New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-26
One Surprise Foll0ws
Another in Lam Tennis

mate winner Of the title for 1918 usual
" narrowed down TO mention Of these
two names.
Karl Behr, who had defeated Nc
Loughlin at Seabright In August, was
figured as another possibility, and one
or two others were regarded as having
outside chances, Johnston being includ-
ed among the latter.
The tournament went along without
any notable upsets until the fourth
round, when Johnston flashed to the
fore by vanquishing the fiery Behr in
q hard four-set match. Williams and
Mclaughlin had come along without
trouble, not bei.-g opposed by anybody
capable of extending them. The next
day Johnston had more or less diff
Guilty In putting Griffin out OF his path,
the match going the full five sets.
Williams put out William Rand, Sd, and
Mclaughlin defeated F. T. Hunter.
1t was Williams, the champion,
fresh from victories over Behr and Nc
Loughlin in previous tournaments, who
faced Johnston in the next round. The
little Californian started off with great
speed, leading the champion at five
games to one. He was hitting the ball
harder than Williams and was nicking
the lines, whereas the Philadelphia, in
trying to cut the chalk marks, erred
many times. The gallery was stunned
as it saw the champion dropping game
after game, but then a change came,
and It was Williams who began to make
the points by marvellous placement
shots.
Taking six games in a row, Williams
won the first set at IS, and when the
men changed courts there were few in
the stands who expected Johnston TO
win.
But the man from the Coast never
faltered, and the driving duels between
/ the pair were terrific, with Johnston
| having the advantage. He won the sec
ond set at "a and dropped the third
at ST. After the rest period Johnston
went into the rallies with vicious speed
and swept Williams before him, driv-
/ ing down the lines with tremendous
/ force and volleying from midcourt with
such daring that the Philadelphia
rarely succeeded in getting far from his
/ base line. Johnston won the last two
| sets at GO, &c and the match. and
/ Williams had lost his championship.
/ In the final round Mclaughlin took
/ the first set easily at 81, Johnston
seeming unable to get started. But the
complexion of the match changed re-
| markedly In the second set, and john
/ ton. playing with the same savage de-
| termination that he had shown against
| Williams the day before, stormed his
/ wav through without giving McLough-
/ lin a single game.
| IN both the last two sets McLough-
/ lin gained an overwhelming lead, but
/ each time Johnston steadied wonder
( fully and kept adding TO the pace he
put into his strokes, at the same time
| covering his court with such surpass-
ing speed that his opponent weakened
toward the last and was unable to with
! stand Johnston's rush. Fighting cour-
ageously, Mclaughlin was borne down
to defeat, Johnston winning the last
two sets at IS, 1913 and taking the
championship.
The new singles champion and Clar-
ence Griffin easily proved their right to
the doubles title on the following Mon,
dav by defeating Mclaughlin and
Bundy in a stirring match. Their team
work was superlative and their su-
perior speed and harder hitting were
factors against which the old cham
pious could not prevail. ,o-
So much for the manner OF the 1910
champions march TO the title. To make
his position in the lawn tennis world
more secure, the ranking committee OF
the Z. S. N. L. T. A. placed Johnston
NJ No. / in the official ranking list
carly this month, with Williams at No.
3 "a and NJ Mclaughlin at No. 9: Behr, Pell,
n. W. Niles. Griffin. w. NJ. Washburn,
George N. Church and Walter Merrill
Hall came next in order among the
first ten.
The remarkable growth Of lawn ten
mis- skill among the schoolboy players
of the East during 1915 was largely
dine 10 the work of Frederick B. Alexan-
der. the old Davis Cup star. who was
Instrumental in promoting numerous
tournaments for the juniors, and next
wear the schoolboys will receive even
more consideration at the hands OF the
national body, so that 1t seems proba-
bic the sway Of the players from Cali
fornia will soon be broken ana tne
Fss, resume the place 1t formerly occu-
pied on the courts.