New-York tribune., 1918-03-03
McNeal-
Handily I axe
Casino Match
By Fred Hawthorne

Failure to provide himself with an
automobilists guidebook prevented
Dr.. William Rosenbaum from showing
up at the appointed hour of o'clock
yesterday afternoon at the Heights
Casino, on Montague Street, Brooklyn,
where he was scheduled to play a
special exhibition doubles lawn tennis
match, paired with Frederick B. Alex
ander, against Harry McNeal, the
the pro Of the Rockaway Hunt Club.
The match had been arranged for
the benefit of the Red Cross Fund, and
after waiting for the better part Of an
hour in the hope that DR.. Rosenbaum
would show up, it was decided to press
Lieutenant Dean Mathey into active
service in the doctors place. Mathey
had arrived unexpectedly from Fort
Lee. Virginia, and although badly in
need of practice. consented to pair up
with Alexander against the profess
sionals
Burns and McNeal took the first set
at 6-3, but lost the second at 6-4, at
which strategic point of affairs DR..
in his painting auto and rushed on TO
the court. where he displaced Mathey
as Alexander's partner
National Champions Lose
Although Alexander and Rosenbaum
indoor championship, they went down
to defeat before Burns and McNeal by
a score Of 6-1, l0S.
The result may be partially attrib-
uted to Dr. Rosenbaum's arduous auto
trip from Manhattan to Brooklyn, for he
had left for the clubhouse early in the
aftel noon and was nearly three hours
on tie journey.
THAT was peach of a chain of
mountains I passed over on my way,
but that long stretch of sandy road
and those swamps held me back con-
Siderable" declared Dr.. Rosenbaum
way dozen times, and never would
have reached his destination had it
not been for the simple and kindly
natives Of Brooklyn.
AS for the tennis itself, it was not
particularly stirring, although McNeal
and his partner brought off many brill
liant shots from the full and half vol
ley. 1t was this feature of their game
that brought them victory, for they
were always crowding the net position
and keeping Alexander and his partner
we'll back in the court.
Rosenbaum alternated between medi-
ocrty and briliance. His ground
strokes were going badly, but in some
of the hottest rallies it was his sharp
volleying or severe smashing that won
the points. Once, in going after one
Of McNeal's sharp angied 'cross-court
shots, Rosenbaum dove headlong after
the ball and slid along the floor with
all the abandon OF a man trying to
steal second, but he didn't make the
return.
Pros Force the Game
Alexander held his own with the pro-
fessionals, master of the volley that he
is, but the constant forcing tactics of
McNeal and Burns and their ability to
get inside the service court line and
from there half-voiley as they charged
for The net, was too much for the anna
teurs. who were continually being
caught out of position. The profess
sionals also gained many points by
their deadly killing" Of the ball over
head.
In the other match Matney did re-
markably well. considering the fact
that he has been drilling troops for
several months and has almost forgot
ten what a racquet looks like. In the
first set he could not gauge his angles
correctly and netted the ball many
times in his anxiety to score with ter
rife smashes. In the second set. how
ever. he grew in effectiveness and his
volleying, always pretty to watch, gave
the spectators plenty to enthuse over.