New-York tribune., 1915-02-23
Touchard and Washburn
Beat PelI and Behr for
National Indoor Title.
MATCH GOES FIVE
HARD FOUGHT SETS
Clever Tactics Of Singles Cham
pion Saves Day for His Team
in the Closing Games.
Nv FRED HAWTHORNE.

By FRED HAWTHORNE
Gustave T. Touchard, three times
winner of the national indoor lawn ten
mis- championship IN singles added an
other title 20 his list yesterday when
he and Watson VI. Washburn, Of Har-
ward. defeated Theodore Roosevelt Pell
and Karl II. Bchr, the Eastern doubles
champions, in the final round Of the
national indoor doubles a. the 7th
Regiment Armory. The score was .,
3 S. 8 6, o. ?, 6 9.
The largest and most enthusiastic
crowd tina, ever witnessed an indoor
match saw the four men battle for the
bonors. and every man and woman in
the big drill hall was held spellbound
by the brliance OF what everybody
present agreed was the most spectacu-
lar lawn tennis ever played indoors M
This city
The PLAYERS were keyed up 90 a high
nervous tension throughout. and oacn
wed with the other IN the execution OF
sensational shots The armory was IN
a constant uuroar Of appreciation from
spurrcd the four men on the court 10
even greater efforts.
To Touchard must fall the major
share Of the credit for the victory. II
was his mastery playing Of high and
pulling lobs In the last set that gained
tho match for his side These Iobs,
placed with wonderful accuracy inches
from the base linc drew Pcll and Behr
out Of position and paved the way for
the final terrific smash by Touchard.
T. Is difficult with two such brilliant
PLAYERS Of 'he net game a. Behr ana
Touchard 20 say which one earned
The laurel wreath for spectacular play
-ng.. Both executed shots that time and
again brought :he gallery up standing
and the ball few 50 swiftly between
their racduets IN the many dueis at
the net that 20 say either one was bet
ter in this department would DO the
other an injustice
Touchard a Clever Tactician.
But in court generalship Touchard
proved himself the master mind yes
tcrdav. and he always had an eye for
the openings, no matter how small AS
Ralph Baggs. sitting beside the court,
expressed IL: Gus IS always using that
little old NUT of his .
II the playing OF Behr and Touchard
was the more snowy and attracted the
more attention. the fact must not be
lost sight Of that Pell and Washburn
were m there all the time, ripping
through deep drives, venturing often
20 the net for kills and doing theT
full share Of the work.
The last two games Of the match Will
live long in the memory Of those VINO
saw them. Needing but a single point
for the match and the championship in
the eighth game, and leading at g
and 4O-lOve. TOuchard and his partner
saw PeU and Behr win five points IN
"a row and take the game by wonder
rullv sustained attack az the net, IN
which the ball did not touch the boards
FOR fully a minute.
The last game went 10 deuce IouI
times before TOuchard sent nome the
winning point by a screaming drive 10
Behrs backhand, which the latter
crashed into the net.
f. was not until the first set was
almost over that the men had found
their stride. Thereafter the rallies
were fought out with increasing speed
and the play grew more brilliant
Touchard was as full Of life as a
9choolboy and went into every rally
with vim lie and behr singled onf
another out in the play az the net, and
appeared 90 enjoy themselves the more
as the pace increased TOuchard was
a shade quicker than his famous cp
ponent on the volley, and Behr wa'
always quick TO acknowledge this viii
"A hearty. "Wel played. GuSi' and no
body doubted that the compliment wa'
sincere one.
After deuce had been called once II
4 games. WashbuTn and his partner too'
the last two and the set at ,. Inc
same pair rapidly ran into lead OF
TO 1 on games IN the second set bu
then Behr and his partner came wItf
"A rush and took the last five games u
row by a brand OF lawn tennis thai
nothing could hold, winning at 6-3.
Washburn and Pell took an active
part IN the third set, both earnnnI
points by deadly smashing overhead
and using slashng drives 20 the alleys
Washburn, bespcctacled and with al
appcarance OF judicial calm, was 1
,barp contrast 20 the nervous, high
strung Touchard and the fiery Behr
while Pen was all over the court
calming Karls ruffled spirit by words
of encouragement and sending ms
famed backhaud drives into the oPpos
ing court with tremendous pace.
Third for Behr and Pell.
Clcauly outplaying the other paiI
from every position IN the court, Pel
and Behr walked of with the third Sc
~ & 8. and many believed they wouI,
90 straight through with the mater
tben But the interval OF rest ap
parcntlv nut new life into Touehar'
and Washburn. and they were Away
the better in the last two sets.
Only the second and fourth game
IN the next set went TO the eduE
Rear" team, with Touchard orlnRlnI
~ Ioftv twisting lobs into dead,
,Jsr Sooner or later the dashing Ben
r.nc TO Grief on those lobs and sen
,bcr, crashing into the net or wide o
,bc court. Taking the fourth set
q , Touchard and Washburn "er'
40, once more on sets and prepared
for a whirlwind hnlsh.
Tho games IN the last set alternate
AL, ia 3 all. and then Nashburn am
his partner forged ahead, WIN pen
,,J pcu losing control IN their anxiety
,,o Touchard shot ms loos vi
lIke shells from howltzer, umlhi
,bcm with such eNacutude thAt Nh.'
broEe lust within the confines OF M
court. either on the base line or 'h'
extreme edge OF the side courts;
Behr was many times eompeIled y
race wide Of the playing surface u
order 20 return these lobs, and II was
,bo, that Touchard or Washburn too'
on advantage and shot the ball into
,bc unprotected spaces like sharp
sboo,ors aiming 81 mark.
Ats 2 against them, Pell and BEN
ID their last stand and STAYED on
defeat temporarily by a wonderful re-
covcry. but TouChard continued ms