The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-07-19
DOUBLES CHECKED BY RAIN WITH BOTH TEAMS IN DEADLOCK Champion Smith Defends
 Title Successfully in
 Singles Match WILL DECIDE TITLE IN DOUBLES TODAY Rain Forces Match Between Brooks Bartlett and Smith Mansfield to Be Halted-Play-Off This Afternoon
By ASA RoUNrREE, JR.


 Carlton Smith successfully defended his title yesterday morning in the challenge round for singles of the Cotton States Tennis tournament winning from Billie Bartlett of the Country club, the chal- lenger and runner-up in the tournament in straight sets. The scores were: 6-1, 6-4 and 6-3.
 Rain prevented the completion of the challenge round for doubles in the after noon with the score in games standing one all. Brooks and Bartlett were in fine shape and had the round been fin ished the local pair would have stood an excellent chance to win. After losing the first game by narrow margin, the local team came back and turned the second game into a love affair, Brooks doing the serving.
 Brooks drives were working right and caused the Atlanta players-Smith and Mansfield-considerable worry in the two games played.
 On account of the postponement the challenge round will be finished this aft ernoon, starting at o'clock. The match will be resumed where play was dis continued when rain interfered. Opening Set Short The opening set in the challenge round for singles. played during the morning, was easily annexed by the Atlanta cham pion, 6-1. The set was played in 1S min 4 utes and Bartlett was able to take only the third game.
 Bartlett played more cautiously in tt second set and took the first three game Smith started in to close up the gap af1 won two straight, only to meet with d reversal in the sixth encounter. How ever, he followed up with a string of | four straight wins, giving him the set l The final games of the set was the hard I est fought of any played in the tourna- | ment. Twenty-four points equivilant to six full games, were contested, Smith l finally winning out.
 l The third and final set was see-say I affair during the earlier part. Smitlv l secured the first two games, Bartlett the | third, Smith the fourth Bartlett the fifth,v and Smith the following two. With the l score standing 5-2 against him, Bartlett warded off defeat by taking the eighth 1 game. but in the succeeding one smith | emerged victor, allowing him to take the set. match and championship for an- other year.
 l Seven love games were played in the l three sets and of these Smith registered 1 four and Bartlett the remaining three. There were also seven deuce struggles. l The entire match was quickly played, exactly one hour elapsing between the beginning and conclusion.
 Drives Trouble Bartlett l Bartlett throughout the round had trou4 ble in placing his back court drives. I Invariably his returns to the back court were too hard and went out of bounds 1 At intervals he succeeded in neatly placl 1 ing his drives in the farther corners of | the court and when successful Smitff l found it almost impossible to return themt Little volleying was done by either play 1 er both being content with back court l returns. Smith played for Bartletts back l hand but at times the local player off- | set him with cleverly placed returns. The court was bit heavy, due to the 1 heavy rain of the preceding night, ana l the two contestants moved cautiously m, order to prevent slipping up. I Smith played a steady conservative game, and although he kept his court we'll covered did not appear to be workt ing hard Part of Smiths advantage was derived from his peculiar serve.
 Smiths Serves Effective F Bartlett was forewarned against thenT having had ample experience in Atlanta 1 last year. but even at this he had trouble in connecting. The serve comes over the net with a decided twist and appar- ently little speed, but when the ball
 strikes tine ground 1t bounds up into the
 air and making it difficult to return with
 any great drive.
 Bartlett made a game fight against lm-
 pending defeat. but the veteran was too
 much for him. Smith is one of the great
 est players in the south. and he gave
 ample evidence of it yesterday. He ham
 dies himself gracefully, never seems to
 exert himself unduly and apparently re (Continued on Page Fifteen)