New-York tribune., 1918-08-17

Inc mixed doubles tournament also
reached into the final round with Miss
Molla Bjurstedt, national woman cham
pion, paired with Alexander, facing
Mrs. George H. Wightman, former ma
tional woman title holder. and Irving
c.. Wright, of Boston. This match is
scheduled to start at o'clock, thus
ringing down the curtain on the most
successful tournament on the Long
wood courts since the beginning Of the
war.
Opinion is divided here tonight as
TO who will win the national champion
ship Tomorrow Much depends upon
the brilliant but erratic Tilden. Grant
ed that the latter unleashes the full
fury of his whirlwind attack when he
faces Alexander and Wright and re-
talns control of his shots, he and little
Richards ought to come mighty close
to carrying off the honors. This is
supposlng, of course. that the school
Doy plays the strong tennis he has II
through the tournament and that Til
den does not attempt to cover too
much OF the court in his anxiety to re-
ieve his youthful partner.
But Alexander and Wright were 60
ing so we'll this afternoon that it is
PLAIN that only a team working at top
speed will be able to stop them. No
players on the court to-day know more
tennis than these two past masters of
stroke and tactics. Wright was
vastly changed player this afternoon
from what he was on previous days Of
the tourney and Alexander was him
self, which is all that need be said
Alexander began the service against
the Westerners, followed in. turn by
hayes, Wright and Burdick. The
Davis cup veterans won the first three
games, breaking through Burdick's
service in the second. They were 60
ing to the net together and ripping off
the points by splendid overhead vol
leylng. with Alexander smashing occa-
sl0naily with dead accuracy.
But IN the fourth game Burdck won
ms own service to love, the Chicago
pair charging the net after service and
smashing with great severity, The
next game went to deuce twice before
hayes and his partner broke through
and made it 81 by the fastest kind Of
Volleylng from mdcourt.
Alexander and Wright took the next
two games, however, with Wright TAX
ing leading part in the attack at the
net: Inc man who conquered Brookes
and Wlidlng was playing with more
confidence and snap than at any other
tlme during the week, and was finishing
OIL his points more decisively. Rurdick
won his own service again, but Alex
ander won his own in the ninth game
at love, giving him and his partner
the set at 6-3. Hayes was broken
through for a love game at the start
Of the second set and Wright made ID
% on his own delivery.
Burdlck took his own service again
IN the third game and in the seventh,
put Alexander and Wright were play
ing beautiful tennis and ran out the
set at 81, by aggressive volleying and
smashing.
The last set found Hayes and Bur
dick leading at 81 on games, and at
o-2, but then the Eastern stars started
an irresistible attack, Alexander drjv-
ing. with terrific speed off his forehand
as he returned the smashes of the op-
posing pair, and Wright volleying
with consummate skill at the net. In
the last four games of the match Hayes
and Burcick could only gather six
points before their opponents had
taken the last set at 6-3 and the
match
The match between Mrs. Wightman
and Irving Wright and Miss zinder-
stein and Hall was a peculiar one, the
first set seeing Miss Zindersten trail
ing at ID on games before thew
started on a splendid rally at the net
that won them six games in a row
for the set at Is. Miss Zinderstein's
volley and driving were superb. but the
second see went to Mrs. Wightman and
her partner at love and they swept
straight on to take the first five games
n the last set before they were stopped
temporarily by the other pairs des-
perate rally.
Miss Zinderstein and Hall won three
games without break and then the
other side took the ninth game and the
set at 6--3, giving them the match.