New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-03
Worlds Champion Rallies
after Losing First 1avo Sets
Tilden, Facing Defeat, Stages Remarkable Come.
Back in Davis Cup Match With Japanese Player:
Williams and Washburn i'm Doubles To-dav
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II ,he tide of battle appeared 20 set
ssssrnprly in favor of the Japanese.
prt when they came out for the
9Th set, after seme fifteen minutes
,s = S.ssnite from the furious expenditure
= = snsrry in the first three, it was Til
~ vho seemed the freshcr and the
oss eager to renew the struggle.
asssv .he games had reached 3--all. the
shsmuion ran wild against his plucky
little opponent and won the last three
~,,ss with the loss of only three
ssasnfs. 1t was unbeatable tennis he
.sss pIsying at this stage, and Shimidzu
wss we'll nigh helpless before the on
slaught.
+ think the Japanese, in the middle
- tho fourth set, realized for the first
s;rss that the victory which had so
nearIy been his was finally to go to his
tail foeman. 1t must have been dis
caurag;ng moment to Shimidzu when
ne thought first struck him, but you
ean.d not wipe cut that flashing little
smile that st times illumined his dark
PASTURES by the mere fact that he was
a. he defeated by the player rated as
the worlds greatest, yet whom he had
no nearly conquered
lust before the finish OF the fourth
set Shimidzu was beset by a cramp in
the muscles Of his left leg. He bent
down quickly and rubbed the drawn
tendon in his calf, and then, when
Tilden had won and squared the match,
his slender opponent stopped beside
Tmpire Conlin's chair and tried to
rub the muscles back into their normal
state. This proved unavailing, how
ever. and while the dripping Tilden
was dousing his head with ice water
and enjoying the luxury of a cold
towel rubbed over his streaming face,
Kumagae and half dozen other Jap
anese friends Of Shimidzu hustled
around and rendered first aid to the
injured.
After q delay of about FIVE minutes
Shimidzu, having changed his shoes
and received what help was possible
In the brief breathing period, walked
cut on the court again to take up the
racking struggle, while the great
crowd, generous to foreign rival,
gave him q resounding tribute as ne
took his place and waited for Tilden's
service.
Last Set Rout
This last set was rout, Tiiden over
whelming his rival at every stage. The
Japanese was able to win only the sec
ond game on his own service, the
American winning the first with two
dazzling placement aces, once with a
LON volley across fore-court, once with
. soft chop vciiey that lifted the ball
barely over the net as Shimidzu was
anchored near the base line, and the
last two on two ferocious service aces
that Shimidzu could do nothing with
The last game went to Tilden at
'love." Shimidzu's first return of serv-
ice was diven out of cout. On the
nsxt two points Tilden KILLED" with
furious smashes of weak returns of
service, and the final point came with
dranatic suddenness, the tall cham
poa crashing over one of his famous
BULLET" services. The ball sped into
court with such swiftness that Shin
idzu never even got his racquet into
position to block it,, and the next mo-
ment filden was running in toward the
net right hand extended toward his
beaten rival, and smile Of happiness
and great relief on his face.
Shimldzu, weary, defeated, was still
ssie to smile in acknowledgment of
as opponents hard-won victory, and,
With never-failing Oriental politeness,
ns llfted the Panama hat that he had
worn all through the match, as he shook
hands with Tilden across the net.
Tilden Starts Too Easily
Such were the surface appearances
OF the match, but when we take up the
analysis it is easy to see why Tilden
was forced to FIVE sets by a man who
was twice defeated handily by S. How
ard Voshell and by Norris Williams. 1t
IS true, certainly, that Shimidzu played
better tennis yesterday than in any
match he has had in this country, but,
even SO, had Tilden began at full
Need at the start of the contest in
stead OF taking matters easily, had he
forced the net position, instead Of
sucking TO backcourt, he might have
won in straight sets, surely in four
Snimldzu was going SO unerringly in
the first half of the match, keeping
Iilden on mad chase after line-cut-
ting shots, that l do not believe any
player in the world could have defeated
fim by remaining in the back of the
court. Tilden was no weakling at this
style Of play; far from it; but how
could any man hope to win against the
macnine-hke accuracy of little Shimid-
zu's play?
NO matter how furiously the Ameri-
can sent his low drives booming
through the court, or how crafty he
changed pace and sent soft, fast-drop-
ping returns just over the net, Shi-
mlczu fitted around his court like
wrath, getting his racquet on almost
every ball and generally keeping it in
play he stood we'll back of the base
me when receiving Tilden's murderous
service and Hoped the ball back in an
astonishing manner. He seemed too
iran TO Withstand the shock of the i'm
pact with that dreaded bullet" deliv-
cry but he did it. and so skilfully that
u was TlIden's place to be worried and
oeset and i'll at ease.
Brilliant p ssing Shots
1t was Tilden who started the serv-
zee ana ne ran off the first three games
= a. ter long driving rallies from the base
nnes. Shimidzu then squared matters
AZ sail as he began TO hit the lines
WIN his rather awkwardly executed
.ofenand drives, but Tilden made it
%. and then Shimidzu, playing with
wonderful accuracy and by remarkable
court covering, reeled off the next four
games, three of them at "love," giving
MN the set at rs and first blood in
the match.
Iilden had been driving back of the
psse line frequently and otherwise
showing signs of unsteadiness, yet he