The sun., 1919-07-19
WILLIAMS DEFEATS
. NILES AT TENNIS
Former Champion Shows Skill
in Disposing Of Rival at
Greenwich Courts.
NJ EUGENE n. o,CoNNELL.

which Is supposed to come after wet
July IL, put somewhat of a crimp in
-the schedule Of the invitation tennis
tournament at the Field Club here. to-
day. However. inasmuch as the down.
pour was saved for the afternoon, the
isucnmittee did not get into any I'M
reasonable tangle, for a number of
matches were finished prior to lunch
time
ga' The tennis was exceptional, consider
ing the soggy courts From every point
eof view It was by far the best that has
been seen on these historic. courts, and
II is not stretching to hazard an humble
opinion that II was as high class as any
that has been witnessed on any courts
I'm this country this season. The COM
petition was keen and all Of the con-
testants seemed anxious to bring out
the very best In them.
The entire interest of the gallery was
centred around Robert Lindley Murray,
~the present national champion, trans
planted a few years ago from California
10 Niagara Falls and Richard Norris
Williams I'd OF Philadelphia, who has
two legs on the national cup. There
was not a group gathered together in
any corner of the club house or around
the courts where the question OF which
Of the two Is better at this stage of the
game was not discussed.
williams Defeats Niles.
Each had his coterie of admirers not
only ready but anxious to point out the
strong points of his favorite and the
weakness of the other. They did not
meet. but they both played and met
worthy rivals. Williams climbed into
the third round by defeating Nathaniel
w. Niles Of Boston in straight sets, at
50. ca. Murray gained a bracket In
the seml-inals with victory over The
odore Roosevelt Pell, at 81, Ga.
On the face of the scores those who
were not fortunate enough to see the
matches and who still have faith in the
grand old dope might be tempted to
say offhand that Williams was the better
because his victory was won by more
comfortable margin. Then the relative
strength of the opponents of Williams
and Murray would have to be consid-
cred. Niles has reached the first ten
eight times Pell has been in that select
circle only FIVE times. Last year Niles
was rated No. 6 and Pell No. 10.
On that dope Niles apparently has the
edge. but 1t does not always follow that
any two players of about equal strength
will be equally strong on any given day.
AS a matter of fact, to-day Pell. es-
pecially in the opening set. played as
good tennis as he ever played. He fell
Off in the second SET Niles, on the other
hand, played we'll In both sets.
williams Rounding Into Condition
~, Williams is rapidly rounding into
; shape. He Is not burning himself up in
an attempt to play late August tennis In
mid-July. He is trying hard-this was
apparent to-day-to take all the wrinkles
out OF his game. Niles played very well
against him and was not beaten by err
-rors but by the better playing Of Will
Jams, The former champion had the
same old severity of service and showed
tho same old tendency to double faulting,
2 He lost three of his service games mainly
through this tendency.
. In the opening set the points were very
evenly divided and three OF the games
went to deuce before they were finished.
In the second set Niles gave Williams a
scare and the gallery many a thrill by
:. his brilliant playing He gained the lead
at 4-3. breaking through Williams's de-
!, livery twice for love games. The Phila-
delphian steadied then and carried on
the last three games. His next opponent
will be Walter Merrill Hall, Middle
States champion. They will meet to-
morrow morning.
Murray on Form.
a'ts
.9 As mentioned before, Pell was as good
against Murray to-day as he ever was.
Murray, however was not in the form
that he should be at this stage of the
/, season. The champion had plenty of
speed on his service and showed an i'm
provement in his ground strokes. His
> placing, however. was not as good as II
might have been and he did not show his
usual energy In getting around the court.
Furthermore, Murray was unsteady at
times. and frequently permitted himself
to be outguessed by his rival. In the
opening set Pell had the lead at al and
& again at Sd. simply because he was out
playing the champion In the tenth
Z game he came within an ace OF winning
the set on three different coasions, but
q could not deliver the punch, and Murray
took the game, squaring the set after
deuce had been called four times.
,, Pell had the lead again at 7-6. but
Murray braced and carried off the next
three games Pell fell OF in the second
set. and although the champion failed
to improve, he managed to exc out the
victory. Murray will meet Dean Mathey
In the semi-fnal tomorrow. Mathey
defeated A. s. Dabney. Ga, Ga. and
gained default from Lyle f. Mahan.
whose wrist was In bad shape.
Willis f. Davis of San Francisco
moved up to the semi-fnal round by a
victory over Beals C. Wright. Only one
set was played. which Davis won at
1911, and then Wright. tuckered out
from the strenuous play, retired.
In the mems doubles only one match
was played. This resulted in a victory
for Harry C. Johnson of Boston and
Williams over Alrick II. Man, Jr., and
Fred C. Inman. at 6-s, 6-3. In the
women's doubles Miss Eleanor Goss and
Miss Marion Zinderstein. the national
champions, reached the final round by
defeating Mrs. Marshall Mclean and
Mrs. L. G. Morris at 81. 6-3. Miss
Molla Bjurstedt and Mrs. 8. F. Weaver
moved into the semi final round by dis
posing OF Mrs. f. Raymond and Mrs
Rawson Wood at 1913. ell. They will
3, play against Mrs. George Wightman and
Miss Marie Wagner tomorrow. The
summaries:
Field Club OF Greenwich. Mems Invita-
tlon Singles-Second Round-Richard Nor,
ris Williams I'd, Philadelphia. defeated
Nathaniel W. Niles. Boston, 6-2, s-4
Dean Mathey, Crawford N. j., defeated
Alfred S: Dabney Jr.. Boston. e.. "a
1911. default: Dean Mathey won from
/; Lyle f. Mahan. New York. by default
Robert Lindley Murray. Niagara Falls
defeated Theodore Roosevelt Pell, New
York. 81. 60
Invitation Mems Doubles-First Round
r N. Williams I'd and Harry c. johnson
defeated Alrick II. Man, Jr.. and Frederick
c. Inman. 6-s, 6-3.
80 Invitation Womens Doublss-First Round
Miss Molla Bjurstedt and Mrs. Spencer
FULLERTON Weaver defeated Mrs. Y. Ray
mond and Mrs. Rawson Wood. io-s 81
Semi-fnal Round-Aiso Eleanor Goss and
Miss Marion Zinderstein defeated Mrs
Marshall Mclean and Mrs. l. G. MorriA
Ct, s-t.