New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-09-20

match ever played in the forty years
lust forty-two minutes after Al Glib
NV. the umpire, had called play" Til
aen was shaking hands with his beaten
opponent. The greatest crowd that
could possibly jam it's way into the
sands and obtain standing room any
xhere within sight of the center court
xss on hand to watch the sensational
victory Of the champion and the stun
ming defeat of the challenger.
The match was over Sc quickly that
Il was difficult to realize the veteran
Iahnson's hopes had been wiped out
almost before he had had an oppor-
unity to work well into his game.
Those who sat in these same stands on
saturday, before the rain forced a post
uonemens Of the struggle with the
Games in the first set standing at Sail,
we're prepared to see johnson hold his
tsll opponent fairly even this after
uoon. though none of them. | believe,
,rpected to see the chop-stroke master
AXE the title away from Tilden-
Starts at dazzling race
J,drs, then. of the feeling of amaze
ment that ran through the thousands
in the seats when Tilden started off at
whiriwind pace in the opening game,
attacking so fiereely as TO put Johnson
hack on mis- heels shake the latters
confidence and batter down his defense.
The champions game was so over
vhelming in the first set, so hope
sss thing to contend against, that it
did not seem possible he could main
tain it fer more than a brief period.
In truth, that opening set marked the
supreme height of Tllden's tennis to-
day. / have not seen him this season
20 brilliant of stroke or footwork. Ten
minutes and few seconds were all
that were required to rush through
those seven games. The second set
lasted bit over eighteen minutes and
the third triae over twelve.
Johnson himself appeared as amazed
as any one who sat safely out of the
zone of Tilden's fire. The challenger
anpareutlv believed that his opponent
rad merely struck one of those rare
fights OF super-tennis that come but
seldom to a player, and that are swiftly
over, and that as soon as the champion
mad come to earth again there would
be plenty of time TO retrieve some OF
the lost ground and start winning
rally.
Championship play holds no terrors
for Johnson, nor does the reputation
81 an opponent enter into his calcula-
tons. He has probably met and played
nmany leaders of the game in the last
dstsen years as any man now IN pig
faurnament competition | mention
these details merely to indicate that
Jainson is not the man TO become
auStered and disheartened should mat
tsrs break against him in match.
Waits for Foe to Weaken
ALI through the first set and for at
least the first six or seven games OF the
second, the master of the tricky chop
stroke continued to play with unruffled
demeanor, evidently waiting for the
first signs of q weakening or a let
down in Tilden's attack. Nothing like
that happened. 1t is true that the
champion did not speed along at such
an irresistible clip in the second set
as he had in the opener, except when
the whim seized him, or he fancied 1t
expedient to do So
Johnson had settled down quietly to
cut into his rivals early lead and he
was playing good tennis, taking the
hrst, the fifth and the seventh games,
all on his own service; but Tllden was
literally playing ''cat and mouse" with
his challenger, rising to unapproach-
able heights of tennis, just when John
son seemed to have found a foothold
from which to make his fight.
After the eighth game Johnson APP
parently began to realize that there
was nothing ahead for him but swift
and complete defeat. You could read
$Lok L. To-. IN he loH
manner in which he watched some Of
his opponents placed shots streak
through the court for clean aces.
The third set found Tilden speeding
Up again, almost at the same furious
pace that had crushed his opponent in
the first, and Johnson had little to offer
in defense. He succeeded in winning
the fourth game on his own service,
when Tilden made five successive
nets" but that was the sum and total
Of his success, Tilden sweeping the
last opposition to one side in the last
sEo games.
Match Finishes Swiftly
Johnson held the lead at 3040 in the
last game, with Tilden serving. Two OF
these points came as the result OF
brilliant chops to forecourt as Tilden
lowered near his baseline and the third
was contribution from the champion,
who threw the point after linesman
had rendered what looked like poor
decision in Tildens favor.
Then came the swift ending TO the
match. Twice Tilden drove with the
speed of bullet through his rivals
court, as Johnson tried to cut the ball
of from close to the net. The cham
plon timed these shots wonderfully
well, outguessing Johnson, who is noted
Tor his keen sense of anticipation OF
an opponents next move. The final
point came as the climax to a brief
rally from the center court, with Tilden
ripping forehand driving vclley with
IN two inches of the sideline as John
son made desperate lungs to inter-
cept the ball.
Taking the story told by the re-
capltulation of strokes, we find the as
sonishing totals of twenty weight place
ments for Tilden against Johnson's
tnree, and five service aces by the
champion, compared TO the lone one by
the challenger.
those figures are about an accurate
gauge of the playing ability of the two
ahaiisss as they performed this after
noon. On errors there was only q