New-York tribune., 1918-06-08
New York cam
Defeats Boston
In Tennis Meet
BY Fred Hawthorne

By Fred Hawthorne
HAVERFORD. Penn, June Tn the
first inter-city lawn tennis matches for
the Church trophy, donated last year
by Lieutenant George Myers Church,
now in the aviation service Of his coun-
try, the team from New York defeated
Boston by a total of 6 matches to 8
this afternoon, wining five Of the
six singles and one of the three
doubles events. The matches were
played on the splendid turf courts of
the Merton Cricket Club here. To-
morrow the New York players will face
the strong Philadelphia team for pos
session of the trophy.
Church, regarded as one of the
greatest players in this country in
1916 and 1917, before the world war
his trophy to be placed in competition
last year, but when this country en-
tered the war and the U. S. N. L. T. A.
called off all championship events and
forbade the competition for prizes, the
big cup was "interned" until this year,
when the active competitive tourna-
mentS were resumed
Under the deed Of gift the trophy
will be placed in competition again
this summer in New York and Boston,
with the home team meeting the win
ner of the first day of play. The
trophy is perpetual one, to be COM
peted for every year between players
from the three cities mentioned above.
Beals S. Wright Barred
A bombshell was thrown into the
camp of the New York players this
morning, when it was announced that
Beals S; Wright, former holder of the
national singles title and the great
player who conquered Norman 2.
| Brookes, of Australia, in competition
for the Davis Cup years ago, would not
be allowed to play for the New York
team. Wright has made his home in
New York for the last four months
and intends to make that city his per-
manent home, but Edwin c. Sheafe,
president Of the Longwood Cricket
Club, of Boston, protested on the
ground that the rules called for six
months residence before player was
| eligible.
The only match in the singles won
by Boston was due to the splendid
playing of Nathaniel W. Niles, the No
l man from the Hub. who vanquished
Theodore Roosevelt Pell, of New York,
a former Middle States champion, by a
score of 81 81, GO. In the OPEN
ing set Pell was scoring beautifully
clean cut aces by the speed and Won
derful control with which he ripped
his famous backhand drives through
deep court.
Known as tie man with the perfect
backhand stroke, Pell gave Boston and
Philadelphia a sample of what perfec-
as Niles would in the first set, he could
not get into position swiftly enough to
intercept the lightning flight of the
ball as it left Pell's racquet. The New
| Yorker mad the range of the court
down to the fraction Of an inch, and
kept pounding his returns to Niles's
deep backhand.
Niles Rallies Strongly
Backing up this forcing shot with an
overhead game that left little to be de-
sired, Pell seemed in a fair way to
conquer his brilliant opponent, who
was putting up strong game him self.
Mics made great rally after Pell led
him at 81 on games, and made it
5-all by splendid driving and sharp
volleying, but the latter would not be
denied and took the last two games,
giving him the first set at 7--5.
|
in the second set. Niles gained in
steadiness and began to "stroke" the
ball with more power. His confidence
returned, but Pell fell off bit on both
ground strokes and overhead play. AL
ways holding a one-game advantage
Niles finally broke through Pell's ser
vice on the sixteenth game and took the
set at 81, bringing the match even.
But the last set saw Niles supreme
His drives were hitting the side lines
with astonishing regularity, and when
he followed in to the net position it was
to ferret out the smallest of openings
with the precision of a sharpshooter
Pell's game continued to fall off as his
opponent gained in strength. and Niles
ran through the last set rapidly at
6-2. giving him the match
The summaries follow:
SINGLES
Nathaniel w. Niles (Boston) defeated
81, %.
Frederick B. Alexander (NewYorl) defeat.
ed I Harry G johnson (Boston); e.. e.:
Irving G. Wright dBoston]. on" e'I. " sps 0s.ea'e'
Lylee Mahan New York; defeated r. c.
Scaver (Boston), G--1. 6--3.
Elliott M. Bingen (New York; defeated
Raymond D. Little (New York; defeated
w. M. Abbott (Boston). So, 4--6. 6--4.
n. G.. johnson and S: c. Wright (Boston)
defeated r. B. Alexander and r. D. Little
(New York;. 6-3. S-6. 6-2.
W. NJ Hall and E. H, Bingen New York;
N. W. Niles and H Nj. Baetx defeated L. f.
Mahan and T R. Pell. e-4. As. IS.