New-York tribune., 1918-09-08
Women s Tennis NOzV
Takes the Spotlight


broadway, the old West Side Tennis
Club grounds. when the feminine court
stars begin play in the third annual
New York State championships in Sin
giles and doubles and mixed doubles.
=, Mrs. Percy Wilbourn, chairman Of
the tournament committee, tells us
that she already has the promises of
George w. Wightman, Mrs. Stuart
Green, Miss Marion ZiHderstein, Miss
F., Helene Poilak. Miss Nathalie Brown
ing and Miss Marie Wagner to enter
the lists, and these names in them
selves are sufficient evidence that the
tournament will be notable one.
Miss Wagners Task Stern
Mrs. Wilbourn is a conscientious and
! Jealous worker in behalf of women's
tennis, and her management of Journeys
on previous occasions is a guarantee
that the coming event will be handled
fautlessly. Miss Wagner, the present
holder of the singles title, will be
forced to her limit to retain her laurels
against field of such notable con-
tenders.
The singles will begin at/2 D. m. on
Monday, September 16; the doubles on
Tuesday at the same hour, and the,
mixed doubles at o'clock on Wednes-
day afternoon. Entries must be sent
70 MISS Marie Wagner, care of the club.
the lists for the singles closing next
Saturday at p. m. The entry fee for
the singles will be 50 and for the
doubles sS per team. Entry should be
accompanied by entrance fee, address
and telephone number.
A handsome trophy will be placed in
competition for the first time in the
singles, to become the permanent prop
erty of the player winning it three
times, and prizes will be awarded to
The winners and runners-up in each
event. The net proceeds will be given
10 the War Department Commission on
Training Camp Activities. Miss Elisa
beth Fl. Moore, former national cham
Pion, will act as referee.
Miss Molla 'Bjurstodt, national won
an champion. and Miss Eleanor Goss,
runner-up for the title. will appear in
a special mixed doubles match this
afternoon at $3.50 o'clock on the courts
Of the Green Meadow Country Club. at
North Rye. pairing with Silas ". Hub
bard and Hugh D. Montgomery. The
spectators Will be tagged at 81 each
end the net proceeds will be given to
the War Department Commission on
Training Camp Activities.
,t is doubtful if Il more popular
/ holder of the mems national single
championship than Robert Lindlev
Murray. of the Niagara Falls Tennis
! Club, could be found in this broad land
of ours. For the last four years pei
sstent contender for the highest hon
ors OF the courts, the mcteoric youlg
Californian has refused TO be discouy-
aged because OF previous failures. and
his success last Ncei; at Forest Hills.
when NJ tumhled William T. Tiiden,
I'd, OF Philadelohia, to defeat. came as
4 signal GROWING Of hi7 efforts
As Murray played in the final round
match against the national clay court
champion he was an impressive figure
! on the courts. and immeasuraail
stronger. We should say. then at anv
other time in his brilliant career. No
alone was his service far more deadlr
weapon OF. attack than ever before but
It was under remarkable control and
the same may be said of the rest Of
the former Caifornian's strokes
Rarely have we seen more consistently
powerful volleying than The Meteor"
showed @gainst Tilden. As the rhila-
delphlan said when asked about has do
feat: How can you beat a man like
that when he absolutely refuses to
miss anything?"
TiIden's Moral Advantage
a. for Tilden, he was the victim Of
unfortunate circumstances when h.
was called upon to face his most
Formidable opponent in the battle for
the national title. Having defeatcd
Murray twice before during the sea
son. the moral advantage. ii there -
such thing in athletic competitiou
should nave rested with him lie CAM
20 his greatest test of the season wit,
an nnblemished record
Not once during long campaign on
the courts had he been forced to lower
his colors. and the day before he mot
Murray Il'den crushed Ichva kumara,r
by dazzling display of lawn tennis
The Philadelphia showed remark
ahle variety of shots on that day and
amazing speed of stroke aud court GOV
erlng. Yet the following dav he wa
moved down by the hard hitting. net
storming Californian in straight sets
W hat WAS the secret of his downfall"
For one thing. Tilden was sufrering
from painful case of blood poisoning
on MS right foot. and this lnterfered
fatally with his attempts TO cover cour,
All his wonderful speed of foot wa
useless to him under the circumstances
and the injury also interfered serious
~ with his ability to voley. since he
was forced TO throw the weight Of his
body on his left foot almost entirelv
Then. again. it is probable that Mur-
rays relentless net attack, his cor
tlnual boring-in tactics and his wonder
ful handling of Tilden's deep lobs. de
signed to keep the Californian awav
from the barrier, had their part in nm
setting the Philadel lphian's ususl pIan
OF battle. Certain it is that TiIden
never approached the heights he hs5
shown in other matches.
Tiiden Not at Best
The result of the three-set sfrniegle
tor the national title was in no wav an
accurate gauge of the comparative mer-
its of the two players In fact. we arc
inclined to believe that Tilden. when
every shot is working and he is plav
ing the game as he can play it when
IN perfect trim, is practically unbeaf
able In this he resembles Lieutenar.
Richard Norris Williams, I'd. holder oe
the title in 1915. Williams plavs the
ball so closely for the lines and the
top of the net. and executes such trulv
marvellous shots. that, when every
thing IS working in harmony, there il
nothing but defeat in store for thovo
who lace him. He proved this aeainst
Mclaughlin at Newport in 1914 and
against Johnston at Forest Hill. in
1916, on both of which occasions he
won the national championship.
The probabilities are that Murr.v
would conquer Tilden. durino saoso-