The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-05
JOHNSTON BEATS
TILDEN;; REGAINS
TENNIS CROWN
Californian Wins Final of
National Tourney in
Straight Sets.
SCORES, ca, Ga, 6-3
Match, Played Before 5000
Persons at Forest Hills, Is
One of Fastest on Record.
BY EUGENE n. o,CoNNELl.

Westward the national lawn tennis
title once more winged Its way yes
terday. Again William NJ. Johnston of
San Francisco, who won the champion
ship in 1915, demonstrated his suprem-
acy In no uncertain manner. While
more than 5000 persons sat in the big
stands at Forest Hills and wondered at
his skill and the terrific power his al
most frail body developed, Johnston de-
feated william T. Tilden. I'd. of Phila-
delphia, in the final for the title. John
stcn not only won, but he made his tri-
umph as decided and clean cut as pos
sible. for he scored in straight sets at
Ga, "a, 6-3.
Johnston's victory gave him not only
the national championship, but the world
supremacy as well, for he already had
defeated Gerald L. Patterson, the Hur-
ricane from Australia, who had won the
British title at Wimbledon. 1t gave
the little San Franciscan a second leg
on the championship bowl-a record in
which he is tied with Richard Norris
Williams, I'd, and Maurice Z. McLough-
lin William A. Larned and Robert
Lndley Murray each have won the tro-
ply once.
Right up to the time that the men
went on the court for the battle which
was to decide whether or not the tennis
title would leave the East where II has
rmained ever since Williams downed
Johnston in the final round of the 1916
tournament, few felt that the match
would be decided in straight sets.
Wherever the contest was discussed, it
seemed that for every one who felt that
the Californian would wip, there were
three or four who felt the other way.
The match was decided in less than an
hour. which is one of the fastest cham
pionship matches on record.
johnston n Real Champion.
Just as when he won the 1915 tour
nament Johnston went through the
toughest part of the draw and did it
In convincing style. Many laid too much
stress on the fact that in their three
meetings this year Tilden had gained
the decision over the little Californian
twice. In the one victory gained by
Johnston It will be remembered that a
national championship hinged on the out
come of the match. That was in the
final round of the clay court champion
ship at Chicago.
Johnston always has been a better
player in championship event than
In other tournaments. When he won
the title in 1915 he defeated Behr. Will
fans and Mclaughlin on successive days,
and that year these same men had been
rated 8. and l respectively. This
year. on the way out, Johnston downed
Patterson. the British champion, and
Murray, the American champion, one
after the other
Tilden. on the other hand, had met
Kumagae, Brookes and Williams. Will
Jams had shown some exceptional tennis
but not against keen opposition, and
when he met Tilden he was completely
outclassed. Brookes carried TiIden to
four sets, and might have eliminated the
Philadelphia had the match not been
halted for half an hour by rain storm.
Kumagae went the full route with Til
den. and lost more through lack of
staying power than anything else.
TiIden Exhibits Skill.
Yesterday Tilden played great ten
mis-. He fought for every point He
used all of his strategy and all of his
speed, but the combined resources were
not sufficient to shake of the little
Californian. Although there must have
been some special satisfaction for John
ston, outside of taking the champion
ship, in that he avenged his straight
set defeat by Tilden at Newport, 1t
must be said in behalf of Tilden that
there is not a player in the world who
could stand against Johnston's tennis
of yesterday.
After the match was over Johnston
was as happy as a schoolboy. He was
more laxative than usual He said
that he had not noticed a particular
tension and never felt better in his
life. He added that at last he felt
Nike a real champion because he real
lied that 1t was a great accomplish
ment to win against the game that
Tilden had played
Tildan did NOT aOpaar IN ha dnx.,,,
cast over his defeat. He was strong
In his praise for the new champion.
The Philadelphia stated that he had
never in his life faced such fiawless
tennis, so consistently strong an at
tack or such a stonewall defence. He
remarked that he had never before
fully realized that Johnston was so
versatile 3 player.
Tilden in Dpalsing Johnaton came
about as close to summing up of
the reason why the Californian won
as it was possible to do. Johnston
pressed the attack relentlessly from
the very start He had planned to
get to the net early and to stay there,
and that Is exactly what he did
Sharp VOlIeying n Feature.
Furthermore, when Johnston was at
the net precious few were the strokes
that he let get past him. He gave an
exhibition of sharp volleying that
seldom has been approached He ap-
peared to be able to get anything that
came over the net, and best of all knew
Just where the ball was going on his
returns
Against this style Of play he had
Tilden glued to the baseline driving
viciously in an attempt to beat John
ston of. Tilden had been determined
to make Johnston dig them out of the
dirt. With this in mind he used ter
rife underspin. Johnston, however
had other ideas about what he would
do and seldom let the ball hit the turf
When he did have to take the bah of
the ground, however, the Californian
showed that he was perfectly at home
with this stroke too. Once in a while
Tilden came up to the net. only TO have
S;i SnSS send z perfect lob back over
One OF the. things which stood on;
IN bold relief was the decided weak.
ness OF Tilden's backhand stroke
Never before was it shown up. SC
giaringly. There was hardly an occa
sion when the Philadelphia was able tc
get the ball back from his backhand
and those few times when he did make
a return II invariably was so weak thai
II merely opened up the way for John
ston to score sure ace by placement.
incidentally Johnston was not as Sc
we're on the backhand as on the fore