New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-05
Johnston, Last of Californi-
ans, Makes Plucky Fight
with Williams.
By JAMES s. O'NEALE.

East met West and East was best in
four singles matches yesterday after
noon on the turf courts Of the West
Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills. Not
such an overwhelming setback to the
sensational California players, who are
usually given the credit for putting
Eastern tennis on the map, has ever
been staged, as Richard Norris Will
Jams. I'd, George Myers Church. Wat
son NJ. Washburn and Karl II. Behr, in
one afternoons fast play settled the
two days team match of best four out
of seven matches and the native son
supremacy at one swoop.
In probably the greatest duel seen
since the memorable 1914 Davis Cup
contest, in which Maurice Z. McLough-
lin put to rout the mighty Norman Z.
Brookes, dark, dashing young Williams
bested the national champion, William
NJ. Johnston, of San Francisco, in five
thrilling sets that held thousands of
spectators tense and enthralled until
Johnston melted the last point at GAS
o'clock. Then the crowd, relieved
of the necessity for restraint,
wildly threw cushion seats high in the
air and showered the courts with them.
Erratic young Harvard Dick. the hope
and the despair of the East, had
done il. ,
Williams whipped freckled little
Johnston, Sc, 6-3, So, 4-6, Vs.
Church murdered Clarence j. Grimm,
also of San Francisco and Johnston's
partner in the national doubles cham
pionship, 6-3, "a, 6-4; Behr went
through Willis E. Davis, the California
Bullet, national clay court champion,
60, Sc, 81, 6-l. Washburn
played the Palo Alto phenom, Robert
Lindley Murray, 1-6, SO, ca, 6-1,
2-all and 1870 on Murray's service,
when the latter, exhausted because he
had been up two nights with his
bride, who has ptomaine poisoning,
was made to default by Robert Is.
Wrenn and others, who saw that the
Californian was on the verge OF col
lapse. Murray pleaded to be permitted
to play, but it was obvious he was
spent.
A Startling Upset.
With the West an even choice with
the East, except among the closest
followers of the game, who sensed the
impending victory for the country east
of the Mississippi, the crowd OF 5,OOO
tennis followers was stunned as hrst
Griffin, then Murray, then Davis fell,
and then centred all its attention upon
the two titans, Johnston and Will
Jams. Their match was more than an
East-West team encounter. II was 10
verify what many have thought, that
! Williams is the premier tennis player
in the country to-day and the one who
will wrest Johnston's crown from him
at the end of the month
The Philadelphia, the only man In
the country who plays the rising bouha
and who hits his second service Just
as hard as his first, gave the crowd
thrill after thrill as he reeled on won
derful placement drives that aced even
the shifty little San Franfrlsky Flash,
or. after getting himself into position
TO 20 into a commanding lead, would
fub a comparatively easy SHOT win
characteristic insouciance. There are
few dull moments when Williams plays
He makes a great shot or great error.
Shows Great Courage.
Williams showed not only magnificent
shots but magnificent courage IN That
last desperate set. He outdrove john
ston. supposedly the best driver in the
land; outguessed him, outlasted, but
had several slip-ups that at times ap-
reared to threaten disaster. Trailing
at 8-5. the brilliant Harvard star
broke through Johnston's speed SER
vice and took his own, thus evening
the score at sail. AT 6-all Williams
again broke through, and the end ap-
peared in sight Whereupon the sturdy
Philadelphian promptly lost his own
cannon ball delivery with the utmost
ease.
Williams came right back, however,
and hammered his rivals delivery on
the next game with all the fierceness OF
a Mclaughlin at his best. Great, hlgh
velocity forehand drives took love
game from the champion. Then Will
Jams. after being twice within point
of losing his own beautiful service
again. ran Johnston from side to side,
and served with so much speed that the
native son drove out of service, and
then ended the match with terrinc
second service that the Californian net
ted.
For five sets the match was fast ser
vice and faster drive. Williams has
the reputation of never lobblng He
lobbed only once yesterday. Johnston
tossed only six times, and promptly
wished he hadn't. The match WAS de-
cided on services and drives. John
ston's forehand, into which he gets
every ounce OF his wiry body, is sup
posedly the fastest ball driven In tour