New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-09-04
Quaker City Man Badly
Handicapped by a
Bruised Foot
By Fred Hawthorne

robert Lindley Murray, the rushing
meteor" of the courts and ono of tke
most spectacular players who ever
came out of California to dazzle the
East, won the national singles lawn
tennis championship yesterday after
noon by defeating William T. Tilden.
I'd. Of Philadelphia, by the decisive
score of 6-3, 6-1, IS.
The match took place on the "cham-
pionship" court of the West Side Ten
mis- Club at Forest Hills, Long Island,
and was witnessed by a gallery that
completely filled the big grandstand
and stood in hundreds along the fences
that surrounded the courts
Murray's tremendous net attack. q
service that was absolutely merciless
IN It's terrific power and speed. and an
amazing control of his volleying shots
these were the features of the match
and tho weapons wherewith the stall
wart son Of the Golden West battered
Tilden down to defeat and rode rough
SHOE over his brilliant opponent.
a Big Disappointment
In manner the match was a disap-
pointment to the thousands who
watched the humiliation of Tilden. It
was expected that the national clay
court champion would at least put up
bitter struggle before succumbing to
his first defeat of the season, and the
prevailing sentiment before the match
seemed to be that Tilden would win.
Yet Murray appeared unbeatable yes
terday, never giving his tall opponent
chance to start rally until the final
set, so vicious was his attack and so
merciless the pace he set from start to
| finish. There are excuses to be made
in Tilden's behalf, although he would
make none himself, but even at his
best it is doubtful whether Tilden
could have withstood the relentless at
tack of the Californian.
Tilden for the last three weeks, has
been suffering from a badly infected
right foot, blood poisoning having de-
veloped at Longwood, during the play
ing of the national doubles. Yesterday
the wound broke on his right heel, just
where the top Of the shoe touched
and every move must have been painful
to the Philadelphia.
1t was noticeable throughout the
match that Tilden was never able to
foot about his court with his usual
wonderful speed, and many Of Murray's
placement shots he did not even at.
tempt to return, staying in back cour;
almost entirely.
In the final set, with Murray leading
him at 50 on games, the clay court
champion, knowing it must be then OF
never, forgot This injured foot, forgo
/ the deadliness Of Murray's volleyinf
and smashing. and closed in at the ne
himself, throwing caution to the winds
Three Dazzling Games
For three dazzlinl: games Tilder
smothered the Californian by serie:
of wonderful placement shots, during
which che took his place at the net ane
cut off Murray's returns in manner
that reused the great gallery to wave
after wave Of applause He brought
the games to S all and it seemed a.
though he had at last struck his stride
and was going to give Murray ire
mendous battle for the championship
But this flash was Tilden's final bid
and Murray, maintaining the same
amazing pace that had distinguished
his playing all the way, won the
eleventh game at "love," two tremen
dous service aces accounting for the
last two points. He then won the
twelfth game for the set at Is, the
match and the championship, Tilder
sending the last return into the net
as he tried to volley Murray's return
off his back hand
Competent critics who watched Muir
rays playing yesterday were almost