New-York tribune., 1921-04-04
Anderson Put
I'm First Rank
AS Tennis Sta1.
Brilliant Victory by Which
He Seized Indoor Title
Gives Him High Standing
BY Fred Hawthorne

The brilliant victory Of Frank T.
Anderson, Of Brooklyn. the new ma
tional indoor champion, at the 7th
Regiment Armory Saturday. when he
defeated his brother Fred in straight
sets, indicates that this youthful
genius of tho courts has arrived among
the leaders of the tennis world.
1t was not the mere fact that Anderson
won the national title but the manner
Of, his doing it that was the notable
feature Of his victory. Burning speed
he had at every moment of the match.
but tho speed was made more deadly of
accomplishment because the new cham
pion also held control.
There were times, Of course. when
ne wavered and showed some erratic
stroking, but it was surprising that he
could maintain sucn furious pace and
still emerge from the match with a
smaller total of errors than his slower
playing opponent, in this case his own
brother.
Shows Control and Gencralship
l do not know of any young players
and few seniors who execute thoir
strokes with the crispness and fnesse
that distinguish Frank Anderson's
shots. 1t was this very excess of
stroke production that kept Fred An
derson ever on tho run. and, in spite
or ms great reach, almost continually
reaching desperately for the ball He
had no time to get set for a return,
brothers shots he was forced to take
the ball at his feet as he came running
III to the net position.
In previous matches Frank has
SHOWN the same great speed and sharp
hittlng, but was generally lacking in
control. particularly at critical stages
OF match, and his court generalship
has not been up to the high standard
OF the rest Of his game.
But on Saturday there was an en-
couraging display of both these last
plon can progress along the lines he is
now following it is going to take the
keenest kind OF tennis by opposing
players to keep Anderson ont Of the
first ten" this year
1t must not be forgotten that Fred
Anderson worked real upset when he
sent Vincent Richards, the former
champion, down to defeat in the semi
final round match. His tennis on that
day was distinctly better than when he
played in the final round match, and in
victory he showed flashes Of tennis
that marked him as vcrging close to
greater things.
Richards's Fall Unexplained
What feeling of satisfaction must
warm the heart of the father of these
boys, the veteran Frederick G. Ander-
son, under whose careful instruction
they. have mounted the ladder Of ten
mis- fame step by sttp! "Old Fred" has
won so many championships and tro-
phies on the courts that he could not
tell you of half of them if he tried. I
doubt, however, il any one Of his own
triumphs ever held the same measure
of satisfaction and realization of work
we'll done for the veteran as the ap-
pearance of his two sons fghting il out
for a national title did on Saturday.
AS for the surprising fall of young
Richards there does not appear to be
my ]ogical. explanation. No one will
deny that the junior national champion
did not play his real game last Friday
and the conditions in the 7th Regiment
Armory are partly to blame for that
But there must be other reasons.
The Fordham Prep. School youth has
not been playing his best game all
winter. Two or three times previous
to his defeat by Fred Anderson on
Richards had met defeat
Fred conquered him once before on the
9TH Regiment courts, and Francis r.
Hunter vanquished him in the indoor
tournament at the Sth
Coast Artillery Armory in March, while
at other times Richards had narrow
escapes from defeat.
Perhaps when he gets on the outdoor
courts the former national indoor title
holder will come along as his previous
record has led Us to expect he should.
The only definite thing to be said
that it is almost Is below his best.