Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-04
MURRAY CROWNED
+. TENNIS CHAMPION
Defeats TiIden for Singles
Title in Straight Sets in
National Tourney.

FOREST HILLS. N. z. September
4.-The name Of r. Lindley Murray
yesterday was added to the list of
California tennis players who have
won the national singles champion
ship on turf, when he captured the
1918 title by defeating W. T. Tilden.
Jr, Philadelphia, in straight sets by
scores of 6-3, 81, rs. Playing in
the final and championship round on
the courts Of the West Side Club, the
California meteor won the first ma
tional tennis championship tourna-
ment since 1916 and the only one of
the year in the tennis world. in fifty
five minutes of court battle. which
proved conclusively that Murray is
the ranking American player Of the
season.
Following in the footsteps of Maur-
ice E. Mclaughlin. who won in 1912
and 1913, and William M. Johnston,
the titleholder Of 1915, Murray
showed the same well rounded game
and the same calm confidence in his
racket ability, that marked the play
OF his predecessors from the far coast.
His victory was the more remarkable
in view of the fact that he had not
played serious tournament tennis I'M
III ABOUT ten days ago, when after re-
ceiving vacation from the munition
plant where he is chemist, he made
ms appearance at Southampton and
later at Forest Hills.
Many Expected Tilden to Win,
Tflden, owing to his Improvement
and greater tournament practice this
year, was expected by many followers
of. the game to prove Murray,s mas
ter in the struggle for premier ten
mis- honors. The Californian, playing
from the Niagara Falls IN. W Ten
mis- Club. proved. however, that eten
in the short space Of time allotted to
him for practice, he could reach the
that proved so bewildering to Tilden.
The tall Philadelphia. despite his
W1zardry Of cut strokes and court
covering ability. was unable to check
for any length of time Murray's
march to the championship. Tilden
ankle. which seriously interfered
with his footing for some of the
visitors harder smashes. Murray.
however, did not rely entirely upon
ms power 10 urlVe the Dati ike q
rife bullet from one end of the court
to another. He used these sma shinS
tactics at time. but SO skillfully in
terspersed with chopped, fore-couit
strokes, lobs, side-line passes that
Tilden was constantly unbalanced by
the versatility of the Californian.
Fifteen Service Aces for Murray.
In addition. Murray always had the
| 80 III
| used this at times with deadly effect.
as is shown by the stroke analysis.
which credit him with fifteen service
aces to Tilden's four.
In the face of the constantly shift
ing scheme of offense Tilden made
rise to the full height and power Of
his game. Occasionally he would
bring applause from the gallery Of
several thousand spectators ,s us. by rip,
to the base lines, but they were
flashes only.
Murray. from his position at the net.
even in these rapid-fire exchanged.
deliberation of a master, and the
steadiness with which he made i'm
possible appearing gets and returns
of lightning-like strokes appeared to
was the latter's unsteadiness in net
ting and outing the ball at critical
moments that really cost him the
championship, for he actually out
placed Murray in the number of his
killing aces.
Murray never appeared to be wor-
ried by these remarkable streaks of
play on Tilden's part and continued
to carry out his plan of campaign az
though the outcome was never in
doubt. Repeatedly he went after re-
turns to the very extremes of the
boundary and by marvellous stroking
; would bring the ball back into play
with such persistency that Tilden
simplest appearing kind Of error
Murray's supremacy was further
demonstrated by the fact that of the
twenty-efght games played only six
were carried to deuce, and the man
ner in which he disposed of Tilden I'm
less than an hour Of play was a fur
Their demonstration of his superiority.