Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-09-03
LindIey Murray Springs Sur
prise in Beating G. N. Church.
BIG MATCH TOMORROW
Champion Johnston Meets Winner
of Yesterdays Contest-Throck-
morton in Final.


here today by defeating George NJ.
Church of Tenahy. n. J., in one of the
best court battles seen in the greatest
Of all American tennis tournaments in
many years. Church had been tho rul-
ing favorite to win the title. Murray
won in close to two hours of the fastest
kind Of play. So, 4-e. 6-9. 60, "a.
The match came n a climax to an
otherwise comparatively dull round. Pre-
vious to the appearance Of Murray and
Church, Clarence ]. Griffin of San Fran
Philadelphia, g., 60, 60. William
NJ. Johnston Of San Francisco accounted
for Watson NJ. Washburn of New York,
GO. g.. IS. The one eastern rep
resentative to win his way into the
semi-finals. r. Norris Williams, 3D., of
Philadelphia, beat Douglas S. Waters
of New Orleans, the southern champion,
3-6, 6-1, 81, Ga.
Cheering Disturbs Players.
Church and Murray started their match
after 4 o'clock. Church, number in
American lawn tennis ranking for last
| season. drew the service. Across the net
his opponent, who has played in but one
or two of the more prominent tourna-
ments this year. was not even ranked
because of the lack Of playing data at
the end Of the 1915 season. 1t was evil
dent from the beginning that the spec
tators expected Church to win. The
battle so aroused the spectators that
the players and special request was
| made that the gallery refrain from ap-
plauding until the completion OF rallies.
In the first two sets Church. with his
great stride, rushed to the net at every
| chance and from there conducted a
| racquet campaign which Murray could
not equal. Murray's best asset at this
time was his terrific and high bounding
sets Murray was carrying Church along at
most as good it did not appear to bother
the Californian so much. Even in these
Murray was carrying Church along at
a terrible pace. The men sprinted about
the court like greyhounds. making i'm
possible looking gets and placements.
because Of his superior passing ability
and the speed with which he got to the
net.
| Murray's Service Improves.
| With the third set Murray appeared
| to draw upon a reserve store of energy
and skill. His service and stroking
| of the ball in rallies grew in force and
kane to meet the new requirements
sensational volleys followed every serv-
| ice until it seemed that there could be
| no further advancement in this direc-
! ton. Murray showed, however. that
| no matter how fast or certain Church
! IL ade his strokes, he could still go him
i one better.
i With the match two sets all and the
| score four games to love against him,
| Church made great bid for the
! match. With a wonderful flash of
playing and court covering. he drew up
| to almost even terms with the Cali
! fornian, who once was within a point
| of the match, only to have victory
| postponed for time while he let
| Church wear himself out.
Murray won the fifth set and match,
| ca, but Church went down fighting
and the match was in doubt until the
| last second of play. The victor opened
! with a rush which gave him four
| be all through, but the former Prince
| tonian came back and took the fifth
game by simply outf1ghting Murray.
Murray then made It'll 81 in the
| same manner.
| In the seventh game Murray was
within a point Of the match. but still
| Church would not cancede defeat and
eventually scored the game and the
next two in a row. Murray pulled out
| the tenth game and match.
Wind Proves Bothersome.
| A gale which swept the courts and
seriously interfered with the stroking
/ of the ball was in full blast when Will
liam n. Johnston Of San Francisco and
Watson NJ. Washburn of New York en-
| tered the championship strip of turf
still damp from the morning rain. The
| sky had cleared and aside from the
| wind conditions were ideal.
| The champion won the opening set
at GO, due, in part. to his vicious and
steady stroking of the ball while aided
! by the erratic returns of Washburn.
| The Californian titleholder was ex-
ceedingly active, smashing and driving
| the ball with a power which seemed
| out Of all proportions to his slight
| physique. He appeared equally good
playing from the base line or in fore
court and his short half volley strokes
skillfully mixed with drives to the cor
ners kept washburn on the run. The
latter tried to check Johnston by lob
hing or side line passing, but his own
uncertainty combined with the activity
of his opponent spoiled most Of his
efforts.
Johnston won the second set by the
same score as the first. and the play
was to great extent repetition OF
the opening portion of the contest. AS
the match progressed the champion ap-
peared to grow surer of his stroking
and his racquet work was the best seen
during the tournament to date. He
simply played all around the easterner,
who, despite his advantage in height
and reach, was slow by comparison with
his opponent He outplaced Washburn
at a ratio of to /, and while it was in
evitable that he should net an out &C.
casionally in the high wind, he main
tanned remarkable control.
Johnston Grows Careless.
Johnston won the third set and match
at IS, after Washburn had come with
in a stroke of taking the set. The
champion began the set in a rather
careless and Indifferent manner. which
Washburn quickly took advantage of.
The latter ran up to the net and by
chopping off Johnston's returns took
the lead, being aided by errors on the
part of the titlenolder. With the score
4 games to 5 in his favor, Washburn ap-
peared to grow uncertain. Johnston
eyened the score, and then Washburn
took the odd game and was within a
point of the set, but could not hold his
advantage. The champion found little
difficulty III running out the two games
necessary to give him the deuce set and
match.
r. Norris Williams appeared to be
fearful of twisting his injured ankle
again, and was inclined to play slow.
careful tennis. He soon found, however,
that Waters was not to be trihed with,
for the southern champion jumped into
the play with a fast stroke and ran out