Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-09-19
Tennis STRUGGLE
WILL Be RENEWED
Johnson and TiIden Meet In
Entirely New Contest This
Afternoon
TOURNEY MAKES BIG HIT

The American tennis crown, which
rests on the brow Of our Will Tilden.
was knocked lopsided Saturday after :.
noon by the cunning chop strokes OF
Wallace +. johnson, but today Big
Bill Is likely to straighten and pad
lock II to his noble dome.
A heavy shower cheated Johnson out
Of a chance to grab the laurels, title
and everything else that goes with a
championship on Saturday in the hnal
round of the national play. The Gym
wyd athlete will have another oppor-
tunity to dethrone cur Will this after
noon at 4 o'clock, but II the sun
shines on the green turf OF the Ger
mantown Cricket Club, IL will dim
Wally's chances of attaining his de-
cade old ambition. None of the games
played Saturday will count today.
The weather was made for johnson
on Saturday. His famous chop stroke,
which even on a hard turf allows the
ball to bounce only a foot or so, was
made doubly dangerous and dithcuit 10
handle by the soggy ground ana treach-
erous footing on Saturday.
Sixteen games were played in the
first set and the 10000 spectators, who
braved pneumonia to watch the Phila-
delphians struggle for the heights, will
never forget the memorable setto. The
sixteen games were evenly divided, but
Il was only masterful tennis on the
part Of Tilden that prevented his de-
feat in the opening set.
johnson was at one time only one
point away from q set win. Ihat
was In the sixteenth game when he led
at 81 on games and 40 10 on games.
He was serving, but Tilden forced IT
60 nI Rna
saved the set on one Of johnson outs.
The rain soaked ball took the sting
cut Of Tilden's service and the Cynwyd
representative had little trouble solv-
ing IL. In one game only did Tuden
rise to the heights usually attained bJ
him. In that game, he scored two serv-
ice aces. johnson. on the other hand.
gnined three service aces. Then, too,
Tilden was guilty Of three double faults
which is considered quite serious. John
SON had two.
In the sixteen games 90 points were
scored and johnson had the majority
with 81, but games not points are the
only things that matter in the hnal
accounting.
Tilden started the serving and the
game went to deuce before the champ
lon could put over a victory. The first
four games were divided, each winning
on his own service. In the fifth canto,
however, Wally showed his steel by
breaking through and taking the lead
at 3-2. Tilden came right back and won
while johnson was delivering and again
II was all even.
There was an equal division Of games
from then on until the fifteenth, when
once again Johnson shot to the front
when Big Bill was serving. At this
point IL started to rain hard and Tilden
began real fight to even the set before
the match was called. johnson had him
almost beaten, but the king of them all
arose to the occasion and forced the
kame to deuce. winning a few seconds
later on an out.
Here Referee AL Gibney. Of New
York, called halt and the players and
officials beat it for the press box. The
They took a good look at the low hang
ing black clouds and then they started
to stream out Of the grounds. A few re-
mained at the clubhouse hoping the
skies would clear, but az the seconds
wore on II was apparent that the match
would be postponed until today.
The postponement is looked upon by
many as an ill-omen for Tilden. Two
years ago, when he reached the final
round of the nationals against Bill
Johnston the match was postponed by
rain for two days. This layoff, they
claim, caused big Bills defeat, as II
threw him out Of condition.
IL was announced that the stubs
Of checks for Saturdays match would
be honored today, but this was not
necessary. for every one took il for
granted.