New-York tribune., 1920-08-18
U. Champion
Shows
Speed ON Court
Davis and Roberts Triumph
Over Matllcy and Wash
burn After Five Fierce Sets
By Fred Hawthorne

in the challenge round of the annual
Longwood singles tournament.
Niles had won the tourney three
weeks ago, giving him the right to
challenge for the trophy. AS Johnston
was still on the ocean on his way home
from England at the time of the final
match, and hence could not defend his
title at the time Niles insisted upon
giving Johnston the chance to defend,
and so the challenge match was ar
ranged for to-day on the courts of the
Longwood Cricket Club, prior to the
PLAYING of the second round of the
mems national doubles championship
tournament.
Johnston Makes Errors
Johnston began the service, but
errors. He made amends by breaking
through Niles'S service to take the sec
ond game at love scoring with tre-
mendous forehand drives through his
opponents court. The national cham
pion won three out of the next four
games, giving him the lead at So.
Niles fought hard for the next two
games, which he won, driving with fine
depth and accurancy. But all his ef-
fcrnan's terrific speed. Johnston won
the tenth game. giving him the set
at Cd.
Then followed a most impressive
demonstration Of the power of John
ston's game. Niles was playing well
all the way through, but he simply
could not stand against the vicious at
tack OF the champion. 1t was largely
q battle from back court. althouch
st NJ
for the net when he had forced his open
ings. Niles, on the other hand, almost
invariably found it fatal to attempt to
reach the net, as the Californian passed
him with wonderfully anrled shots
across court or down the side lines.
johnston won the next two sets with
out The loss of game, making a run
OF thirteen straight in the match. some
thing wouldn't have believed possible
against the sound tennis Niles was
playing.
Some idea of the effectiveness of the
champions game to-day NAV be rajnnd
when say that the Californian scorsd
a total Of IL earned points to Niles's
8, while his errors were II to Niles's 81.
Six Doubles Matches
Only six matches were played in the
championship doubles, the last one. be-
tween Willie Davis and Roland Rob
erts, of California, and Dean Mathe,.
and Watson Washburn, of New York.
not finishing until after 1880 o'clock.
as they battled through five fierce sets,
with Davis and Roberts finally wjnninr
at 6-3, 1912, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.
William T. Tilden I'd and Charles S.
Garland had runaway match against
!. y. Jayne and Philip Brain, North
weste-sl title holders, the sets going ar
Go, 60. e. Both the Davis Cup
men were in command Of all their
shots, simply Overwhelming the West
erners by the speed and variety OF
their attack.
Davis and Roberts held their oppo
nents on an even basis on tennis skill
and eXcelled them when it came to
staying power, WashbUrn and Mathey
tiring in the closing stages. Davis was
smashing with more power and getting
better results overhead than any Of
the other three, but his work on
ground strokes was not so good as it
might have been. At least dozen
times he was caught with the ball at
MS 1eet half way between the service
court line and the net, and it was
usually the sharpshooter Washburn
who trapped the Coast man in this
way.
Roberts ranged from bad to very
good, improving as the match wore on
lie and Davis made every possible use
OF their harder strokng, carrying
many of the rallies by these slam
bang methods, and their railroad"
services were potent weapons of attack
Frederick Is. Alexander and s. Howard
Noshell had real test of their ability
before they won from r. b. Bidwell
ana ". L. Porter, state champions, by
score Of S. 6-1, 1O-8, ca The
local players put up surprisingly
game struggle, their accuracy up
setting Alexander and Voshell tenn
porarly.
The New York pair got going we'll
toward the latter part Of the match,
Noshell hammering out aces overhead
ana Alexander bringing off dazzling
eross-court voleys. Bidwell and Por-
Ter were about equally effective, al
tnough their shots did not have the
m'shing quality of the New York
mems strokes.
All second round winners reached
'he round before the semi-final.
The morning session of. play was
gwen over entirely to the women's in
Wtation tourney. Miss Helen Baker, of
Oallfornia, and Mrs. a. c. Shurtlef ad-
sahced INTO the round before the semi
remainder of the field.
Twenty Pairs Start
twenty pairs started in the doubles,
vi wltn Miss Marion Zinderstein and Miss
C!eanof Tenant as the outstanding ia
sorltes. The doubles this morning was
sle medium for the successful intro
AUCTION to important tournament tennis
VI mrs. William ]. Clothier, of Phila-
ueipnla wife of the former national
champion. Paired with Mrs George
nsaoody Gardner jr.. of Longwood Mrs.
No'hler scored we'll earned victory
over Mrs. X. c. Billings and Miss Rosa
oo'und Newton, the sets going at 2-6,
MISS Baker got a default in the sec
ru piIu round and then overwhelmed Miss
eiehces Jennings by score of 60
s;-.ii' IN the third round. The newest
,nls''or from the Coast seems to favor
me. ,le .ehop-stroke game, getting a sliding
n,o'ion into the stroke similar to that
sssea by Wallace Johnson. She also
aI;nuhe aas ,he happy faculty of being able to
o a''i overhead and, with a couple OF
msIs Vas practice on turf courts, should
'sAe considerable stir in Eastern
",nls before the season ends.
Miss Marion Zinderstein gained her
saee s" IN the third round by defeating
~ s.'ss Brenda Hcdstrcm at Go, 63,
sa.a na thls, IN spite of the one-sded char
vm sf OF the score, was distinct tri
n Jpn Tor Miss Hedstrom, who played
~. ner hrst tournament at Providence
bsss week, and is still junior. She