New-York tribune., 1919-07-13
Tilden Scores
Over Johnston
In Four Sets
7haadelphia Star Beats For
ner Champion; West
erners Win in Doubles
By Fred Hawthorne

aseisiye defeat TO ltllam NJ. johnston,
AZ California, national champion Of
1915, in the eighth match of the annual
7 Eass-west lawn tennis team meetings
for the sectional title on the clay courts
~ the Cincinnati Tennis Club. The
dnal tally was six matches to three.
Tilden sent his great little opponent
down by a score of Cd, 0-6, 6-4,
so; and as Vincent Richards, the
sxteen-year- old national indoor cham
aien from New York, earlier in the
afternoon had vanquished Axel Craven,
OF San Francisco, by score of 6--1,
81. 6-l, the East had won a total Of
FIVE Of the nine scheduled matches.
It did not require the playing of the
doubles, between Ichiya Kumagae and
Robert Lindley MufSHy, of New York,
and Ralph Burdick and Albert L. Green,
OF Chicago, to decide the issue, but the
gallery of two thousand remained in
the stands to watch this event in spite
Of the excessive heat.
Kumagae and Murray won the dou-
bIes by score of IS, I'd, 6--1
6-a. with Bufdick playing the best
Il
The Chicago star was particularly
brilliant at the net position, and had
Green been stronger the result might
have been reversed.
Tilden Victory Features
Tiiden's victory over Johnston came
as the sensational feature of the three
days of tennis, and the doubles match
that followed was bound to be only an
ant-climax, even though it was the
last feature of the week. The heights
of lawn tennis were reached by Tilden
as ne overwhelmed Johnston III the
final set of their struggle.
Uncovering bewildering amoEnt of
speed. and reeIng off shots that simply
defied return. the tall Philadelphian
literally bombarded the Coast star off
the court in this session. Johnston
who had gained the national title at
Forest Hills by defeating Richard
Norris Williams. I'd, and the great
Maurice Mclaughlin on successive
days, was practically helpless before
Tilden's superb attack.
The three preceding sets each had
produced its thrills for the gallery,
with first Johnston in the ascendant,
then Tilden; but the playing of both
was very uneven until the fourth set,
and then Tilden showed a burst of
/. speed and sustained brilhance that
have rarely been equalled on American
courts.
One of the startling features Of the
match was the uncovering by Tilden of
. most decided and hitherto unsus-
pected weakness on Johnston's back
hand.
Uncovers Johnston's Weakness
The Phiadelphian had tried his op-
ponent out in that spot in the first
then abandoned his hammering at the
weakness for the time being. Toward
the end of the third set, however, he
resumed his battering and in the final
set he confined his efforts almost en-
tirely to breaking down the former
champions defence on his backhand.
How we'll he succeeded is indicated
by tae point score in this set, which
shows Johnston getting a total OF only
fourteen points. Eight OF these came
in the final game, when Johnston was
trying desperately to stave off inevi-
table defeat.
Johnston had the advantage of ser
vice in all four sets, but il availed him
not a bit in the first and fourth ses-
.sions, as Tllden broke through each
time by playing super-tennis.
Tilden took the first game, breaking
through by the aid of two dazzling
placement aces TO Johnston's backhand,
the ball being taken on the full volley
as the Philadelphian rushed into fore
court. Johnston dropped the second
game as Tilden scored with three won
aerful baekhand volleys to the side
lines. The little Californian was shak-
ing his head in a perplexed manner,
as nc failed to bring off his own shots
+, elesnly.
Coast Star Stages Rally
But in the third game Johnston
seemed to have acquired control of his
usual faultless overhead volleys, and
he took the game at "love," rushing
the net with great speed and smother
ing Tiiden's returns with severe,
eeanly nit strokes. Tilden made it
o-l by winning the fourth game, but
men MS opponent squared the match
~ taxing the next two.
iilden was putting everything he
aad into his service, the ball bounding
Ess court like bullet, but Johnston
snos It back three times with such
speed that the Philadelphian was
saken completely of his guard and did
az. even get his racquet into position
iiiden steadied in the eighth game
sna started q rally at the net that
sohnston could not meet. The East
srner won the last three games for
tae set at e-4
majority of the spectators ex
peesed TO see Tiiden maintain his win
aihs pace in the second set; hence i
s1he az all the more of a surprise
shsn the clay court champion fel
sway badly and acted as though tn.
ssat had robbed him of his keennes:
lcf 'he struggle, and well it m ight hav,
] dsae 90.
soanston had overcome his short
s'rings at overland volieying and wal
Aosng forward into the service cour-
wHnons hitch or the waste of a sec
-: Once there, be simply murdered
ssasasn's offerings. In this set he looked
Ixe Johnston who had hurnbled Nc
.oagaiin- For some uncx xplainable rea
~ !. the errztic Tjlden would not go T.
e net and Johnson was reaping
'sfssat Of placement aces.
Tide Of Battle Turned
tehnzton won the last game Of tn
ssSond act on Tilden's service and thel
..sssxed the first two games Of tn
And Tilden here began to play VI
sao started charging into forc-cour,
eAsdltss Of JohnSton's fierce fore
NO drives.
ahen the tide OF battle began T.
tsfh, slowly at first. AZ the California,
.sagnt with speration, but later NOR
EedHy unt!i In the final set the spec
Ae1iar Philadelphia was making mar
sssisus "getsv OF Johnston's pace
ssa, stabbing the ball Gu the ful
Wiley. forehand or hackhand. nYerhca