Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-06-02
LAWN TENNIS.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

No less than seven nations are inter-
ested in the Davis silver cup, the contest
for which is to take plave between the
. lawn tennis champions of Australasia and
the United States at the West Side Ten
mis- Club in New York next week. The
cup was presented In 1900 as trophy for
International tennis contests and posses
sion of 1t denotes the worlds champion
ship. Belgium. France, Germany, Aus
tralasia Canada and the United States
have challenged the Britons for its pos
session and the first of the preliminary
matches is that scheduled in New York.
After that the champions will sail for
England to play in the British contests,
which open June II. In accordance with
the time-honored custom, the first and
third days will be devoted to single
matches and the intermediate day given
up to doubles.
The attendance upon these matches in
dicates the amazing interest which is TAX
en- in the game of tennis by the general
public no less than by the players them
selves: At the match held III Australia
reached 1000, packing the stands to their
fullest capacity. The gate receipts ex-
ceeded $4,000.
Tennis is descended from game known
as Tongue paume. which was played in
the chateaus of France and Italy as far
back as the middle ages. From the
fourteenth century inclosed courts were
used in France. upon which indoor tennis
| was played by the members of the nobil-
ity. One of the famous documents of
French history is known as the Oath of
the Tennis Court because it was taken
| denied admission to the palace of ver-
sailles and therefore held a meeting in
hall furnished as tennis court. At
this meeting the members signed docu-
ont 70
the constitution may demand and never
to separate until the kingdom is estab-
lished upon solid foundation
game of outdoor sport similar to
tennis was played i'll the days of Queen
Elizabeth in Eng
Played Like Game land when a COM
for Queen Bess r pans OF so on,ssrsd
| under her window and did laye out lines
in a square of green sward marking out
the form of tennis court with a crosse
line In the middle and there with a hand
ball, bord and cord did play a game to
the liking Of her highness.' While mod
ern tennis is of undisputed English orr
gin. historians agree that the game with
rackets and ball as now played did not
MAKE It's appearance DIS al OUTDOOR game
until 1873. when Maj. Wingfeld intro
duced It at an English house party, using
, an hour-glass shaped court.
This form of court was soon found to
/ he impracticable for popular sport. but
4 number of men interested in cricket
playing soon saw the possibilities of the
new game and designed the present form
| OF tennis court, and laid out rules suit
| able to the government of the game. The
| history of the game a popular sport
| really begun with the first championship,
which was won by s. w. Gore in 1877.
From that time on the interest in the
game became phenomenal throughout the
| British Isles, and soon extended to their
game became popular and some of the
best British champions have been of
| Irish extraction.
Tennis was brought to America in 1879,
and the first court was laid out at
Nahant. a country place outside of Bos-
| ton. The United States Lawn Tennis As
| ISOLATION was organized soon after, and
| the first American lawn tennis tourna-
| ment was held in $780, under the direc-
ton of the Staten Island Cricket and
Base Ball Club. r. d. Sears, whose
| brother was responsible for introducing
| tennis in America, was the first cham
pion. and maintained the championship in
| singles for seven years. He also held the
championship in doubles for six years in
| tennis champions come from every part
| Of the country. and state, interstate, city
| and county tournaments are frequent
/ events.
| i
| No game has ever grown into such
i widespread popularity in the history of