Los Angeles herald., 1910-10-25
NORTHERN TENNIS
OF BETTER CLASS
Monthly Tournaments and Han
diCap Play Aids in Develop
ment of Court Game
BY E. V. WELLER

BY Il. V. WELLER
Followers of the court game who
have had the pleasure of visiting the
northern haunts of the tennis racket
and ball have been impressed with the
fact that the average of play, especial
ly around San Francisco, is much
higher than in Southern California.
1t is true that Tom Bundy has won
his way to the front rank among the
coast players; it is also true that the
south cannot boast another such
player capable of making a creditable
showing against the Golden Gate ten
mis- club stars, Mclaughlin, Long,
Hunt Hardy and the rest
The secret lies in the handicap tour
nament which has become so popular
around the Golden Gate and in the
-year-around play of the various
clubO. Clubs and competitive play be-
| tween the various organizations does
a great deal to develop the players
and establish higher standard, and
that is another point in which South
ern California is sadly lacking.
Handicap tennis tournaments are
| held during the entire year. winter and
| summer, in San francisco, and are ar
! ranged at least once a month. The
better players, in giving long odds, are
inspired to use their best strokes to
the tyro meet on equal terms. Nc
Loughlin and Long the two leading
tennis experts of the Golden Gate
during the past season have been Civ
ing tremendous odds and are compelled
to play in top notch form throughout
the match to win. One of the draw
backs to the open tourney is the fact
that the first matches are more one
sided, especially if the big men have
been placed in the drawing. In the
handicap variety every match is hard
fought, the experts become more ex-
pert and the juniors develop by leaps
and bounds.
NO WINTER TENNIS
During the winter in Southern Cali
fornia tennis is one of the non-est
| Tournaments of any kind are rare,
and the players have little chance to
round into form. A tournament once
a month would not pail upon the fans,
and when the big Journeys are sched-
| uled play would be wonderfully i'm
proved. The handicap idea is a good
one and has never been tried out in
the south. No one seems to desire the
initiative in introducing a strange bill
of fare. Handicap tournaments will
do a great deal toward bringing the
national championship title westward
and in keeping 1t there. The west has
OllO 6IGeIl tlGN c1llAd6S ONGI lllG S6lolB OuI
of door play the year round, and by
taking advantage of opportunity the
west, and, in particular Southern Cal
| ifornia, can produce some wonder
workers with the racket and ball.
There is one tennis organization in
| Southern California which directs the
| tournaments of the south. 1t is known
as the Southern California Lawn Ten
mis- association. Other than in name,
| it scarcely exists. 1t is no more than
ghost to conjure by. Let the asso-
citation be rejuvenated, an official club
| house and court be selected for tour
nament play, and tournaments be held
during winter and summer at fire.
quent intervals. Prizes are unneces-
sary to attract the interested ones, and
these practice meetings would work
a great good for the sport.
The rumor that May Sutton, leading
woman tennis player Of the world, and
her rival for the honor, Hazel Hotch-
| kiss of San Francisco, will leave for
European conquests in the tennis line
! is a pleasing one to the local fans of
the game. There is nary a ray of
doubt In the minds of the Angelenos
but that the peerless May would come
forth victorious and perhaps Hazel
Hotchkiss also, in spite of the fact that
the British press is heralding Mrs.
Lambert ChalmerS, who was Miss
| Douglas, as the world champion woman
tennis expert and crediting her with
being in the zenith of her skill.
| May Sutton has defeated Mrs. Chal-
mers and can do it again. A double
victory over the English star by the
| two Californians would be a great
honor and is well in the realms of the
probable. If the two coast racket
| wielders are able to go they will bear
with them the best wishes of every
American tennis fan and should have
a great list of trophies to exhibit on
their return.
Another announcement from the
camps of Dame Rumor predicts a ten
mis- tournament for the courts of the
Hotel Virginia in the month of Jan
uary. A big midwinter tourney would
attract a large following and should
be a great success.
The dub" tournament is now under
contemplation. 1t will be held on the
Mount Washington courts during the
first part of next month and will be
open to those who have never had their
names inscribed on Southern California
tennis tournament rolls. A large num-
ber of tyros have announced their in
tention of taking part.
eS-a