New-York tribune., 1919-06-09
Miss Coss i'm
Defeat After
Taking Lead
Brooklyn Girl Lands First
Set, 6-l, but Loses
Next Two, 10, 90

Mrs. George W. Wightman, former
national champion, came into her own
again yesterday, when she defeated
Miss Eleanor Goss in two out of three
sets at the West Side Tennis Club at
Forest Hills, and thereby won the
metropolitan singles tennis champion
ship. The scores were 1-6, Cd, 6-2.
Despite the gloomy day large gal
lery was present to witness the match,
which was one of the best played in the
tournament. 1t was a case of youth
and brilliance versus experience and
steadiness, and the latter qualities won
out. The court was rather heavy and
slowed up the play of both contestants
somewhat. Speed, however, was by no
means eliminated from the contest;
rather the velocity of play was one oe
the outstanding features of the after
noon.
Miss Goss, by sharply driven ard
we'll placed shots to the back court,
kept Mrs. Wightman away from the net
and on the defensive for a considerable
part of the early stages of the match.
In fact, Mrs. Wightman was very much
off form until we'll into the second set,
when she suddenly rallied, and from
then on she played with clocklike pre-
cision and steadiness and missed very
few opportunities.
Winner Varies Attack
When finally in stride she varied her
attack and kept her youthful opponent
hopping all over the court From
lob she would quickly shift to light
ning-like drive down the side lines or
by an excellent backhand stroke turn
aside swift shot destined for the very
edge of the back line of the court
For more than half the distance Miss
Goss looked like the victor.
After losing the opening game, Miss
Goss, by brilliant play, aided measur-
ably by missed opportunities on the
part of Mrs. Wightman, ran through
ten straight games. She had captured
the first set in easy fashion, 81, and
was we'll on her way to the champion
ship with four straight wins in the
second set when Mrs. Wightman braced.
She volleyed and parried almost cv-
cry shot thereafter in the second set,
permitting Miss Goss little time to get
set, and quickly ran through six
straight games for a Cd victory. This
sudden stand and reversal of form was
a marvellous display of keen tennis.
Miss Goss on Defensive
Both returned to the court after a
brief rest, but it was quickly discerned
that Miss Goss was not quite the same
player. She seemed to have lost her
confidence and now played more eau
tiously, with the result that her driv-
ing lacked the fire with which she had
annexed many points. She was quickly
put on the defensive by Mrs. Wight
mans rushing attack and in this posi-
ton she stood small chance of winning.
On the other hand Mrs. Wightman,
who had appeared cool in the losing
stages, now set forth to quickly end the
strife and banged away with all the
recklessness of an easy winner. Miss
Goss in this set showed flashes of her
earlier form and managed to gather
in two games while her opponent was
taking the set and title.
The point scores:
Mrs G. w. Wightman--
Miss Eleanor Goss--
4 4 45 $50
SECOND SET
Mrs. & " T's"'%'9 T 7 4-ss s
4 5 III 80
THIRD SET
- 4-ss
III o-21
Doubles Play Halted
Miss Marion Zinderstein and w. T.
Tilden, I'd, were leading Miss Goss and
Walter Merrill Hall in the final match
of the metropolitan mixed doubles
championships when the mist became
heavier and the playing conditions ex-
tremely poor-so much so that a con-
ference was held and it was decided to
terminate all hostilities for the day und
to replay the whole match next Sun
day.
Each pair had won one set, and Miss
Nzinderstein and Tilden, who took the
first, were leading in the third, 4 games
to 2, at the time of the cessation. The
scores of the other two sets were Cd.
3-6.
This match was productive of some
exceptionally brilliant tennis. The
elongated Tilden was all over the court
and executed some wonderful backhand
gets. Hall placed several hair line
shots that brought forth much ap
plause, and the two women contestants
were constantly in the limelight with
we'll placed drives and gets that made
the competition of the keenest sort.