Evening star., 1915-06-06
SPENCER GORDON CAPTURES
MIDDLE ATLANTIC TENNIS TITLE
Beats Ballard Moore Three of Five Sets In
Sineles-Miss Elizabeth Bryan Deafeats
Miss A. E. Doyle in Women Singles

BY virtue Of his victory yesterday
afternoon in the final round of the
annual middle Atlantic states cham l.
pionship tennis tournament on the
Columbia Country Club courts, Spencer
Gordon. the Chevy Chase crack. is
the title holder for 1915. J. Ballard
cidentally, his partner in the doubles
event, was runner-up, being beaten
three out of the five grueling sets, IS
7-5, IS, 6-2 and "a.
The brilliancy of the match made a
fitting ending to this feature event OF
the tourney and was an exception TO
the general rule in these f1nal-round
matches, when the players are keyed UP
to such a high pitch that rather mediocre
tennis is often shown. Conditions were
not of the best, as in addition TO
strong east wind which swept the
courts, the going under foot was heavy
and to a certain extent slowed up the
play.
AS Gordon has always beaten Moore
in tournament play, to say nothing oi
the fact that he is a much more eH- H
perienced player, he was seneraliS
picked to win out, but Moore put up such
a strong game that practically through
out the whole match it looked as II ne
was the better man, and that anotheI
upset was about to be sisa registereu. ,he
first game of the match which was
deuced. He repeated on the second
and after that each won alternate
games until the eighth. when moore
rallied and took the next two, Which
gave him the first set.
Gordon won the second, which was was
the best of the match. twelve games
being necessary before decision could
be reached. AS in the opener, Moore
got an early lead, and at the end OF
the third game had the count Il. Al
the eighth, with the score 4-all. he
had an excellent opportunity to take
the set, but he could not overcome
the superior steadiness of the older
PLAYER and was able to win only one
of the next four.
Third Hotly Contested.
The third set also was hotly con-
tested, as by this time both players
were warmed up to their work, and
going like "all possessed" Up to this
stage of the game, Moore's chop stroke
had been very effective, the ball haH-
ing practically no bounce, which kept
Gordon from working his stroke with
any regularity. Moore also was reach
ing the net oftener for kills and passes
down the sidelines. AS Gordon ap-
reared to be holding himself in and
playins a safe game, it looked as if
Moore would win without much trouble
He took this set, 6-3, but the ten
minute recess which followed seemed
to do him more harm than good, and
from this time on the advantage SEEM
of he
net.
In the fourth set Gordon let him
self out more and changed his tactics,
cutting out his chop and using speed.
and this change in pace seemed to
throw Moore off his balance, with the
result that Gordon took the set, max
ing the score 2-ali.
Although Moore put up a good fight
in the fifth and deciding one, his
strokes seemed to have lost their sting
and Gordon looked much the better.
The advantage shifted from one to the
other until the eighth game was reach
ed, when, with the tally 4-all, Gordon
captured the next two games, allowing
his opponent to score but three points
in them. The card for the match fol-
lows:
FIRST SET.
Moore Moore .:...... 0 ! o . $50
SECOND SET
SSF@s' Ssc1s :. " go ! s ss3-; st:-;
THIRD SET.
Gordon .......... : 0 . 2 6-35-3
Moore ...........2 I 4 4 $50
FOURTH sET
Gordon .-..........2 4 4 5-6
Moore l = l o-le-s
FIFTH SET.
Gordon ...... 4 42I-6
Moore ........ . 1-254
There will be no challenge round in
.icto ria,ira