New-York tribune., 1918-08-25
Speed and Hard Hitting of
Youthful Combination
Gain Them the Day
By Fred Hawthorne

SOUTHAMPTON, L. l., Aug. "a
William T. Tilden, I'd, of Philadelphia
won his first leg on the massive
Meadow Club Challenge Cup this morn
ing by defeating Theodore Roosevelt
Pell, of New York, by score of 6-4
6-2, 6-4, in the final round of the
clubs annual invitation lawn tennis
singles.
Tlden was rarely extended. although
for time in the last half OF the tinal
set Pell began a stern uphill battle for
the points, bringing the games from
0-3 to 3-all by splendid driving from
deep court.
But then Tilden, who had been play
ing a steady, back-court game almost
from the start, began to move up to
the net for spectacular volleying ses-
sions, and won three out of the last
four games for the set, at Cd, and
the match.
Tilden Scores Again
Tiden scored again in the final round
of the doubles, when he and Vincent
Richards, his -year-old partner,
defeated Walter T. Hayes and Ralph H.
Burdick, of Chicago, in five sizzling
sets, at 6-4, 1-6, 6-3, 81, 6-4.
This match resolved itself into a strug-
gle between almost hawless team play,
as exemplitied by Hayes and Burdck
and the speed and hard hitting of
youth, represented by Tilden and Rich
ards, and the latter combination pre-
vailed, although the national doubles
champions were forced to their limit
in the final set to emerge victorious.
1t was their inability to meet the
net storming attacg of Tilden in the
latter stages of the struggle that
spelled defeat for the Western pair,
for the Fhiladelphian dominated the
net position and it was practically
impossible to lob him back, so great
was his smashing reach and so vicious
his smash. 4
Tilden started the service and won
the game largely on Pell's errors, as
the latter drove his return of service
far back of the base line.
In the next three games, however,
Pell got his fore and back hand stroke s
to rip the ball down the side lines, as
Tilden elected to make his fight from
the back of the court.
The Philadelphia did not break into
the winning column again until after
Pel led him at 81 on games, and
he then gradually raised his speed of
stroke and foot, notch by notch. until
he was travelling at a pace that Pell
found it impossible to meet.
Temporarily deserving his back court
tactics, Tilden followed into the net
after service. tacking the ball on the
full volley as he came, and these shots
were so beautifully anged and sent
over the net with such an abundance
of pace that the ball generally shot
past Pell before the latter could get
even within striking distance.
Pell Is Discouraged
Tilden took the set at 6-4. and Pell
showed signs of encouragement at hav-
ing lost what had looked like a sub
stantial advantage in the early part Of
the set.
The second set was devoid of many
thrills. Tilden winning easily at GO,
dropping only the fourth and seventh
games. The Philadelphian was ham
mering away persistently at Pell's
strong backhand. ms though curious to
test its power But the New Yorker
was playing away below form in this
set and his shots lost practically all
their sting.
The sun was beating down on the
court ficrcely all through the match,
and just before the end of the second
set Pell turned to one of the lnesmen
and remarked: "Goshl this court is