New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1918-04-03
Schoolboy Plays Mature
Champion Through the
Third Set
By Fred Hawthorne

mems national indoor lawn tennis
championship tournament on the courts
of the 7th Regiment Armory yesterday
did youth demonstrate its potential
strength even in defeat This time il
was young Gerald B. Emerson, the
South Orange schoolboy. defeated yes
terday by S. Howard Voshell, the play
ing-through champion, by a score of
0-3, 4-6, 81, in the third round. who
gave flash of approaching greatness
on the courts
However, in reciting the story of how
this schoolboy battled on almost even
terms with national champion, it must
be borne in mind that VosheI has been
without practice of any kind for several
months. This, of course, robbed the
tltleholder of some of his speed and ac-
curacy of play, but at the same time
VoshelI was going at full speed ali the
time and was not making many g!aring
errors.
Put to His Best
de had to go at his best to hold off
the hard-hitting, aggressive youth on
the other side of the net. Voshell is
not liable to experience a sterner strug-
gle until he reaches the iinal round,
supposlng he achieves that bracket.
mere were three other matches in
the singles yesterday, with DR.. William
Rosenbaum, Frederick B. Alexander and
H. II. Manchester all coming through
ka l..
none of them held the interest of the
gallery as did the meeting of Voshell
and Emerson.
Rosenbaum, holder of the doubles
tltle with Alexander, defeated G. Carl
ton Shafer at 7-5, g, Cd. while
Alexander won in straight sets from
II. 5. Parker by a score of 6-3 "a
Manchester took the measure of Carroll
j. Post at 50, Cd
Several matches were played in the
doubles, an upset occurring in the de-
1eat of Voshell and Frederick c. Baggs.
veteran team and ranked at No. 8 in
1910 by Arthur 5. Cragin and W. Dick
son Cunningham. The latter pair won
a. "a o-4, gaming their victory by
the soundest of lawn tennis plaving.
Cragin was particularly effective in
TINS match, his sweeping backhand
shots across deep court being one of
the features.
The "giant-peewee" team, composed
OF William I. Tilden, I'd, of Phiiadel-
thla, and Cecil Donaldson, of Borough
fark, Brooklyn, was the cynosure of
all eyes, as they say in describing so
cal celebrities. Tilden, well over the
o-foot mark, made a striking contrast
TO donaldson, who could just about
peek over 5-foot fence But the dis
parity IN the playing ability Of these
partners was certainly not as marked
as thelr difference in stature Cecil
dad all of his share in the volleyjnp
duels, served with amazing "pacev and
worked his openings with striking clev-
erness as he and Tilden defeated Emer-
son and Frank I. Anderson by n score
CT Cd, e.
Partners Are Rivals
Alexander and Rosenbaum, PLAYING
through champions, vanqulshed lingo
hartman and ii. II. Manchester by a
score of Ga, 6-3, and should come
through to the final round if thew NAV
to form F'
his afternoon DR.. Rosenbaum and
Alexander Will forget their doubles
partnership long enough to oppose one
another IN the fourth round of the
singles, while Voshell and Manchester
and klng Smith and Herbert l.. Bow
man Will clash in the Other singles
match, The winners will all come
through to the semi-final round. There
VIII also be several matches IN the
doubles and in the consolation singles.
Voshell and Emerson, playing some
what the same type of net-rushing.
hard-hitting game, with a proDensjty
TO get IN close and volley for the win
nlng points, furnished constant series
OF thrills for the spectators. In some
miraculous manner Voshell has re-
tanned much of his old steadiness over
mead, despite his long lay-oIf from the
game while training in the aviation
service, and it was we'll for him that
he possessed the faculty of killing"
the ball when it came to him overhead,
tor Emerson was not afraid at any
time to take the aggressive and mixed
MS game SO cleverly that the champion
could III AFFORD to make many errors.
Even Voshell's terrific service. which
mas baified so many opponents because
OF IT'S erratlc fight and sharp break"
held little terror for the schoolboy. who
handled 1t with surprising success. The
TACT that Voshell is lefthander was
the cue for Emerson TO lombard the
champions right hand continuously.
and many Of the points that came to
MN were the result of these tactics.
In the opening set the champion got
working at full speed from the start,
following m MS service TO the net with
dash, 70 finish off his points by sharp
vol!eylng from veil inside the service
court. Emerson had not vet settled
into his best game and was inclined
TO overdrive the base line in his anxiety
20 stroke" every shot.
Emerson Wins Set
After taking TINS set at 6-3, VoshelI
let down just a shade in his meteoric
attack, while Emerson gradually raised
the pace Of his playing until he was
travelling at an impressive rate With
growing confidence came added &C
curacy of stroke, and the schoolboy and
the champion battled along on even
terms up to ALL on games, until
Emerson won the last two games with
an extra burst of speed, winning the
set at Cd, and bringing the match all
square again
Noshell was alive to the danger when
the third and decisive set began, and
both players went at it harder than
ever. Foshell's lack of practice was
just sufficient to make Emerson a very
worthy rival, and the tide of batt..
swayed back and forth. with the ma
jority of games going on service After
the score had reached 7-all Voshell
took the last two games with a great
finish, giving him the set at 81 and
the match.
Rosenbaum was playing one of his
good matches yesterday. and when the