New-York tribune., 1916-02-16
THIRTEEN PAIRS
LEFT in INDOOR
DOUBLESMATCHES
Grant and Shafer Worried
by Puddle, but Beat Bass
ford and Waite.
BY JAMES ONEALE.

championship as result direct OF tho
first days doubles play at the 7th Regi-
ment armory yesterday, II is odd, at
least, since there are a goodly number
Of southpaws. including f. II. Whitney
and g. Howard Voshell, still In the
tournament
Having started tho hrst paragraph
with punch Chat perhaps will pro
woke punches from Voshell and whit
ney), let us on to the long forecasted
duel between Wylie G. Grant and his
partner, G.. Carleton Shnfer, twice In
door champions, and the new pair OF
Abraham Bassford, jr, and DR.. Arthur
Warren Waite, who soundly trounced
the ex-champions In several practice
encounters before the tournament
began.
The match was played under condi-
tons that were a trihe unusual. Some
time IN the preceding night, a passing
Zeppelin dropped a bomb through the
armory roof. Straightway yesterday,
when the sun peeped forth, snow began
20 melt and drops to fall. No puddler
in a steel factory could have made a
better puddle than squatted on tho
floor In the servers partners position
and refused downright 70 bulge. In
fact n constantly increasing accelera-
tion Of waterdrops reminded Bassford
strongly that his own home roof at
Hartsdale perhaps was breaking under
the strain Of the snow and deluging
the headquarters Of the famous tennis
Chimney Corner Club.
More and more water came down as
the match went on. Another pool was
formed, right in the path Of the server
OF his way TO the net from the left
hand court. This worked much 20 the
disadvantage Of shafer. the Littler
Napoleon, who could not take long
enough steps 10 Jump f. Conversely,
Grant had an immense advantage over
every one else. and he lost only one
service during the match. That wa,
the first one, when the pool was still
somewhat infantile.
Just before the contest began Bass
ford. IN the careful manner Of all ex-
perienced tournament players, looked
a. sun, moon, stars, court, and felt OF
the four winds Surveying the court
and its surroundings, ne Immediately
saw the water hazards. Jumps, or the
pool surface. Forthwith q diabolical
plan Matched IN hts brain.
Tie whispered tho schems 70 Or.
Waite who got so excited that he
stammered, "Why water you mean;
Bass7" .sFl1
Exactly" replied the latter.
The writer, who once had the good
fortune 70 be Boss's doubles partner
and who played a finals with him in
rain one day. Immediately OWNED
what was coming Off, ther.by scoring
beat for The Tribune In is simplest
form Il was this: Bass intended trans
forming his famous TO be) rain lob TO
meet the unusual conditions Of the pool
of water and the drops dripping cease
leFsly from the roof.
The former Cornell athlete covered
his plans well, and saved the stroke for
a time OF dire need. II came when
Grant and Shafer, blissfully undivining,
had run the score 70 2--love By taking
Waites service on his errors and cas-
ily winning Shafer's reverse twist.
Bass sprang IL on his own delivery,
which he hates 10 lose. With score
deuce Bass lobbed Shafer as the latter
hung over the net in a rally. The lob
was low, for Bass, and Shafer, trying
to turn quickly, slipped, thus revealing
the hitherto unthought Of possibilities
v the water already on the floor
On the next play the scheme worked
20 perfection. Bassford. in difficulties,
paralleled the face OF his racket with
the surface Of the floor In character
istic fashion. The next moment a long,
Looping, starting, stopping. loose lob,
such as only Bassford can smite, rose
In the air. In It's flight, true as an
arrow, II barely touched noses with a
steel beam away up IN the armory's
coming tower and prepared gently 20
fall.
Meanwhile Grant backed up, his pow
srful frame ready for the smash.
Nearer and nearer ne edged 70 tn.
danger zone. A little raindrop, ap-
psrently harmless, may have poten-
started on It's mission. With a gurgle
Of delight Il shot past the falling ball
and nestled in Grant right eye. OF
course he missed the smash. II was
positively appalling 70 the onlooker 10
see a husky six-foot-two-er rendered
hors de comeback by such a tiny frsg-
lie thing. II reminded one OF the hor-
rors Of war.
But not yet was Bsssford done. He
saw another possibility as there flashed
into his mind the old saw that there
are more ways OF killing cat than by
feeding Il on melted butter. A way
was clear 10 make the score 2-ell No
longer shall We decry the efficacy OF
telepathy, for the very thought In our
mind must have struck Bassford Just
about the same time,
On the first point, Grants cannon
ball service. which he usually wins,
Bassford and Waite closed In on the
net. Then came the schemer's chance.
shafer slashed the ball back in a CON
venient position and Bsssford detected
70 sharply downward, right az Grants
feet. There was a splash as the sphere
struck the pool, and Grants head jerked
back as more water shot Into his eyes:
This inhuman treatment so affected
Grant that he followed It with three
double faults IN succession, giving
Bassford and Waite the game. The
score was now 2--ail, with Grant and
Shafer apparently fabbergasted, as
we'll as William Cunningham. the IA
nous umpire,
However. they pulled themselves to-
gether, and, spurred on by thoughts OF
vengeance, the eK-champions played
hard and fast tennis that left Bassford
little chance 20 repeat the water shots,
as. drawn out Of position, he and Waite
were aced repeatedly. Grant and Sha-
fer quickly ran the score to 4 2, then
Baseford made it 4-3 By winning his
service on the strength Of the scare he
threw into his opponents on his memo
rable first delivery. However, Grant
and Shafer took the set through spec
tacular network By Shafer and Grants
sound all-around tennis.
The second set was a repetition OF
the frst, save that the ex-champions
we're so successful in their maneu-
wiring that Bassford and Waite had lit-
tie chance to employ the water hazard
Il went at e..
Julian b. Steinacher and George
Parks, the veteran Hamilton Grange