New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-24


60, 6-1, 2-6, Go, this afterne
Rhode Island State championship to
Agawam Hunt Club.
The plain unvarnished words, telling
Of Tilden's sensational defeat, within
few weeks after he had won the
greatest honors of the courts of ST.
Cloud, France, and at Wimbledon, Eng
land, and of young Richards's amazingly
one-sided victory to-day, are sufficient
to stun the tennis world. But when
tell you that Richards won this after
noon because he outplayed, outlastcd
and out-generaled the greatest figure
on the courts, even then, only those
who were there, watching this fair
haired Stripping Of nineteen as he
numbled the champion, can gain the
full significance of the feat.
Richards took all that Tilden had
and came back imperturbably, magnifi-
Gently, for more. Tlden's terrific,
furious bullet" service, that had
brought about the defeat of William
M. Johnston at Forest Hills last Septem-
Der, was treated with cool confidence
and astonishing skill by Richards. He
either blocked it superbly. off fore
hand or backhand, or returned it in q
high, slow bounding shot that gave the
Yonkers youth a chance to reach the
net and there lie in wait to catch
Tilden's return and smother it off
with brilliant vol'ey
Fine Gener.tsl,ip by Richards
To me it seemed that the real secret
of Richards's success to-day Law in TIE
fact that he played majority of his
returns to the center court, about two
thirds of the distance between net and
base line. This made it impossible for
Iilden to bring off his usual slashing
low drives or to get the acute angles on
his shots that have so often . raised
havoc with the champions opponents.
And Tilder simply could not meet
Richards's magnificent volleying at
tack. The STRIPPING was here, there,
everywhere, on the court, his backhand
an invulnerable bulwark of strength as
Tllden sought to uncover weakness
there. In the last half of the match
the champion put every battling twist
and curve Of which he is master into
his strokes, the ball bounding so low,
at times, that it seemed actually to
skid off the green turf, yet time after
time Richards came racing in to scoop
clear the net, placed with sues
amazing skill that Tilden could not
get into position quickly enough.
A sudden change came over the
struggle at the start Of the third set,
and Richards's final triumph seemed in
doubt for q time. 1t was simply i'm
possible to keep up the pace that he had
maintained in the first two sets. The
boy began to slow up, his shots lost
their sting, and he was no longer able
to reach into the volleying position
with the remarkable speed that he had
shown at first.
The tall, gaunt Tilden, whose nerves
had been worn to frazzled edge by
his experiences in the first two sets
and a recently court campaign that
through more than a year of unremit-
ting training, was quick to sense this
weakening on Richards's part.
The youngster won the first game
on his own service, and then a furious
struggle followed in the second before
Tilden made it 1--all, after the points
had reached deuce FIVE times. Tilden
took the third game, breaking through
service. Thlee superb placement aces,
the last on tremendous forehand
drive across deep court, and then
double fault by Richards, accounted
for this game.
1Nueu commence Returns
Tilden's confidence was returning
now. Noting how wearied his slender
rival was the champion forced Rich
ARDS to cover tremendous amount of
ground as he raked every portion of
WINES" court. Richards managed to
get the seventh game, but then TiIden
won We the eighth, for the set at CO.
The last point here was q mastery lob
by the champion, after he had iured
Richards close to the net with little
trap-shot into forecourt. The Yonkers
BOY could Just get his racquet on the
ball, but his attempted smash ouly
landed the ball dismally in the net.
Many believed at this stage that Til
den, having regained his confidence.
would reel off the last two sets and
leave the court victor But nothing
OF the kind happened Richards came
forth from the clubhouse with the
same air of imperturbable poise that
had been his in the first half of the
match
For the first three or four minutes
of this set Tilden was keen. alert and
quietly determined. He still seemed
confident Of his ability to pull the
match out. But as Richards started to
reel Off point after point, game after
game, racing to the net again with his
early speed and deadly volleying that
ssmothered all returns, the champion
faded rapidly. It was plain that his
nerves were at the breaking point
once he requested the umpire to ash
the gallery to withhold their applause
uhtli the point was won or lost, and
continually he was fretting at his in
ability to bring off his shots. -
Richards Realizes Chance
For the first time in the match tho
1lcker Of smile passed over Rich
ards,s face, as though he realized he
vas but step removed from the great
est victory he had ever won. Tilden
vas striking contrast; his hapoard
ace and the haunted look in his ewes |
-oretold the end, ana it came swiftlv |
II III the sixth game, on Tilden's service. |
Inc hrst point was the champions. |
1lth dazzling cross-court voliey Of |
Nlchards's return of service. Then fol- |
owes, two netted returns by Tilden, an |
cut, roI by Richards, another "netn bv
lilden, and finally, after a brief. me,
,eorlc rally, Richards sent backhand |
rive whlstllng past Tilden and down
ne side line for a clean ace. 1t was
Iii over. vas
Mrs. Marion Zinderstein Jessup and
irs. Edith Sigourney won the women's
ioubles by defeating Miss Leslie Ran
.roft and Miss Florence Balm. at 81
-, in the final round. The mems
1oubies was won by Williams and
y ashburn from Ichiya Kumagae and
OIL X L..