The sun., 1916-09-05
JOHNSTON AND
WILLIAMS WIN
WAY TO FINAL.
National Tennis Champion
Beats Murray in Straight
Sets at Forest Hills.
Asst HOPE PROVES
S OF GRIFFIN

MASTER OF GRIFFIN
NJ DANIEL.
Americas classic Of the courts at For.
ct Hills to-day will he . battle Of real
tennis titans. william NJ. Johnston Of
San Francisco. present holder Of the
championship. Richard Norris WILL !
Jams "a Of Philadelphia. title winner In
1914. emerged victorious from the semi-
finAls yesterday afternoon before .
crowd Of 10000. They will meet for the
crown at half past 3 o'clock to-day.
In winning their matches In three
straight sets Johnston and Williams not
only scored with unexpected ease. but
set what Is probably a record for the
ante-fnal round OF the national tourna-
ment. Johnston required only forty-ive
minutes to dispose OF Robert Lindley
Murray OF California and New Jersey.
50. SIS. 6-l. while Williams took
only q little more than an hour to elm
mate Clarence j. Griffin OF San Fran
cisco, 6--3. 6-3. Ga. Not within the
ken Of the Oldest follower of national
competition had the Sc ri-inals been so
easily or so quickly won.
4Onn9tOn ana NliIldul0 well nlRn OUT
CHASED their opponents. ach aim
a height OF form he had not approached
this season. and made certain a struggle
In the final that will be we'll worthy Of
the honor and dignity OF the title. john
0eon played by far the best tennis he has
shown in the East this year. while Will
ami was once more the remarkable and
ccurate driver who defeated McLough-
lin In straight sets In the 1914 ANAL.
Church Looks and Smiles.
The elimination OF Murray and Griffin
not only precluded the addition Of a new
name to the list OF American champions.
but took a little of the lustre from the
reputation Murray had achieved in up
setting George NJ. Church in their Ave
set battle last Saturday. Church saw
Johnston give Murray a lesson In every
department OF tennis. and he smiled.
Church's disappointment over having
been defeated by Murray must have
given way to a feeling of congratulation
that II was no, he who was called upon
to oppose the little chan ion. Certainly
Church would have Jared no better than
the meteor from Palo Alto.
Johnston was invincible. He played
every bit as fine tennis as he did in
beating Mclaughlin in the final last
year. and his exhibition was all the more
Impressive because IL lacked the ner.
vousnes that characterized his success
over the ONE Strength and confidence
stood out In Johnston's every stroke.
He knew he could beat Murray any
time, and he showed very early that II
wal only a question Of running out tho
necessary three sets.
Revenge for Williams.
The Murray match was the
more interesting of the two. II was
started at twenty-five minutes of four
n at twenty minutes after four II was
all over. When Church eliminated Ku-
magae In fi~fty-three minutes some were
inclined to regard 1t as a record for a
big contest in a national tournament. but
Johnston's speed of stroke and action
amazed them.
Murray's striving after a quick de-
cisiOn for every point made long rallies
mighty scarce, and Johnston himself was
In no mood for prolonging a contest IA
day before his final tournament effort.
Williams. too. felt hat way in his
match with Griffin. which was started
shortly before . O'Clock. The former cham
pion dropped his usual custom of study
ing out his opponent. II Is very likely
that Williams knew altogether too much
about Grifiin's style. for IL will be re-
membered that In their two previous
meetings this season Griffin had defeated
the Philadelphia. Griffin found out very
early yesterday that the Williams who
was at times making him look a bit
foolish was not the same player over
whom he had %triumphed at Longwood
and Newport.
What with the attractive programme
and the general holiday the size Of the
crowd exceeded even the most sang,inc
hopes Of the tournament committee. Ten
thousand persons were in their places
when Williams ana Griffin began their
match, and still they were streaming in.
Long before the Johnston-M Murray contest
was begun the standing Room Only
sign had been hung out. Finally the
management was forced to allow the
crowd to overflow on the field.
II was n big gallery and a truly rep
resentative one too. In the clubhouse
box sat Col. Theodore Roosevelt and a
party. which included Quentin Roose-
welt and Mrs. Nicholas Longworth. The
Colonel followed the play with keen and
critical interest. for II was he who built
. tennis court on the White House
grounds and organized what became
known as The Tennis Cabinet" As In
everything else the Colonel Is a disciple
OF vigor and speed. and h Johnston.
Murray match in particular met with his
enthusia site approval. He congratulated
Johnston and praised his game. II his
engagements will permit the Colonel will
see the hnal to-day.
The matches were played under a
cloudless sky but a high wind that at
times o on the proportions OF a gale
blew in fitful gusts across the courts. II
was this wind that made Johnston's con-
troll over the ball all the more remarkable,
Like an expert yachtsman working his
sails to catch the wind, Johnston often
made n contrary gust an ally as he
sliced the ball down the side and let
the wind spin 1t away from Murray.
Msrray's Service Tanned.
Johnston had everything working In
apple pie order. Even his backhand.
reputed to he his weak point. shared In
the all around improvement and high
calibre of his game. His forehand drives
with their remarkable follow and body
swing, famed throughout the tennis
world. had Murray completely at their
mercy. His overhanders sizzled with
power and direction. His ground stroke!
left nothing TO be desired. and his gam
was as pretty as II was effective.
Murray's service, which broke Church.
game to pieces and accounted for twenty
aces against the Princetonian. had M
terrors for Johnston. The champion
started to take It from far behind tn
base line but after four games Johnston
stepped up to the line to receive tn
cannon ball drives from Murray's power
full left arm.
Johnston's service had not the shov
~ effort and strength Of Murray'a IN