New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-10
JOHNSTON Wins STATE
LAWN TENNIS SINGLES
Wonderful California Boy De-
featS VoSheII in the New
York Championship Play.
STRONG WHEN GAME ENDS
Youth of Seventeen Makes Rec
ord on Eastern Trip That
Has No Parallel on the
American Courts.

American Courts.
Always placing his returns with uner-
ring aim in the closely contested games,
William NJ. Johnston. the wonderful sew
enteen-year-old boy from California, yes
terday won the New York State lawn ten
MS singles championship title. BY his
stirring victory on the turf courts or the
Crescent Athletic Club at Bay Ridge
another of the classics of this part Of the
country falls to the portion OF player
from the Pacific Coast. Johnston becomes
the successor Of Maurice E. Mclaughlin
of the American international team ana
I'm the final of the great tournament ne
defeated S. Howard Voshell at Cd. Cd
4-6. CO.
Voshell the left-handed player of the
Borough Park Club. managed TO hold the
boy for a season by his consistently low
returns. and he accomplished something
that no other player has done in the
tournament. and that was TO take a set
from Johnston. In coming through, john
Pate, Inman and Man with the row where
he hung those of Clothier, Beals- Wright
and Touchard, who fell before him at
Longwood.
The STRIPPING boy Just graduated from
a high school. lost only four sets at Long
wood and one at Bay Ridge. II is a rec
ord that has no parallel on the American
courts, and not even the great Malcolm
Whitman in the heydey of his glorious
career walked away with two Of the
most famous titles with so little effort
The strange thing about the boy is that
he seems TO draw from an ineXhaustible
reservoir Of strength. which enables him
20 lift his game higher and higher. &C
cording to the desperation with which his
opponent plays. His limits seem unbound
ed. and few Of the critics believe. with all
Of his phenomenal Victories. that they
have as yet seen him at the top of his
game. In the tournament he practically
played his opponents at two to one. for
his game tally stood at SO TO 81 won by
his adversaries.
In the championship final yesterday
Voshell managed to get his swift service
with its low breaking bound into opera
ton. This bothered the boy and 1t piled
up a heavy penalty Of outs and nets
against him. as he was often unable TO
play the service back for q safe return
This caused him TO move up TO the net
oftener than usual. with the result that
out Of his total Of playing the ball u9
times he earned only 46 strokes, and %
Of these were placed returns. mostly
smashes.
From his side OF the court breastworks
Voshell diligently played his drives deep
into the opposite court. often pulling out
wonderful passing strokes as he sent the
ball winging across court oft his low
forehand. on his service alone he scored
six aces. and at all times he kept the
boy in action by continually changing his
pace and direction.
Voshell lacked steadiness, however. and
also the skill TO evade the assaults of the
boy al the net when he desperately need
ed point. AS result, out of the total
Of 1O3 times that Voshell played the ball
he earned only % points. OF which were
service aces. leaving a meagre balance Of
l6 placements-less than 20 per cent of his
total as winning strokes
Johnston played much as he has done
in all Of his other contests since his ar
rival In this city He led off with the
service. and. playing with that graceful.
fascinating stroke-often as easy Of mo-
ton as II a woman had ficked her hand
kerchief-he rolled up q lead of 80 on
games In the first set 1t was then that
Voshell began to pepper away at his
ground strokes. His range was not the
best. and 1t was not until the second set
that the boy with the FURNISHED locks be-
frequently landed IN the net.
There was a session Of winning against
service at this stage which extended into
the third set. With two sets to the good.
the boy tried to stay back in his court.
II was a mistake. and he realized II when
Voshell had tucked the set away on his
score.
AS the players began the fourth set
Charlie Bull tried TO open some ginger
pop. with the result that those near at
hand were literally sprinkled and the
their parched lips.
In the fourth set Johnston to a consid-
earble degree used the favorite passing
shot OF Billy Larned-a straight drive
down the side line on the receipt OF SER
vice. he was strong at the finish. while
poshell was flying the signals Of fatigue.
The point score by games in sets and
the stroke analysis follow:
FIRST SET.
Johnston. 442 341I g 6