the
necessity of a second or third successful
contest. The winner OF the singles will
be awarded q massive silver cup and the
winners of the doubles will receive each a
cup OF smaller size. Runners up and win
ners of consolation prizes will also come In
for suitable awards
The first tournament OF the season will
open on the club courts June q for the
womans city championship. Miss Kate
Moores has been named to head a commit.
tee which will represent every interested
organization in the city. Great interest has
been shown among women interested II
tennis and the event, inaugurated two
years ago, promises to be more successful
and to have larges entry list than ethel
81 the meets that have gone before.
WOmen's Tournament.
Mrs. N. p. Dodge, jr, is present holder
of the championship cup. II she is a sue
cessful contestant this year the trophy will
become her property, as two successive
Dodge won the championship a year agt
from Miss Potter. winner OF the first tour
nament
On July Q. the gentlemen's tournament fol
the city championship singles and doubles
will be played This date has been sci
as 1t will enable large number Of players
who are now at college to take part
Present holders OF the city championship
are Cuthbert Potter, singles, and Cuthber
Potter and Harry Koch, doubles. Or
August Is, the Field club championship
tournament will be played, and on Septem
Der 3, the Juniors city championship, sin
giles and doubles. The Field club tourna
ment will be confined to members of th'
club.
AS a number of players went into CAM
with the high school cadets the juno
handicap championship was not ended oil
schedule time. 1t has been on during TIT
last two weeks and stands now with Davi
having won a place on the finals, his op
ponent to be decided by a game betweeI
Marriott and Beckett. The junior handicap
opened with sixteen entries.
Tennis in Omaha.
In securing the national tournament
Omaha merely took another step forwar,
along the line of tennis activities. Twent
years ago the first signs OF actual III
In the net and racquet game were intro
duced by the Omaha Lawn Tennis club, al
organization which has since passed on
OF existence. Under the Omaha club, tenni
flourished. and at the end Of eleven years
in 1901 the game played an important par
in Omaha amusements. In 1901 the oman
Field club was organized and, as a grea
part OF the members OF the old club wen
into the new one. the older organizatio
lapsed into coscurity. Today, on ciu
grounds alone, there are perhaps twenty
five well-kept courts, all OF which are use
during every available moment during IN
season.
Many Good Players.
Practice for the numerous tournament
scheduled has been kept up regularly "a
several weeks, not only on club courts b.
on many private courts in the cit!
Omaha's clubs claim some of the bes
known players in this part OF the countr
and a good showing, II not trophy,
confidently expected in the national mee
Facilities for holding such an ever
could scare be better than those at Il
Field club. Seven courts, laid out on Il
south side OF the club building. proviC
.-,ot. sraro FOR all 0aruea nf the tOllrnl