The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1919-09-02
WILLIAM T|LDEN
MEETS JOHNSTON
IN TENNIS FINALS
National Singles Title to Be
Fought Out on the For
est Hill Courts
Today

Forest Hills, N. Y, September East
and west Will be opposed tomorrow in the
final round of the thirty-eighth national
turf court singles tennis championship
on the courts of the West Side club when
William T. Tilden, End, of Philadelphia
and William NJ. Johnston Of San Fran
cisco meet for the titular honors of the
1919 season. These two survivors of
the is players who began the tourna-
ment last Tuesday won their final brack-
cts IN the championship round by defeat
ing respectively r. Norris Williams End
of Boston and Wallace f. Johnson of
Philadelphia Tilden defeated Williams
in straight sets of 6-1, rs and 6-3, while
Johnston eliminated Johnson, 2-6, 81, 6-3,
6-3
Viewed from some anges the defeat of
Williams might be termed q tennis up
set. The champion OF 1914 and 1916 Gre
ated remarkable impression upon ten
MS experts and the thousands of spes-
tators who saw him play so success
fully against Vincent Richards of Yonk-
ers and Wills DAVIS of San Fran
cisco In these matches he played game
which was termed super-tennis, so per-
gectly was every shot and stroke exc
cuted
His play today as compared with these
exhibitions fell off fully 80 per cent
Tilden outclassed him in every depart
nent of the game with the possible ex-
ception of placement shooting.
The Philadelphia did not employ the
same amount of speed and power that he
exhibited against Brookes and Kun
agac. He was, however, far the steadier
of the two, and Williams, in his efforts
to get his sharp shooting shots going,
piled up error column which would
have caused his defeat AGAINST a player
of lesser caliber. than Tilden.
STROK y, ANALYSIS
The point, score and stroke analysis
shows that Tilfen won three sets to
Love 10 games to e-109 points to rs, while
Tilden made n outs to Williams 81. 10
nets to Al, double faults to 7.1e place
ments to "a and service aces to a like
number for the Bostonians
Tilden has had a remarkable record
during the tennis season now drawing to
a close. and has demonstrated by his
winning of tournament after tournament
that he Is one of the top-ranking play
ers of the year. Tn his tennis climb Til
den has played various types of game,
each suited to overcome the play of the
particular opponent of the moment. To-
day he did net hammer and drive with
the same sre 81 that characterized his
game earlier in the tournament. but con-
stantly varied his pace from sizzling cuts
and deep court-topped drives to short
As a result Williams was forced to play
continually varying ball, and this ap
peared to prevent him from getting his
strike down to the point where he could
shoot with unerring aim for unprotect-
ed places in the court which Tilden could
not reach.
At times Williams appeared about to
attain perfect control, and at these mo-
ments he played with his usual perfec-
ton and the resultant rallies. for .Tilden
refused to be thrown off his winning
stride. electrified the gallery Of 10000
spectators and brought forth continual
salvos of applause. These moments were
not frequent enough, however, to have
any permanent bearing on the result of
the match, and there was no question
in the minds of the tennis followers that
today at least Tilden was the better
player of the two.
JOHNSTON ERRED
The Johnston j Johnson ma tch opened in
a manner which appeared to indicate that
it was to be another of the sensational
contests which have featured the pres
ent tournament Johnson won the initial
set games to q his peculiar slicing
and chopping of the ball, both in service
and return. apparently puzzling his rival
from San Francisco far more than the
hard driving and smashing which the
latter had encountered during his march
through the tournament. Johnston did
not know apparently just how or where
to take Johnstons shots, and made an
unusual number of errors for such a
steady player. 1t may be that he devoted
the opening set to study of his oppo-