The sun., 1918-08-18
Richards and Tilden Win
National Doubles Title
Youthful Pair Triumph Over Tennis Veterans of Inter
national Fame, Alexander and Wright in Match on
Longwood G. G. Courts-New York Boy Marvel.

ivy ShOWtu hstouUulUE anu
skill In every style Of the game, and his
judgment was almost faultless. He
simply would not be tricked by the pair
OF court masters on the other side OF
the net and when Wright and his part
ner picked the youth out for their con-
certed attack, Richards met the issue
coolly. playing volley for volley. lob
for lob
Richards Work Remarkab BILE.
Alexander's playing was splendid from
beginning TO end, but II was in the
fourth set that the great internationalist
showed at his best. Rushing the net
with superlative speed, he cut of the
fast flying Tilden's drives with a whirl-
Ing racquet that seemed to smother
everything that came over the barrier.
Time and again he caught both Tilden
and Richards out OF position by landing
the ball directly at their feet as the
latter pair attempted TO come in for the
volley. Had Wright been able to finish
off his points In the clean cut manner
that Alexander was doing, instead OF
making soft returns of Richardss deep
lobs, the veterans might have won the
championship. But when he failed thus
to "klr' the ball. Wright gave Richards
and Tilden the chance to wait for a
favorable opening and then themselves
finishing off the point either by one of
-Richards's superbly placed shots or TIL
denis meteor-like smashes.
That was all Wright lacked in the
match. His volleying was exceptionally
fine and his placing could not well have
been improved upon. In covering the
court he was at a disadvantage when
compared to the matchless speed of the
,,,l ~ .x~,tf Of Inc
Richards, but this was to be expected
when the ages of the three are taken
into comparison. Fred Mansfield. who
has been urnpiring championship matches
at Longwood since before either Tilden
or Richards was born, sat in the official
chair to-day.
The order OF service was Tilden.
Wright. Richards and Alexander. and
the games went by service In the first
set up to the eighth, when Tilden and
Richards broke through Alexander and
Tilden won his own service. making the
first set 6-3 In his favor.
In the second set the younger team
rapidly ran into a lead Of Al on games,
with Richards amazing the gallery by
the skill of his playing. His splendidly
placed lobs to the base line kept the
veterans far In the back of the court.
and at volleying, particularly as he
picked the ball up at his feet In running
for the net. the youngsters work was
dazzling in its brilliancy. He and Tilden
took the set at Ga. and II looked as
though they would take the title in
straight sets.
Veterans Force Attack.
At this stage, however, Alexander and
t,t ~,
perate mea sures must be taken. started
a forcing attack that began at once to
turn the tide that had been setting so
strongly against them. Alexander was
earning the points by vicious driving
into midcourt. catching the opposing pair
out OF position so that they were COM
PEELED to take the ball at their feet as
they came in from the base line. Wright
was also voleying with fine precision
at this stage. and the veterans won the
third set at IS. and the fourth, after
the rest interval. at g., making the
match all square.
II BEGAN to look as though the old in
ternatlonalists had struck an irresisti-
bic streak and would pull the match out
after all. Tilden had lost control OF his
shots temporarily and had been poach-
ing on hts partners court at most crSi-
cal llTEcss but l.llle INlCHdIuS, COOl-
est player on the court, never wavered
and met the combined attack OF Alex
snder and Wright with consummste
skill
The fifth set had not gone far before
II became evident that Til6en had struck
the crest of his game again, and this
meant there could be only one ending
to the match. Alexander won his own
service in the second game and again
In tire sixth. but that was the only stand
the veterans could make against the I'M
retuous attack of the coming cham
plons. Tilden was in a rare playing
vein in this set, his service being abso-
lutely unplayable at times. az 1t cata-
pulled through the court and rchotted
over the backstop net, there to play
havoc with the hats OF the women spec
tators sitting at either end OF the court.
The match ended when Wright drove
R!chards's beautifully placed return of
service into the net. giving Tilden and
his boy partner the last set at g.. the
match and the championship. The sum-
msries:
Mems National Championship Doubles
Final Round-Vincent Richards and Will
lam 7. Tilden "a defeated Frederick Il,
Alexander and Beals c. Wright, 6-3 "a.
SIS IS. e..
Special Mixed poubles-Final Round
Mrs George Wightmsn and Irving c.
Wright defeated Miss Molla Bjurstedt and
Frederick r. Alexander Ct g.