Lawn Tennis in America

The modern form of tennis did not develop until the late 19th century. The first lawn tennis tournament was Wimbledon in 1877. Three years later, in 1880, the first American championships were held. In the following year, the United States National Lawn Tennis Association was formed to establish unified rules for the sport. This book was written by Valentine G. Hall, a player and early secretary of the association. It is a unique and valuable piece of tennis’s early history. Valentine includes biographical sketches of the best players of the time, summaries of the tournaments and their results, and rules for lawn tennis at the time. He also provides guides for umpires in tennis and a review of tennis overseas.