New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-06
NATIONAL DOUBLES
CHAMPIONS VlCTORS
Church and Williams, However
Defeat Davis and Murray
After Bitter Struggle.
b. JAMES 6. O'NEALE.

the victory Of the Western doubles
team, William NJ. Johnston and Clar-
ence J. (Peck) Griffin, on the score
board at Forest Hills. The West had
won a match from the East and had
disappointed Ceeil's free predictions OF
clean sweep.
The East continued It's good work OF
Friday, for although the national
doubles champions defeated the vet
eran internationalists, Kari II. Behr
and Frederick B. Alexander, in four
sets. r. Lindley Murray and Willis F.
Davis fell before George VI. Church and
r. Norris Williams, I'd, and Nathaniel
W. Niles. Of Boston, accounted for
young Roland Roberts, Of San Fran
cisco. in straight sets. With the
matches finished last night the East
went 10 bed with six safely tucked
under the pillow. The West sat up with
one.
Johnston and Griffin waded through
Behr and Alexander, 7-5, 6-S, %,
6-3. Church and Williams went to
five bitter, spectacular sets with DAVIS
and Murray. winning G-S, GO, g
Is, 6-3. Niles accounted for the San
Francisco champion, Roberts, -,
6-3, 6-3
Church Dominates Game.
The Church Williams and Murray
Davis slambang ARRAY was the greatest
doubles of the year. Each Of the four
PLAYERS sat at the shrine Of sheer
speed, and they were kept company by
some 900 tennis fans. who simply could
not leave until the issue was decided.
although darkness crept to the edge Of
Forest Hills before the last terrific
point was scored. II was serve and
Slam and smash, with the tall, willowy
form of Church, the Tenafy Terror.
dominating the scene in the thick OF
the fray.
Church played great doubles. He
was fast, untiring, keen. steady, hesdy,
always ready. His partner, husky
young Williams, had had slight edge
taken off his tennis by the singles
match Friday, in which he defeated the
rational champion, Johnston. VIII
Jams played powerfully, nevertneless'
and much better than he played in tn.
final of the Eastern doubles champion
ship at Longwood a week ago.
Murray the Meteor. the crowds
favorite, was applauded for his come
back from his collapse the day before,
and promptly proceeded TO give the
spectators a sterling exhibition OF ser
vice and volley, although at the end ne
was again wellnigh exhausted. DAVIS
at times thrilled the spectators by per
hnps the fastest serving ever seen, Al
though on all-through-the-m match eI-
fectiveness Murray led with his high
bounding, twisty delivery.
oh VI
,peedy servers, in fact, with the deliv-
cries coming so fast that the ball came
back like a rifle bullet when it hit the
tightly strung racket OF tho receiver OF
service. Yet, for all the speed, the
eteadiness of all four players, with the
possible exception of Davis on ground
strokes, was remarkable, and the rallies
came fast and furious to draw the
crowd from their seats.
Battle for Net
II was entirely battle for the net,
often with all four players engaged IN
rapid-fre forecourt work, almost too
fast for the eye TO follow. In these raj
lies Church scored oftener than any
one, because of his practice at that
style of play when partnered with Dean
Mathey, because of his stiffness and
extremely long reach, and because he
was Wndl ne again PiONcN
be, one Of the very greatest doubles
players in the country.
The order Of service read Murray,
Williams, Davis, Church, but the order
Of games read nothing like that, be-
cause, despite the hard serving, the
serving team was broken through no less
than sixteen times in the match. The
reason lies in the terrific driving on
service and in several double faults at
critical moments Davis was broken
through FIVE times, Church and Murray
four times each and Williams three
times.
through half a dozen times. AFTER
Davis, Church, Murray and Williams
had lost their attacking games IN a
row and the score went to all in the
first SET. Davis won his game, and then
the national clay court champion and
his mariner. who is the national indoor
title holder, led at Abb on Church's
service. with but one point necessary 10
win the set. Two great rallies, how
ever, ended with Davis cutting the ball,
and Church and Williams STAYED oil de-
feat for that game, losing the frame
finally, however, when Williams erred
several times in his next service game.
The second and third sets went quick
through the magnificent work OF
Church. the less spectacular but effect
i've game Of Williams, and errors by
Davis and Murray, particularly the
former, in the face Of the whitening hre
poured upon them by their opponents.
Davis, the Coast Bullet, flashed some
great driving in the fourth set, when
he and Murray ran out the last hve
games in a row, allowing their oppo-
nents only the second game, Church 6
service. Davis shone at his best IN
this set, but he was no better than his
southpaw partner, Murray, who gave
great exhibition after he had been re
freshed by the customary ihtermisslon
after the third set. The two Callfor,
mans served, volleyed, drove and
smashed with rare abandon and terrific
speed Several times Davis rushed up
to within a foot of the net and slashed
of returns for clean aces.
In the fifth set the tables turned, for
Church and Williams, after becoming
hopelessly behind in the preceding set,
had saved themselves for the last. They
became more aggressive, Church fire.
ouently rushing in where angels would
fear TO tread. even with tennis raeketS
in their hands. Murray was broken
through for q love game, and, though
Church dropped his service, he and his
partner came right back and took the
bullet delivery Of Davis, for 81
lead. Davis was again broken through
on his next game, and Williams served
out the Sc. and match.
FIRST SET
Williams and Church
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