New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-06-21
MURRAY TAKES
COURT TITLE BY
WHIRLWIND PLAY
Alexander Yields Metro
poIitan HonorS to
Youthful Rival.
MATCH DESPERATELY
FOUGHT THROUGHOUT
Mathey and Church Defeat Smith
and Shafer in Tedious
Doubles Contest.

Doubles Contest.
Robert Lindley Murray, the meteoric
,outh from Leland Stanford University
4 California, defeated Frederick b. Alex
nder, the Davis Cup veteran. yesterday
OF the Metropolitan lawn tennis cham
onship. in. a desperate five-set match.
oy score OF SIS. Is, Us, %, "a.
In winning the match, Murray vindi-
Gated the faith of those who have hailed
him as one OF the greatest possibilities
in this country in the lawn tennis line,
and from now on he win be regarded as
of Davis Cup timber and strong con-
tender tor the right 10 defend the in
ternational trophy against the invasion
Of the English or Australian players.
Dean Mathey and George NJ. Church,
.'r won the doubles championship. de-
feating G. Carlton Shafer and King
Smith, at 6-S, 70. Ga, l2-10.
Il was not until Alexander had ex-
hausted every trick at his command,
mad matched his peerless court general
MP and mastery OF strokes, against Muir
lays impetuous dash and tremendous
iced, that he gave up the battle, where
D.. age yielded once again 10 youth,
alexander played wonderful tennis in
g fourth and nth sets. He earned
,rms Of cheers from the big gallery by
tc remarkable returns he made of the
.estern boys terrific drives and smashes,
I4t Murray. raising his own game to
.sc3 greater heights, gained the mastery
Inc end.
once. I'm the final set, Alexander led at
games to !, and was playing brilliantly
az the net, blocking off the boys swift
drives and earning ace after ace by the
magic Of his placement shots. Those gath
cred ten deep about the court thought
the end was near then. for Murray
seemed unable 70 control his strokes, and
Alexander, although fast firing, was cool
and methodicai
Alexander brought off 'cross-court shots
that nicked the chalk lines for what
looked like certain aces. but Murray div
lag after everything, caught them on his
racquet and sent them whistling back
into the veterans court. And every stroke
ne played had a world of power behind it.
By virtue Of his matchless speed alone the
Westerncr overcame his opponents cum
ning and evened the score at 3-all.
Murray continued playing with the
speed Of the wind. taking the. next game,
but then Alexander. fighting grimly TO the
end, won the eighth game, and the score
was ALI.
The youth realized ne must make his
supreme effort at this point, if he was TO
win, and with Alexander serving. started
an impetuous rush that carried all before
It. After the 3O-al had been called Muir
ray scored on two beautiful shots for
placement down the side lines and took
the game.
BY the aid Of his own service. the vic
tor scored one acc. lost two points on
smashes that landed out of court, and
then took successive drives of Alex
ander's on the yolley from mid-court and
took the game set and match.
The match was remarkable in more
ways than one. In the five sets played.
each man scored the same number of
games, IS. and Murray piled up total
Of 1Sf points to 1S2 for Alexander. This
gives an indication of the closeness Of
the play between the two fnalists.
When the match began Alexander was
the quicker TO get started and rapidly
ran into lead of 10 on games, allow
'1g Murray only four points one for
1ch game. Murray took the fifth game.
'lexander the sixth. and then the West
n boy reeled of five games in a row
I'D took the lead at g..
This was only a flash in the pam how
yer. for the Davis Cup veteran pro-
ceGed TO annex the next three games
md set. Murray began to increase the
ace Of his game in the second set, going
"a to the net at every opportunity, and,
matching his own skill against the vet
Grams. took the set at 10.
The third set went the same way, with
Murray displaying wonderful form in the
manner in which he kept going at top
speed, never relaxing IN the vicious at
tack he relied on TO wear down the vet
Gran.
After the rest between sets Alexander,
playing at his best. walked off with the
fourth set. allowing Murray only two
games.
The final set provided enough thrills to
satisfy the gallery for many weeks. Muir
ray was like an untamed tiger on the
court. AS he went into each rally at the
net he gained mid-court with a single
bound, and from there brought off his
shots with power and viciousness that
were unbeatable. once the struggle was
over, however, he became again the smil-
ing. carefree boy and shook Alexander's
hand warmly.
The doubles match. which followed. was
a long drawn out affair. with Church and
Nathey winning through their ability to
handle safely all the lobs that Shafer and
Smith relied upon TO pull out a victory.
Mathey was the brilliant member of the
opposing teams. while Church's smashes
" ere sensational.
The stroke analysis Of the two matches
follows.
STROKE ANALYSIS
FIRST SET
alexander 44424O 2121487-43 s
Murray. I4144444O 2 $50 9