New-York tribune., 1897-08-24
NISBET DEFEATS LARNED.
NO AMERICANS LEFT IN THE NEWPORT
TENNIS TOURNAMENT.
EITHER NIsBET OR EAvEs WILL PLAY wRENN
FOR THE CIAMPIoNsHIP-LARNED BEATEN
AFTER lie NEEDED ONLY ONE STROKE
TO WIN IN STRAIGHT SETS
fDY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE


Newport II. L. Aug. 23-Nearly 1900 enthus-
astic but disappointed spectators Ms
bet. OF the English expert tennis players. de-
feat Larned. perhaps the foremost Of American
cracks. In the sem-hnals Of the championship
tournament here to-day. For hour they
reveled In the apparent superiority OF the Amer-
can player. and then sat with anxious forebodngs
while the Briton pulling out long fve-set
match after losing the first two sets The defeat
OF the American was particularly CALLING because
he was twice within stroke OF winning the
match in the easiest kind OF fashion by three
straight sets.
Before the first set began Larned was a strong
favorite. both with the crowd and with the other
experts who had figured out the probable outcome
OF the match The American player had lost only
one other match this season. that 10 Wrenn. the
champion at Chicago. and he had beaten every
American player OF prominence as we'll as all three
OF the visiting Engshmen. Indeed. he had beaten
Nisbet three times. and there seemed to be small
chance Of his losing him to-day. However. the
weight OF responsibility while playing for the cham
pionship has always upset Larneds game here. and
this is the third or fourth time he has gone down
In heap when every one expected him 10 win.
The defeat OF the American puts Nisbet in the
final round Of the all comers," and Tomorrow
morning he will meet Eaves. his feow-visitor for
the right 10 challenge Bob Wrenn the American
champion for his title In the new challenge cup
embematic OF the championship OF the United
States. Eaves won to-day In the other sem!-hnal
match from Leo Ware in the easiest kind Of fash
ION. Wares poor showing against the senior men,
ber Of the foreign team was a great disappoint-
ment 10 his friends. who had expected him TO win
at least se..
Last nights heavy rain left the Casino courts in
n soggy condition this morning. and when the
players went out the championship court for
the Nisbet-Larned match they found 1t difficult TO
keep their footing The balls. too. grew heavy with
moisture after being used for few strokes. AL
together. the conditions were far from satisfac-
tory. and the olever tennis playing OF the experts
was surprising under the conditions
II was evident from the start that the crowd OF
enthusiasts wanted Larned TO win. and when he
took the first two sets by easy scores they grew
liberal in their applause and clapped enthusiastic
cally for every good play When the tide Of bat
tie began TO turn against the American, however
In the third the spectators seemed 70 appreci-
ate an error by Nisbet that helped their favorite
along almost as much as an earned stroke oy
With two sets in his favor. Larned kept up his
winning streak through most OF the .hru -,nn an
led up to "a. In the tenth game the Amsrifan m, h
needed only one stroke for the set and match, but
Nsbes steadness and one or two bad & deClsIns % ,hs
golden opportunity He did not come so near TO
Victory % again for the F;ngshman gradually pulled
the third set. and was never Denind III e''her
Nisbet led up to - in the fourth set; when
na made bu b ran oa With he
next and the score was tied at two sets al. The
afth set was PLAYED amid the adenc
forgot itself enough to applaud loudly for errors
Of The visitor which as ss9ei sSac IN m b Sourh the
foreigner leading at 81 and 81 AS before l;arned
made final struggle to turn the tide OF defeat;
and then lose as before. "a
I'll The s"s score Of the match in detail follows: