New-York tribune., 1916-02-27
He used Serves to Over
come His Dread" of the
Great California Comet.
WILL FIGHT HARD
TO REGAIN TITLE
Service Similar TO That CT NC
LoughIin. but Consumes
Less Energy.
Is JAMES :. O'NEAlE.


claimed the greatest tennis player IN
the world +. Norris Williams. 2d. OF
PHILADELPHIA end Harvard. SET his eye
rpon the national championship. The
title was then held by She great Cali
,ornia Comet. Williams had bcon
TREMENDOUS dissppointmea. 30 has
matches against Brookos and the late
Anthony Nnang ...,.-.
a. th.s stage u our stony Williams
came across an old copy Of "tsop
Fables lEsop was a Grtek. VINO dled
56t y. C.. that IS. before champions hlps
we're even invented for tennis. y e. me
Old boy had prCgnan. advice ior Will
When man first saw the came! VIII
iams read from .ksop be was ~ trlgnt-
,ned ~ its vast size that he ran away.
After q time he summoned enough couf-
age to approach the beast and soon
,ftervard be- assumed such bOldness a.
10 bride and drive IT.. Esop's moral
was: Use serves to overcome dread.
Williams Sees Clew.
Williams. bright student al Gam
bridge. Immediately saw the clew. SO.
when he faced Mclaughlin in Tie finals
On September 1. he used many serves
10 overcome the dread of the Comet
Niianss Grst delivery the Native
Son could not touch with his Jacket.
The second also shot past untouched.
The third and fourth came 50 last
that Mclaughlin drove them fnr out
OF court.
So ii was throughout the - atch.
Williams served ard drove superDiy.
earned 5S points TO the Comets 20, and
won ia straight sets at 6-3. 10.
lO-S. Then. in the intercO legiate
championshiDs. he lost TO the lankE
George Meyers Church. OF Princeton
That IS. Williams from the top 80 ms
head TO the tips of his tennis shoes
lie is the most uncertain tOp-noicnei
playine the game. When he Is bad ne
is very bad Eddie, very bad. Nhen h'
is in top form he is unbeatable. These
last are rare occasions, il is trde, Dut
sometimes they come.
Yet no high class player ever had,
~ all times, more nerve and conuCence
in himself than Williams has. He
rarely appears 20 realize that re ls
beaten. and continues TO play hls own
type of cut-the-line game at all times
regardless Of what The other telio"
does 1t is simply question OF Wneth-
or his shots strike an inch INSIDE the
line or al inch outsd,
lie plavs his second service as hsrd
a. the first. Sometimes, I'D conse-
ouence, he makes ar astounding num-
Der OF double-faults. But he goes on
serenely. playing his own game. Oh
the other mans service. no matter no"
fast IL is, Williams stands inside me
hack line. sending the ball back with
H. .Lo d reaches
the ton OF its bound. This is but an
other instance of mis- all-around aggres-
siveness, his playing Of his own game
NJ all times. IA
Williams was twenty-four years olo
in 1914. He ACQUIRED the game unoe,
expert instruction in SwitZeriahd, anO
was so well grounded, especially IL
back court tactics, that when ne mrs
appeared IN this country IN l9I- ~
became the sensation OF the seasOi'
On The trim across the Atlantic VIII
;ane made miraculous escape iron
The Titanic. showing his superb cour
age by holding on 10 the RIM OF
hoa. for hours. His father went do"i
with the ship. .
Davis Gun team Of 1918. and won on
Of his two matches. Against Brooke
and Nilding he did not show his uu'
form, except in the memorable thlr'
set against the former, when, with de
feat staring him IN the face, he CAV
another great exhibition of nerve an'
tennis. lie has been ranked secon'
every year in the countrys ranking
list, the committee upsettng preceden
IN 1914 and putting Mclaughlin be
fore the national champion because 0
Macs sensational play m the Dayi
matches.
Loses 10 Johnston.
Last year Williams lost mis- nationa
title 10 William NJ Johnston. when III
latter made his famous march throug
Karl Behr. Williams and McLoughlr
Harvard Duck, however. won the cia
court championship, the intercollegiate
the Seabrght and Newport invitation
and was semi-hnalist In the all-comer'
lie lost his Iongwood challenge.
Williams defeated. among others, Il
{. Johnson. Nathcy, Niles twice
Church, G.. J.. Gardner. jr, Grin
ttwicel. " !. Johnson, Behr, Bull, W
VI. Johnston Dtwicel. Mclaughlin, Hal
Inman and Beekman. lie lost ono
each 20 Grifin and Johnston, and twic
10 Mclaughlin
williams confidence is shown ii
every stroke he makes. He IS as con
fident Of his games strength as Iheo
dore Roosevelt IS that "Ihe sta
Spargled Banner" is the greatest som
ever written. or as Abraham Bassforc
ir.. is that the lob is the stronges
offensive shot in tennis. And TO bacl
ND his confidence is his nerve. II,
never gives up. but sticks until canned
ss the mucilage once said.
His receive of service is beautiful 4
behold Standing alert five or ten fee
further forward than other players. h
takes the ball on the rise and Wit
Quick wrist and eye action shoots Il TO
the line.
Williams's forehand. which he make
with a quick, decisive notion is eN
.remelv neat in its effectiveness, JUS
as all his strokes are cleanly played
The stroke is made almost withou
twist. with just tendency to top-spin
Like his receive of service, the ball ]
taken at the top of rs bound, with a.
aggressive swish Of the racquet.
The slight top Williams puts on tn
,phere is made at the last minute
which is great aid ia the coneeaimen
Of direction from an adversary. HIS di
rection is not revealed until the mo
ment Of impact lie makes his strok'
on the spur Of the moment.
Ball Has Under-Spin.
On the backhand Dick uses the loy
elbow Of the English style, bevellini
the racquet head 10 give the ball Sigh
under-spin. lie takes the ball al th,
height OF its fight, as on his forehand
and depends more on the twist Of ms
shoulders for body swing than on Z
long follow through.
Ia