New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-02
Newport Gallery Amazed
at Brilliant Playing of
Harvard Man.
CAPTURES TITLE IN
THREE STRAIGHT SETS
Champion Fights Desperately,
but Is Beaten Back Step by
Step Until Day Is Lost.
By FRED HAWTHORNE.

Newport, K. l., Sept. 1.--Richard Nor
ris Williams. I'd, Of Philadelphia, de-
feated Maurice E. Mclaughlin, of Cali
fornis, the playing through champion,
this morning in the final round of the
national championship lawn tennis
singles on the turf courts Of the New
port Casino. in straight sets at 6-S,
SIS, 1913. If Mclaughlin had won he
would have attained permanent possess
sion Of the coveted silver cup, on which
he had won two legs. in 1912 and 1913.
The bare statement of the fact of
Macs" defeat is sufficient to create a
sensation in the lawn tennis world. 1t
needs no establishment of words to
deepen its significance or enlarge upon
the greatness of WilliRms's achieve
ment in dethroning the man who has
been regarded, this year particularly,
as the greatest lawn tennis player of
the age. Yet detailed word picture of
the manner in which the youthful Phil
adelphian accomplished the downfall of
the dreaded man from California must
be written if for no other reason than
to give Williams the praise that is his
due.
There is no shadow on the Eastern
mans victory. He won because he
played lawn tennis of an unbeatable
brand and ran the man from the coast
off his feet. 1t is true that Mclaughlin
faltered in the first stages of the great
struggle and made errors that he would
not ordinarily have made but il was
really the marvellous playing of his
opponent that forced the Californian
into wildness.
Earned Points Tell Story.
But the real story of the fortunes Of
battle lies in the fact that Williams
earned almost twice as many points as
did Mclaughlin, nineteen of them SER
vice aces. The figures for the match
read:
Williams, IS earned points; Nc
Loughlin, 30 earned points.
Fully 1000 persons had jammed their
way inside the Enclosure about the
championship court at IL o'clock, when
the match began. There were no pre-
liminaTies, no posing for pictures, and
Mclaughlin, looking supremacy fit to
defend his crown, tossed his racquet
into the air, and Williams won the call
and started with the sun in his eyes,
and a strong and binding sun it was.
A moment of tense silence as the
two finalists faced each other across
the court, the swish of McLoughlin'S
racquet as it struck the ball, and the
match was on.
Twice Williams sent the ball into the
net on return of service, once he scored 7
on a passing drive down the side, and
twice he sent the ball careening out OF
court The first game was over almost
before the spectators realized 1t.
Then it was Williams's turn and he
sent over two wonderfully swift service
balls into MeLoughlin's court. The
Californian's racquet struck thin air as
he tried vainly to return them. He
met with more success on the next two,
but even then they went out of court, |
and the game was the Philadelphian's
Neither man had yet approached his
zenith Of accomplishment, and after
each had taken his own service IN the
next two games the crowd settled back
in the seats, expecting to see long
drawn out struggle, with the champion
finally coming through with. the WIN
ming punch. But the 1.-THE, alert youth
from Philadelphia upset these caicula-
tions by taking the great McLoughllns
service in the fifth game and assuming
the lead.
HliilAHE AntdACb OAhNA-.s
The onlookers gasped in astonish-
ment as they saw Williams ouIPlayihe
Az eonnueror of Brookes and Wildlng
sne eveTv position in the court. His
l,;,,as 6rst to the left and then to
tbe right. and always deep into his
onnonent's court, forced Mclaughlin TO
v1a;nfain constant vigil IN defence
"a Ma territory. While running IN Tor
~. net oosition, 200, Williams executed
80 strokes on the volley, ehoppiing
t6e returns off so close to the net that
WcIoughlin was compelled to dlve
headlong for them; - ,
Taking the sixth game on ms own
aerviee. the Philadelphia leo at Tour
s,sn,es 10 two. Mclaughlin looked nope
fsssIv At the ball as his opponent served
ftsr ace. Williams was using
.ksrn break. first to the right, then 10
the feft. and Mclaughlin could never
ELI on which side his tormentor was
going TO place his delivery.
sa.e seventh game was "Mac'S" as ne
.herged into midcourt and blocked OH
fhe scorching drives that Williams
bombardcd him with, but that was MS
last tally in the set, for the Harvard
youth, knowing 70 stopping, plerceo
the opposing court with orllliahC Sn tIs
for placement and literally ran the
Californian into the ground, taking the
last game after deuce had twice Deen
called and with it the first set at 6-.3.
hasty use of the towels and the
arster pitchers and the men began the
second set Mclaughlin wore an air OIL
unwonted seriousness on his rudy lace
and swayed forward on his toes AS ne
waited for Williams's first service pail
Cunning Change of Pace.
WILLIAMS was a picture of confidence,
however, and maintained his invlncioie
attack. ripping holes in McLoughlin's
defence. drawing him out of position
nv cunning change of pace, and max
inc him work ceaselessly. When Will
iaSna stopped for a breathing space ne
held a lead of three games to none,
and things began to look dark Tor tne
champion. The fastener needed only
three games for the second SET ana
seemed in fair way OF getting them.
But at this stage he taltered, ana
his game temporarily lost us prllliShey
a. sharp attack and rock ribbed de-
fence Was il possible that the strain
and the realization of his task were
beginning to tell on him
Sneh was the thought that found ut
t.rsnee "a a hundred different sections
"a the stands, and it seemed true, for
T.foughiin ran out the next three
.,smes IN . row, with his opponent
SiaviEg weakly into the net and wide
az the court.
Nav the champion was going to make
MA stand and was going to nov down
fhss presumptuous youth who aspired
10 his title, figured the followers oil
the game, and everybody leaned lot
,Serd Bit further in the seats as they
svaitsd the impact from McLoughiin's
terrible rush. $1,000 -
...l.n info the lead then and capture