New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-06-23
LITTLE WINS THE TITLE
Defeats Dabney in Metropolitan
Championship Singles.
HAcKETT AND HALL VlCT0RS
Capture Lawn Tennis Doubles
from Little and Touchard
by Safe Margin.

Raymond .. Little won the Metropolitan
lawn tennis championship in the singles.
and Harold H Hackett and Walter Mer-
rill Hall the titles IN the doubles. yester-
day. on the turf courts OF the West Side
Tennis Club, at 238th street and Broadway.
Little the famous internationalist and the
hero OF a hundred well fought battles Of
the courts, defeated Arthur s. Dabney. the
former Harvard player. in straight sets to
the score Of s., 81. IS. Steadiness
and speed were tho ksvuo'ss of Lttles
game HIS driving was q marvel OF accu-
racv. and he managed 20 hold Dabney
upon the defensive most ~ the time.
The doubles Hnal went the limit Of fIll
fyc sets before Hackett and Hall defeated
RAYMOND D. Little and Gustavo =. Touch.
ard, who are the holders ~ the national
doubles titles, by tho score Of O-s. "a
So, rs, 81.
BY all odds the performance OF Little
IN tho singles Is without a parallel as a
Metropolitan final. The day was suited to
championship lawn tennis-there was no
breeze to speak OF. and the playing sur
faces were in fair condition. Under these
conditions Little did not allow his opponent
a set. and scored IS games 10 Dabney's s
The point TALES were ~ 10 e, Little scored
the great number Of 10 place shots TO his
opponents 10. while Dabney ran or u
passes, 20 Titles Z. Dabney counted 8
service aces while Titles service did not
produce anything.
The steadiness OF the veteran and his
nice Judgment OF play were indicated IN
the fact that he lost % points on outs and
a on nets, TO 90 and 81, respectively, for his
adversary Dabney also, in trying 10 split
tho service lines, made four double faults
during the match.
Dahncy began the service In the match
exactly ten minutes ahead Of the sched-
uled time This was in fair keeping with
the general management of the tourna'
ment which has been conducted In an
able manner by Or. John s Billings. IT.
From the beginning the Boston man was
severe on his serve and the fourth point
Of the initial game was q beautiful ace
which afforded Little no opportunity for
a return II was the only point that Dab
nav rot. pc Little came MP and volleyed
splendidlv for two points. Little was In
clined 10 force matters and by swift driv-
ing he forged right ahead 10 t-love on
games The difficulty with Daonsy at this
stage seemed 10 be that the variations
Of speed bothered him. and then Little
hammered away et the left hand corner
OF his court until he had Dabneys back
hand wavering and uncertain.
~ the beginning Of the second set Lit
tie from both his fore and back hand.
scored prettily by number Of sneakers
down the side lines, on each occasion
catching Dabney as he came in Dahney
seemed 10 be inclined 20 put too much top
on the ball, aud as the ball was travelling
slowly. soft boiled shots one OF tho
critical gallery called them. the younger
player hit into the net. On the third game,
however. Dabney made amends by scoring
on sizzling drives for which Little fran.
tcally waved his racquet, taking the game
AZ love. the only one of that sort of the
match. That love game was sufficient for
Little ard he fought out the next four
games 70 win the set az 6-i.
Apparently l)ahney had como 70 the con-
clusion that with two sets In the hole
he would not lose anything by taking des-
rerate chances He made Little run at
the beginning of the third set and by
lammering drives all around him managed
"a lead at Glove. BY working his corner
shots continually Little managed to carry
the games To- 2-all. Then 1t was that
Dabney flashed for the last time. Out
playing Little in the swiftest OF rallies
he cleanly passed the master four times
running and drew ahead again at "a, He
was never able 10 duplicate the wonderful
performance. Little worked him out OF
position for the next four games, finishing
up the set and match with one Of his
sensational stop voley shots at the net
The stroke analysts table by sets and
games follows: