New-York tribune., 1918-05-18
Close miishes
Mark Tennis
Semi~F inals
Last Round of Singles Will
Be Played in Harlem
To-day

Spirited playing marked the doubles
matches in the annual spring tourna-
ment of the Harlem Tennis Club on
the clay courts at 135th Street and
Eighth Avenue yesterday afternoon.
Vincent Richards, national boy cham
pion, and William NJ. Fischer defeated
lingo Hartmann and Elliott H. Binzen
by score Of 6-S, 6-3, 60 in the
semi-final round. In the other semi
final bracket Henry H. Bassford, OF
the Mount Pleasant Tennis Club, and
Harry Steinkampf triumphcd over the
giant-pigmy team of William T. Tilden,
I'd, of Philadelphia, and fourteen-year-
old Cecil Donaldson. of Borough Park,
by a score of 6--4, rs.
In the second round there was a
keenly fought struggle between Rich
ards and Wischer, and Paul Martin and
Jones w. Mersereau, the sets going to
6-S. 6-3, 60 before Richards and
his partner came through: bass1ord
and Steinkampf won by default in the
same round over E. j. Clapp and En-
bree Henderson.
The final round of tn singles. be-
tween Bassfcrd and Tilden, will be
played this afternoon at $3.50 o'clock,
with Tilden generally regarded as the
probable winner. 1t is figured that
his great speed at court covering, his
really meteoric service and his bril-
liancy overhead will be factors which
Bassford, essentially a back-court
player, will be unable to offset. While
Tilden is prone to wildness, as are
all players of his rushing, headlong
style of play, he has enough winning
shots at his command, unless he is
particularly erratic, to take the meas
ure Of the average player.
Bassford May Surprise
-~ssford is machine-like in the
s,cadiness with which he can rake an
opponents court with deep, we'll placed
drives off his forehand, and he can
play from the net position, too, when
~ has paved the way for the openings.
If Tilden is not in control of his light
ming shots this afternoon, Bassford may
spring one of the surprises of the early
outdoor season.
The veteran Fischers court craft,
blended with the youthful Richards's
speed and brilliance of stroke, proved
strong combination, and although
Beinzen and Hartmann put~up stir
ring battle in the first part of the
match they were not equal to the task
of checking Richards and his partner
once the latter pair got going at full
speed.
The defeat of Tilden and young Don
aldson came in the nature of sur
prise to the gallery, but Bassford and
Steinkampf had the advantage Of
smoother team work, the former guard
ing the back of the court very effect
lively, while Steinkampf was always a
power at the net position. Against
this style of play the brilliance Of Til
den and Donaldson could not prevail,
although the struggle for the mastery
was close one. Tilden, in his anxiety
to cover up the openings, tried to cover
far more than his share of court, with
the result that there were often clashes
and consequent loss Of points.
The summaries follow:
Harlem Tennis Clubs open doubtless tsecond ro,lnd)
Vincent Richards and William NJ Fischer defeated
Jones w. Mersereau and Paul Martini 6--8, 6-3,
GO; H. Fl. Bassford and J. H. Steinkampf won
from Embree Henderson and T. j. Clapp by default.
Semi final Round-Richards and Fischer defeat
ed lingo Hartmann and Elliott H. Binzen. 6-8.
6---3. g. Bassford and Stenkampf defeated Will
lam T. Tilden I'd and Cecil Donaldson, 6-4. Is.