New-York tribune., 1920-09-12
Tilden Again
Beats Johnston
I'm 4 Set Match
Worlds Champion Victor by
%. Is, So, o.;
East Scores Over West
BY Fred Hawthorne

William 7. Tilden I'd, Of this city, de-
feated William NJ. Johnston, of Califor-
MIA, by score of 6-2, 7-5, 90, 6--4,
in the annual East-West lawn tennis
team match on the turf courts of the
Germantown Cricket Club this after
noon, his victory gave the honors to
the East by total Of six matches to
two. The last event of the day-the
doubles match between Dean Mathey
and Charles S. Garland and Walter r.
Hayes and Ralph Burdick-was halted
IN the first set, owing to darkness, and
never will be finished, as it could not
alter the final result of the team COM
petition anyway.
The crowd that turned out this af
ternoon, on the final day of play, was
IN reality remarkable trihate to Til
den, the worlds and national singles
champion. There. were seats for only
about $500 in the stands, and these
were filled long before Tilden and John
ston came out on the court for their
match.
Several thousand more enthusiasts
were hammering on the ol <ei portals,
however, and few minutes G,"-re the
native sons" of Philadelphia and Cali
for-'a started play an indulgent tour
nament committee let down the bars.
and at least 1000 men ana women
raced across the greensward within
the lncicsure and sat. Il living SQUARE,
about the singles court, ten and fifteen
deep.
Roberts Plays Fine Tennis
The first match OF the day saw Wat
son NJ. Washburn, Of New York, defeat
Roland Roberts, of San Francisco, in
the singles, the sets going at 3~s,
Is, l1-9, g., and this really de-
clded the supremacy between the East
and the West, since the local team al
ready had four victories out of nine
to its credit in the first two days OF
play.
Roberts played beautiful tennis
against his Eastern rival. outplaving
as hburn easily in the opener, when
he forced the net position continu-
ously and smothered returns by spien-
sdldly aggressive volleying But Wash
burn was gathering strength slowly, a.
Is his wont, and when the second set
began, he started to score with won
derfuliy accurate passing shots.
Roberts would not give an inch from
the net position, however, and a snir-
tied struggle followed in this and the
third set. Four times in the fourth
session Roberts was within point OF
taking the honors. but each time there
was little slip by the Californian. or
else an extra fine placement shot by
Washburn, and the latter finally broke
through in the twentieth game for the
set
From then on to the end OF the match
1t was plain to be seen that Roberts
had played himself out in the Grs5
" ho oh
burns llne-cutting shots. In the final
session he went down rather easily be-
fore the rain of placements that tho
New Yorker sent whstling through his
court.
The sight when the feature match of
the series between Tilden and Js1h 1hston
began was a wonderfully impressive
one. Those who had seen lden win
the national title from Johnston at
Forest Hills last Monday and those who
had not been SO fortunate wcro equally
anxious to witness this second meeting
between the two. And SO they were ali
present.
Crowd Hard to Handle
High up on the loftt roof OF the
main club house building, a score of
venturesome beings sat astr.dc the
peak. All the Ettle window porcieg
were packed tight with others. mag
culine and feminine, and the trees of
Hansberry Street directly back Of the
courts, were heavy laden with new
and strange fruit, fruit that kept call
ing out "theres Tilden, the SKINNY
guy on the other side" and "Aw. I'm
tellin' yer that Tiiden's the ch lmpion,
didn't he lick this here now. john
ston, in New York ~
Three perspirng but cheerful rhila-
II rl. IL
keep the thousands packed about the
am quite certain heard one Of them
trying moral suasion, to-w!' "Trre
must not go be"ond this line. else thee
will interfere with the players" but
this was not very successful. Quaker
crowds are much Ike crowds in an.
other gathering, and to-day the Quaker
and Quakeress fought just as keeuly
for vantage points as any Ifishman at
Donnybrook fair OAce they had set
tied down into their places. however,
the onlookerS gave no tt uble; they
applauded with equal enthusiasm no
matter who won the points.
There is no room here to 90 into de-
tails of the match, but 10 me 1t seemed
that there was never the same tense
ness, the same fighting spirit. on the
part of either man that marked tieir
match at Forest Hills. And yet the
play was brilliant on both sides. and
there was very little to choose between
the two, as the recapitulaton Of the
stroke analysis VIII prove.
TiIden Supreme in First Set
Tilden was supreme in the frst set,
bringing off the most amazing shots
from every position, but he mostly re-
lied on his volleying from close to the
net to gain his points. In the SECOND
and third sets Johnston, gradually
working into his stride-although he
always impressed ME as being a tride
wearied from verplay-fought his
great rival point for point. There were
dozen furious driving due!s from deep
court, the rallies generally being ended
with one Or the other man closing in
at the net for a smash or sharp-angled
vol!ey to the corners.
In the fourth set Johnston worked
into a lead of'4-2 on games. and it
looked as though he might square the
match, but at this point Tilden tight
cnea up noticeabiy, covering his court
with tremendous speed and raking
Johnston's court with every variety Of
shot. Little Bill" seemed to realize
that victory was not for him to-day,
anG do not think the thought troubled
him greatly. In the last two games. as
Tilden ever rushed closer TO his tri-
uL1ph. Johnston's face wore a smile,
and this spread into wife but rather
wcaried grin as the final point came
1,,1 ! 81 IL -