New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-08-05
Youthful Star Downs Fred
Alexander After Four
Set Match.
b. FRED HAWTHORNE.

Robert Lindley Murray, OF Leland
Stanford University, California, met
ropoli,sn and New England champion,
will face Maurice +. Mclaughlin. the
holder Of the nation al title, to-day in
the final round Of the New York State
championship lawn tennis singles on
the turf courts Of the Crescent Ath-
letic Club. at Bay Ridge.
Mclaughlin gained his final bracket
yesterday by defeating Frederick c..
lnmsn, a former holder of the state
title. at 6-l, "a, 6-3. in an easy
match. Murray only earned the righ5
to face Americas greatest player, af.er
nerve wracking four-set battle with
Frederick h. Alexander. the greateGt
of tho veterans remaining in this
country.
In this match Murray won thirty
two games and a total Of 1879 points,
while Alexander. although winning
only one set to his opponents three,
had total Of 1872 points and twenty
eight games. The set score was s-6,
Sc, so, Sc.
Murray began the service, shooting
the ball just over the net with an
abundance Of speed, which Alexander
found it difficult TO handle with any
certainty. The first game went to the
Californian, the second to his OPP
ponent. and in this manner each man
took his own service until the final
game, when Murray broke through the
veterans service and took the open
ing set at SIS.
Speed Murray's Asset.
Murray's heetness Of foot had stood
him in good stead, for Alexander, with
his skill at the net position, made the
younger man run cesselessly from one
side of his court to the other in the
unending pursuit of his placement
shots. II was peerless speed against
crafty skill, and the margin between
the two was slight.
Again Murray had the service when
the second set began, and took the
game after it had gone to deuce. Alex
ander, unrafFied, cool and moving about
his court hardly at all, so fine was the
placing of his shots, lost his own
service after deuce had been called
twice. Many thought this heralded the
beginning Of the end. and that the
older man was beginning to feel the
strain.
This belief was shortlived, however.
for Alexander took the next two games
with the loss of only two points, break
ing through the Westerner's service
for the first time in the match. Fol
lowing the service quickly. Alexander
stood in mid-couIt, and from there
blocked off Murrays sizzling drives
from the base line, and when the youth
sought to gain the net for kill" his
opponent outgeneralled him and earned
his points by a beautiful change Of
pace.
A man with less fighting spirit than
Murray would have hesitated to ven
ture 10 the net after many of his fast
est shots had been thus skilfully smoth-
cred by Alexander, but the Californian
knew no stopping and only fought the
harder. Still the veteran reigned su-
preme at the net, and ran into lead
Of FIVE games TO three.
Up to this point Murray had been re-
straining his inclination to try for
every ball, to overcome by very speed
of movement the cunning that his OPP
ponent brought to bear. But the East
erner forced him 10 travel at his best
pace, and once more Murray was the
plugging, reckless player who had
created a sensation earlier in the sea-
son by the violence of his attack.
Three games in a row he took from
Alexander, putting him IN the lead at
6-5, with his opponent taking the
twelfth. but then Murray broke through
the veterans service again and ran out
the last two games and the second set.
With the beginning of the third set
Alexander knew full we'll that 1t must
be then or never if he was to head oil
the blond youths headlong rush to. VIC
tory. This was the crucial stage of the
struggle, and Murray wanted the set as
keenly as did his opponent.
Ale1anders Service Effective.