The Washington herald., 1913-08-24
JOHNSON BEATS
]. R. STRACHAN
Tennis Star Of Philadelphia
Looms Up as Contender
for Championship.
WILL MEET M'LOUGHLIN
P. Norris Williams an Easy Winner
Over W. M. Washburn in
Other Match.
WILL MEET M'LOUGHLN
peci.I to The wnshington Herald.

SPECIAL 70 Inc " afdington hefald
Newport,s Aug S.-Speedy tennis met
heady tennis here today and the latte
won. Wallace z. johnson, the young
Phiiadelphian, who recently returned
from a two months trip to England with
several prizes and with the honor OF
having been a member OF the Davis Cup
team, put to fight the fastest article OF
tennis seen here this year at New
port.
John r. Strachan. his eIghteen-year-
cid opponent, chock fUll of confidence
and an assortment Of strokes that have
proven a revelation TO Fasteners, had
no chance against johnson, who used
his Incompatible cut strokes with such
q slow persisteQcy that Strachan was
haffed. Johnson, always a cool, ca
cGlating piece of tennis machinery,
never seemed to doubt the outcome cf
the match, despite the unconceaIed ed
miration at every turn for his opponents
game.
Strachan ripped OF some shots that
had the earmarks OF 100 miles and hour,
hut they came back covered with twists
and turns that lifted the ball only a
foot from the ground. Then a ground
stroke was necessary, and like McLough-
In strachan is not fond of these.
johnson Dangerous.
~S1SAas AAAAOIbA MS NlGIOTgs looms uD
as a dangerous man In the finals, for on
Monday he faces Maurice E. McLough-
lin. Tennis followers remember the
grueling five-set match last year for the
championship here. Mclaughlin then
had TO play wonderful tennis to win from
Johnson. and the latter's game is much
steadier now than then.
Ine result or the otner match TO-DAY
left r. Norris Williams an easy victor
over Watson NJ. Washburn, the young
Harvard student, after three sets. Thus
Williams faces Nat Niles, OF Boston! IN
the upper nafr ana McLougnlIn races
johnson in the lower section. and the
two winners Will play for the champion
ship on Tuesday. The association off,
GERS teel elated over the fact that OF
the -FOUR players lett three are or the
Davis Cup team.
At the start of the match Strachan
looked like a winner by straight sets, for
he romped away with the opening set
81, and the Californian began to feel
as II cut strokes were no bother TO him
after all But then came a change
Johnson just kept pegging away at the
back hand OF his opponent and placed
with deadly accuracy. Strachan whipped
back the ball with cannon-like speed, but
very often drove into the net or out of
bounds. He tried TO come up TO the net
so as to smash the returns before the
twists took on, but johnson was unre-
lenting and kept him back by hard corner
spots. Even after johnson had taken the
second set, rs, Strachan could not real
ize that those twists were going 10 put
him out Of the series. for he drove vi
ciously at his man throughout the third
set and until he was behind four games
to one. Then the idea struck him that
ha d. k,Nu
johnson he might turn the tide.
But the experiment was a costly one.
johnson reveled in the very medicine he
was handing out. and when he took the
third set Strachan knew he had made an
error.
Wins 20 Games to IL.
johnson scored lIs points to IS and
Tailed 20 games TO Il In love games
johnson lost only one and strachan
four.
In the Williams-Washburn match. the
expected happened when the former
triumphed in three straight sets Will
liams himself said that he had never
played better tennis in his life than he
did against the young Harvard student
who claims Bridgeport at his home, but
lives in New York most of the time.
Even in England said Williams, II
was not In better or more accurate shape
than this morning, and Washburn was
beaten. not by his own errors. but by
form that Is due to much tennis.''
Washburn was steady, but Williams
was too brilliant. The latter meets Niles
for a chance TO get in the final round, |
and johnson tackles Maurice E. Nc
Loughlin. The finest tennis Of the year
should result.
The fact that McLoughltn's game is,
much like Strachsns, has caused the
contingent TO feel more con-
fident Of Johnson's chances.