New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-01
Weak Opposition for Top
Notch Players in All
Corners Tourney.
VETERAN ALEXANDER
DEFEATS NAT NILES
Mclaughlin Flashes with His
Oldtime Brilliance in Tri-
umph Over Kuhn.
r, FRED HAWTHORNE.

H.
p,eb.rS Norris Williams, 2d, Of Phila-
s-.A,s beran under remarkably sue
..frl conditions yesterday on the
....-,y.fosr TURF courts of the West
ca. Tennis club. at Forest Hills, Long
- Fvervth,rg went through with
,loct.rke precision. and when play
....o5 shortly before 6 o'clock the
,-r-al field o. l2S players had been
-,sy,ea 70 six,y-four, just half the
.r-be- that began the tournament
More than five thousand persons
-,,-cs ,hroucn TIE gates during the
H.. md the majority remained in the
..s,es until the last point OF the star
latch Of the afternoon, between Fred
.-iek p Alexander. former Davis Cup
-, ard Nathaniel " Niles. Of the
lakewood Cricket Club, o. Boston, was
Won by Alexander
=. vas q remarkable showing for the
o,erirq day OF the great tourney
-lsve5 FOR the first time IN the history
p, ,srn tennis in this country. away
s-or the historic courts Of the Casino
-. N,vpor,. But what pleased Robert
n Wrenn. president Of the United
CT. National Lawn Tennis Associa-
.i,n. more than tins was The friction
less manner in which the sixty-four
matches were run off and the great
care given 10 the thousand-and-one de-
tails connected with the affair.
Only three defaults marked the first
Ssv Of play record in itself and
then there we're many innovations
introduced by the committee that
belped the officials IN charge greatly.
Every player was numbered on the pro-
rramn1e. and as the winner Of each
match finished ne was stopped BY one
n the committee snd told at what
hour and OH what court his match for
the following day would be played. All
81 the four grandstsnd courts were
rrovided with telephone connection
with the huge score5oard in front OF
the clubhouse. and the umpires, sitting
In their chairs. telephoned the result
o. each match game by game. and the
figures were then put up, enabling
every person in the stands 10 see just
how each match was progressing,
Alexander Triumphs Over Niles.
All the logical favorites came
through the first days test success
fully. Maurice Z. Mclaughlin, the great
California Comet" crushing Ernest
-
81. 60 and Williams getting de-
fault from Adrian Rlker. Karl II.
Behr went through by defeating II. c.
Martin 81 81. 6-3, SIS George VI.
Church and Theodore z. Pell had lit
tie opposition IN their opening matches,
as did Watson VI. Washburn, metro
politsn champion.
The most sensational match Of the
day resulted when Alexander van
uuished Niles on the championship
court directly in front of the clubhouse
BY score Of 6-3, 81, IS, SO,
80.
The veteran Davis Cup player was
firing fast in the last set, but called
upon all the wizardry Of his strokes
and superb court generslship 70 en-
compass the defeat Of the younger
man. His victory was popular one,
and a. he threw down his racquet and
shook hands with Niles across the net
many persons swarmed TO the side OF
the court and congratulated the old
internationalist
Mclaughlin achieved a personal tri-
Smph when he took the court for ms
match with Kuhn. The great Coast
player was assigned one Of the OUTSIDE
courts near the westerly end OF the
south stand. and within a few minutes
there was q crowd Of fully fifteen nun
dred persons watching him as ne
bowled Kuhn over with tremendous
forehand drives and puzzling shop vol
leys from midcourt.
Mclaughlin Centre of Attraction.
Everybody wanted 70 see Msurie in
action. Hes the greatest player IN
the world to-day" q man told the
young woman with him as they
struggled 20 get a peep over the heads
Of the crowd Don't you worry about
Williams and Behr having beaten him
lately. You just wait and see what
Mac will do 70 them down here thls
week"
Although three "star" matches wen:
going on in the inclosure in front OF
the stands, the crowd deserted them
and aocked 10 the western end, from
where a glimpse could be had OF NC
Loughlin and Kuhn. Others Jammed
the aisles between the sections on the
lawn and hundred or more sta lpeded
across the court upon which Clarence
J. Griffin, Of California, and Sidney
Ihayer jr., of Philadelphia. were
playing, and stopped the match until
special police herded them to one side
Although no longer national cham
plon, Mclaughlin received such an ova-
ton as must have warmed his heart
and reminded him o. the days when ne
was known as "the pet Of Wimbledon,
upon the occasion of his first visit 10
England, few years ago.
The Comet" did not unmask ms
most formidable batteries against
huAn, eontenting himself with hover
ing about his base line for the most
part and ripping low fore and back
nand drives into his opponents deep
court. Now and then he would make
ave Tor the net 10 bring off yolleying
saoS across the court that delighted
tse spectators, and cnee or twice, as
u 70 repay his admirers for their In
Wfest IN him, he charged down the
sysrt and smashed a high lob IN ms
'io meteoric manner.
Comet" Back in Old Form.
week or ten days of almost abso-
'Ne rest since the Newport tourna-