El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-06
WILLIAMS IS NEW
TENNIS CHAMP
Defeats Champion Johnston
in Hard Fought Games,
Not Very Brilliant.

Forest Hills. y Y. Sept. s.-For the
second time in his short career on
American courts, P Norris Williams
II Of Philadelphia won the national
tennis singles championship At the
West Side club here Tuesday afternoon
when he defeated VIM. H Johnston Of
= San Francisco the 1915 champion, in
a five set match. 4-6. ST, 0-s, 81,
e.
The match was hardly Up to the ten
mis- expected from these two masters
or racquet and court The galleries
for a wonderful and thrilling eNhlbltion
from the Two survivors Of the rs en-
trants who started play here more than
2 week ago. There was lacking the
sensational fighting of the ball which
was SO marked in the Murray
contests.
would swing into his best tennis and
for a few moments the player would
sparkle with beautiful drives. smaShes
and lobs- Then as II fearful they
would curtail the forceful strokinE OF
the ball. they would proceed to throw
away point after point by the most
smeteurish errors.
Williams Took Greater Chances
The advantage Williams had came
from his taking the greater chances
and his ability to stroke the bail closer
10 the danger point than Johnston
Added to this was the vlctors greater
physical stamina which aided him as
the contest progressed The atmos-
phere was rather humid and more
favorable to Williams than Johnston
who Is accustomed TO the cool air or
the Pacific coast
From the first they started in = slow
and deliberate manner In the malor-
ity Of cases an error gave the point
away
In the first sci games went WIN |
service until the ninth game when !
Johnston took the lead and ran out !
Conditions were almost reversed IN the !
Second and then Williams dropped the |
third at love by his inability TO con-
troll his stroke. while Johnston was ahle !
TO pick opening after opening for (
points
The tide really turned in the fourth :
set When Williams PLAY ed with me /
dash and vim which usually character {
ICES his game Forehand and back /
hand. ne was supreme He forced
Johnston 10 keep constantly on the run (
For the first time in the contest, the {
rallies were long and hard fought. bur
the fastener usually wound up ny
forcing an opening for a shot with
which Johnston could not connect
At the opening of the fifth set
Johnston set Williams pace which he
could not match for time. Johnston
slashed md whipped the baN 70 VII
Iisms 50 fast that the latter temporarf-
i went 70 pieces
IT was not until three games had
peen lost tnaf illlaf1S tihauH helu
himself iu check The strain was be
ginning TO tell on Johnston and al
though Williams was taking greater
chances and stroking the ball more ef-
fectivsly. mis- chief maneuvre appeared
70 be 70 keep Johnston working har%
with the idea of eventually firing him
Johnston Begins To Weaken
Gradually the latter began &c weak
an ne II a
was decided favorife. cheered as he
began TO run up the points and there /
was 2 remarkable demonstration when
Williams made the score three-all He
ran through The next two and took
comma ndinE lead.
Spectators were beginning to leave
the stands as Johnston started his
final rally and there was 4 hurried
return to seats when the title holder
completed the ninth game and was
within one Of making It deuce The
opening of the TENN found the spec
tators on edge and after Williams had
thrown away several apparently easy 2
points and the game had gone to deuce
both men and women shrieked with
excitement al the winning and losing :
Of each point Deuce was called four
times at this point before Williams
went to vantage with a sharp back
hand cross court placement ace and !.
Johnston gave up the title by netting
the next service
COngratuIateS New Champion.
There was a Wild yell from the gallery
which swarmed out onto the turf but
not until Johnston had Ieaped over the I
net. shaking hands and congratulating
Williams The pair disappeared into
the club house arm in arm
Williams. in winning the title for the I
second time since he came to this /
IN 1912 from Switzerland.
fought his way through the present !
national championship tournament !
from the first round and figured in !
seven matches, 25 sets and 217 games !
Johnston's record for the tournament ]
was seven matches, % sets and 2O3 Z
games