The New York herald., 1921-09-19
TENNIS CHAMPION
MAY BE EXTENDED
Wallace JOhnsOn's Game Has
Bothered William Tilden
in the Past.
BY SAMUEL J. BROOKMAN.


speciol Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
PHILADELPHIA, Sept 1S.-While tho
abrupt termination of the national ten
mis- championship final yesterday came
as disappointment to thousands who
mad braved the inclement weather to
see William T. Tilden and Wallace l..
Johnson play, two things were gained by
the postponement. One was the knowl-
edge that the challenger is prepared to
give the champion a much harder tus-
sic than had generally been anticipated,
and the other was the assurance that
with more favorable weather tomorrow
the attendance would be larger by sew
eral thousands than 1t was yesterday.
interest has been refreshed by the
splendid showing Johnson made yester-
day during the sixteen games that were
played before rain flooded the scene, by
the fact that he outplayed Tilden slightly
and that he was twice within a point
of the set before the champion rallied
and brought the score to Sail. OF
course. conditions We're made to order
for the challenger. The heavy turf rem
dered his chop stroke doubly effective,
the ball rising off the ground SO low
and at such tricky angles that Tilden
had difficulty gaugng his strokes aocu-
rately. The soft going also slowed up
the champions court covering and on
several occasions he failed to catch up
with shots that ordinarily would give
him no trouble.
PuxxIing Type of Game.
II Is well to bear In mind. however,
that Johryon crafty veteran that he is
and equipped with a type OF game that
tends to break up an opponents control,
te, tnl s,e diyler hn orr faS
players In the world. Eight years ago
in a national championship final he
carried Maurice Z. Mclaughlin, then at
the height of his career, to the limit of
five sets before yielding the victory. A
year ago in the semi-final of the ma
tional championship at Forest Hills he
forced Tilden to the close score OF
14-12, Cd, Cd, and the winner had
very little to spare in each set
Johnson is probably more familiar
with Tilden's game than any other
player in the country. Both members
of the same club, they have met on the
court an average of twenty-five times
season since Tilden came into promi-
nence. Most of their matches have been
exhibitions. but they have been serious
exhibitions, and while the champion as
G rule has come out on top. his margin
rarely has been decisive. Tilden al
ways has had a high estimate Of the
worth OF Johnson's game. and le has
reiterated again and again that the
chop stroke specialist is hard man
for him to beat
Should the courts be heavy tomorrow
Johnson's chances Of victory will bo
enhanced considerably. but Tilden IS
generally expected to overcome ary
handicap and triumph by clear IL not
decisive mhrgin. He is playing at his
best right now, has plenty of endurance
and speed, while his skill and general
ship still appear to be on the rise. The
champion can thank the national tennis
committee for his present excellent
physical condition. lie was in poor
! shrpe when he returned from England
late in July, yet It was only after in
| sistent pleading on the part of the tennis
| officials that the champion quit tourna-
ment play long enough 70 regain Ills
strength.
An Unusual Feature.
A remarkable feature Of the title tour
| ramenr about to close was the fact tnat
IL FIVE important matches that redr'ir
the limit OF Ave sets. the ultimate wiz
dropped the frs. two sets. IT " trun
In the case of William NJ. jonnston
versus Vincent Richards. of Wallace II.
Johnson versus Watson M. Washburn,
of Willis E. Davis versus Clarence "
Todd, Of Stanley Pearson versus Ma
thaniel w. Niles and Of Francis H. Hun-
ter versus Carl Fischer. One notable
exception was the James o. Anderson
II. Norris Williams match. in which the
Australian won the first two seta
dropped the next two, but won the fifth
There were only two results that could
ha tor .aI C.a ataa Iafn
of Williams at the hands of Anderson
and the other the victory OF Stanley
Pearson OF Philadelphia over Nathaniel
w. Niles of Boston. Many of the scores
In other matches were either surprisingly
one sided or surprisingly close, but the
men favored to win came through.
capacity gallery Tomorrow viii
bring the attendance figures for the
tournament close to 5000. This will
surpass the best previous record for the
event