The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-07-22
CHAMPIONS OF LAST YEAR ..= WILL RETURN TO DEFEND
 & TITLES AT COUNTRY CLUB
First Round Matches Begin Tuesday AfternOon-Bir-
 mingham Well Represented sIn Cotton States Meet


 a,GWith entries for the annual Cotton states championship tennis tourna- ment closing Monday night, tourna- naent officials of the Birmingham Country club, where the affair will be staged are predicting the classiest field of entrants in the history of the affair.
 WnStuart Frasier, with whom the en- tries close Monday night, stated yes terday that some of the south's greatest net stars will be on hand to compete for the championships, and Q that large number of them have all ready sent their entries in. Entries have already been filed from Selma. New Orleans, Fairhope, Montgomery, Anniston and Atlanta, while Birming- ham, of course, will have large dele- gation of net stars entered In the competition.
 G Play In this years Cotton States tournament will begin Tuesday aft ernoon, promptly at o'clock when the first singles matches will be called to the court Tournament of ficials of the Country club expect the finals to be reached in both singles and doubtless by Saturday. when the Championships will be staged, If pos sible. Magic City fans have before them at least one week of tennis
 
 Dixie can produce in the clay courts world. j. N. Mooney, also of Atlanta, Is expected to be one of the strong est contenders.
 Champions Returning.
 Last years championship holders, all Atlanta stars, will be on hand to defend their titles this week. Harry Mailman, singles champion, filed his entry among the first few, and will be ready to face the net Tuesday when his first round match is called. .9The doubles champions of 1923. Berry Grant and Jack Caldwell, will team together again this week, in an attempt to retain their laurels an- Iher year. The above trip of Gate a.ity stars are considered the strong bsts bets Atlanta has in the tourna- meat and their dashing, aggressive pertormances are expected to prove one of the features of the tourna- ment.
 Magic City's Best Bets.
 s,fuAll the old school of net stars have entered to compete for the Magic City. The peerless Lee Allen Brookes will be back to have another try at the singles championship he formerly held. while his old teammate on that Championship doubles team, Ray Lang, will team with him again in the two time competition. Lang and Brookes are considered about the best net performers the Magic City has produced in many years. and their entry in this years tournament is Nailed with joy by the fan flock. .nu Billy Bartlett, Bill Warren. l.. N. Means. Rush Hess, Riddle Worthing- ton, R. D. Johnston, Jr.. Darby Brown. Raleigh Jenkins F. F. Sheriod l. K. Travis, R. H. Gillett A. E. Mabrey, .. R Broach. w. A. Hardenburgh l.. E.. Nash. and several others will compete for the Magic City
 Second Ranking Star Coming.
 Esmond Phelps, second ranking player of the southern branch of the YU. $. l.. T. A, will come up from New Qrleans to try for Cotton States hon ors. Phelps is considered one of the very best in Dixie. and he is one Of rhe inner circle of favored ones sIuggens, also of New Orleans, and sharing second ranking honors with Phelps, will be on hand with his townsman. Both of the Crescent City court stars are considered strong favorites in the tournament.
 Entries From over State. lt Many entries have come in from all over Alabama. From the gulf coast, Fairhope, will come George Meyers considered one or the pest peri LoflnerS ion the coast. The FaiThope star is Thought to be one of the most promis- ing players developed in Alabama in late years.
 Anniston is sending highly touted player in George Mooney while Pate Roberts of Selma, and Bop. Young Of Montgomery. are all good tennis players, and must be watched in the Cotton states affair
 H Secretary Frazier of the Country club stated Saturday that the largest entry list in the history of the tournament was being filled out, and that he expected the out-of-town boys to start arriving sunday. The tourney begins Tuesday, and Frazier emphasized the fact that all matches will begin on their allotted starting time. with defauiting the penalty after 15 minutes tardiness
 The six clay courts of the Country club are in excellent shape for the tournament. Earrings for the first round will be announced Monday ityh