The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-09-02
TENNIS CHAMPION
HAS AN OFF DAY
Johnston, Stroking Erratic-
ally, Is Hard Pressed
by Niles.
WILLIAMS AT HIS BEST
Former Title Holder Defeats
Willis Davis Decisively--
TiIden Beats Hardy.
WILLIAMS AT HIS BEST

uonAl tennis championship ut Fpiou~
Hills yesterday. while the rest or the
contenders were flashing convincing ten
mis- tho title holder slumped badly IN his
third round match with Nnthanel W.
Niles Of Boston. and had comparatively
little TO spare In winning by score or
8--4, S--l0, is, So. Coming as II
did only a fortnight after Johnston had
overwhelmed Niles in tho challenge
round for the Longwood bowl, the re-
suit was doubling surprising. II Will
be remembered that in their last match
Johnston scored two love sets and CONF
pleted his victory with an unbroken run
OF thirteen games. Yesterday the cham
plon not only dropped one set out OF
four but was three times within stroke
OF losing another.
The match started like q sprint and
wound up A marathon. Johnston breeZed
through the first four games 90 quickly
and SO impressively that the great gal.
lery OF 1000 could be pardoned FOR COM
ing to the immediate conclusion that:
"Ah, Billy Johnston Is at HIS best
Watch his smoke" Before the set had
been completed, however the Califor-
MANS game, probably through overcon-
fidence, had lapsed considerably. His
errors came often. particularly drives
into the net, and with every game his
stroking grew more uncertaiR. Niles
took advantage Of The champions un-
steadlness 10 force a fast pace and to
take the second set by working the lines
and the corners for placement, and he
was perilously close to taking the third.
His steadlness was remarkable. john
ston fought him off. however. just In
time, and In the fourth set, for the first
time in the match. played through con-
slstently and won.
As they performed yesterday r. Norris
Williams I'd ought TO be the fRvorite In
tho contest with Johnston, which Is to be
this afternoons feature, but the cham
pion's marvellous ability to rise to the
occasion must be bor1esin mind in weigh
ing Williams's chances. Johnston, in his
characteristic way. Is Just as likely to
play superg tennis against his Davis
cup teammnre. Certainly he will have
to play better tennis, and he probably
WILL Williams who has been showing
decided Improvement with every match,
looked like the williams OF champion
ship days yesterday when he eliminated
the dangerous Willis Z. Davis, Pacific
coast title holder three sets out of four.
Davis had oply his tremendous. swapping
service to thank that he succeeded In
taking one set. the first. for the interna-
tionalist clearly outmannuvred and out
generalled him.
TIIden in Stroke.
- William T. Tllden ID dropped the first
set to Samuel Hardy, but did not begin
to play serious tennis until the second
division OF play. Once In stride. the
winner Of the British title showed all the
tennis pyrotechnics he is capable Of and
won decisively, .9--6, e.. Ga. Ga.
All four members OF the Davis cup team
appeared on the grandstand court, and
there was almost a capacity gallery to
see them. II was Williams's third match
within the lnclosure, Johnstons first.
Tildgn's second and the first for Charles
s. Garland, the Junior member of the
international squad. Garland again
scored In straight sets, this time at the
expense of youthful Frank T. Anderson,
the Brooklyn champion. Tho tourna-
ment now has reached 3 most interesting
stage for an addition to the meeting be-
tween the present and the former ma
tional champion, already mentioned,
Tilden faces Vincent Richards. the
Southampton winner. and one OF the SEN
satlons OF the late season, Garland
plays Watson VI. Washburn, and Wal
lace +. Johnson, last years semi-fnalist.
meets Roland Roberts, the national clay
court champion.
Two unfortunate defaults marred an
otherwise perfect day. One was regis
tered against Frederick B. Alexander,
the veteran lnternationalist and doubles
champion who was 20 have taken the
court in the first OF the feature matches
Of the day against Clarence J. Griffin
OF California. Arriving q little late,
Alexander was chided by several MEM
bers Of the tennis committee for his
tardlness, and he resented the remarks,
declaring finally that IL the committee
cared to they could so right ahead and
default him. A heated, wordy tilt fol-
lowed at the conclusion Of which the de-
fault Of the veteran was posted off,
cially. A little later came another de-
fault against Dean Mathey who had
been bracketed with Wallace +. john
son OF Philadelphia for q third round
match. Mathey was three-quarters OF
an hour late in getting to the grounds.
He had missed his train and had failed
to phone the club Of the delay. In the
meantime johnson was out on the court
for more than half an hour waiting in
vain for Mathey to appear. After n
consultation the committee decided to
chalk up default. Mathey arrived ten
minutes, later. but the default was
allowed to stand.
The large gallery In the meantime
was waiting impatiently for the sche-
duled matches to go on, and was at a
loss to understand the delay. In order
to appease the throng. the match be-
tween William I. Tllden and Samuel
Hardy was put on about two hours
= ahead Of scheduled time.
1t remained for williams to furnish
the most spectacular tennis Of the day.
Apparently the former national cham
pion has found himself. and II his
showing against Davis Is any criterion
he will be hard to beat this afternoon.
Davis ran into an early lead IN the
opening set, scoring frequent service
aces and blocking we'll at the net. One
break through Wllliams's service was
enough to give the Californian an adj
vantage OF 5--2. Then Williams began
coming, but ho was Just bit too late
to save the set, although he came within
"a point Of making the score all.
outpIaced and Outsuessed.
Davis's service continued to stand him
N good stead in the second set, and
again he held small lead up to "a
Williams, however. was outplacinK and
outguesSing him In the rallies, mixing q
short return with a long one and fore
Ing the coast star out OF position with
sharp angled returns that compelled him
to race far out Of court. Davis was
kept running nearly twice as much as
his opponent, and the effort began to
tell on him, for he slowed down late In
the second set, and Williams, placing
beautifully, took the last three games
for the set at ~. Davis was strangely
lacking In speed and showed only oc-
casional flashes OF the dynamic, force
ful tennis that marked his play with
Roland Roberts In the national doubles