New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-23
Ia wv TENNIS.
TO-DAY'S MATCH AT NEWPORT BETWEEN
WHITMAN AND DAVIS DECIDES THE
YEARS CHAMPIONSHIP.

-
mittee in charge Of the National cha mpionshp
lawn tennis tournament at the Casino here to-day
selected the wrong match for the grandsta nd
court. THAT between Ware and Whitman was
chosen most likely TO produce exciting tennis.
but Ware had the worst "off-day" that he has
shown this season, and there not minute
during the match when ne was in the struggle.
Whitman allowed him just two games in the FIST
set none at all In the second and only two I'm The
third Nor was this Waterloo due TO unusual play
] on Whitmans part. for while he played steadily
and probably well a. usual the great majority
OF the strokes lost by Wares errors. In the
second set he made only five points in all six
games a remarkable record.
The best match of the day that between
Davis and Bond which began on another court.
but transferred to the championship court for
the benefit CT the spectators after two sets had
been played. Davis played another memorable
match and one that will entltle him to a high rank
among the experts OF the country this year no
matter how the final match tomorrow comes out.
This the young Harvard mans first test
against aggressive net player OF Bonds skill.
lie had beaten Stevens Saturday. but the tio-
bokcn man is Just the reverse OF Bond never going
near the net. and relying entirely upon hts ground
strokes. Many OF Davis's admirers feared that.
while he could beat base-line play. fierce voilcyng
like that OF his Western antagonist to-day might
prove much for him. Davis showed fine juds-
ment not often seen in 30 Young player. how
i
different conditions. with the result that he made
Bonds rushing tactics very disastrous.
In the first SGT he passed the Chicagoan repeat
edly while Bond could not seem 10 get the balls
past Davis when he ran in TO the net on his ser
vice. Only one game fell to the Westerner before
Davis had taken the set by 81. In the second set
the struggled for twenty four games before
any result was reached One side Of the court was
distinctly better than the other owing 20 the sun.
and wind blew down the court and the player on
tbs side a majority Of the games. Davis
got the first vantage game. but Bond evencd mat
ters up minute later by taking love game
Then Bond got the vantage game and led at 40
love In the next. needing only one stroke for the
set but Davis plucky pulled out Of this deep hole,
and again the score was even. For game after
game the players struggled. the score invariably
coming back 10 even figures again after one man
had won the vantage game Again Bond needed
only one stroke. but again Davis saved himself
from defeat only to finally lose the set by - games
TO II.
When the players began the third set on the
championship after "A short rest Bond seemed
tribe tired and his movements had less life in
them Davis kept NJ his clever work. and played
as cool as Il veteran As Bond rushed into the
net 20 yoilcy Davis quietly slipped the ball by him
or ono side or The other or cross-cour'ed II 90
sharply that the Westcrner could not get his racket
" m ii, a., ,h,s ~, go, anu AMI ,b.n I,ond cot
two games and It'd IN" score at all long
when tae latter needed only one stroke ior H. ana
finally the pucky Harvard man pulled out the
game.
The next one was easy for him. with The adj
vantage OF the service and the sun h"lind ms
four,h set was caster than the third Davis 90;
a lead OF Il IN this. ard by tho same steady
End Bond made desperate cnort to pull out the
set and got TWO ~ tho next three games hut then
The fun score by points follows:
First se'. 10