The New York herald., 1921-02-27
.NINETY-0NESTART
PLAY FOR LOCAL
TITLE AT TENNIS
Vincent Richards and T. t.
Hunter Among Winners
in ArmOry.
CONTENDERS GROUPED
Gerald Emerson, Percy Kynas-
ton, Herbert Bowman and
Others Advance.
CONTENDERS GROUPED
By SAMUEL j. BROOKMAN.

BY SAMUEL j. BROOKMAN,
Not few of those who will play for
the national indoor tennis champion
ship next month made their appear
ance on the asphalt courts of the
Eighth Coast Defence on Kingsbridge
road yesterday for the opening rounds
Of the first metropolitan indoor title
tournament. 1t was the first oppor-
tunity local racquet wielders have had
of tuning up" event shortly before
a national championship, and more
than fourscore Of them took advan-
tage Of 1t. To the majority the chance
Of playing on we'll lighted courts was
inducement enough; to the more pro-
ficient there was the additional in
centive of playing for a title at the
same time.
A glance at the draw OF ninety-one
names showed Vincent Richards Francis
r. Hunter, Frederick c. Anderson and
Percy L. Kynaston as the top ranking
players in the tourney. and as luck
would have it all of them are grouped
in one small section OF the list. Having
held the national indoor championship
and been runner up on two other oc-
caslons, youthful Vincent Richards has
been installed the logical favorite. The
junior titleholder. however, has not been
sweeping all before him on the indoor
courts this season Only a week ago
he fell a victim to the superior speed
and accurate driving Of Frederick c.
Anderson in a dual meet at the Seventh
Regiment Armory, and he has been
forced into extra sets on other occasions.
Rfchards's Game Lacks Speed.
He scored easily enough yesterti ay
over William H. Ruxton in the first
round of the tournament. Go, 6-1, but
there were surprisingly large number
OF deuce games and Richards's game
throughout lacked speed and aggressive-
ness. He will have TO show better tennis
to-day when he meets Frederick c. An
derson again in the second round. This
match. which is to start at p NJ, will
go a long way toward deciding who the
semi-finalist will be In that particular
section of the draw. Anderson did not
get into action yesterday, having drawn
bye in the first round.
Francis T. Hunter, who stands next
4 TO Richards as the top ranking player in
!, the tournament, also experienced diff
Guilty yesterday in maintaining control
of stroke. He had a world of speed
| driving powerfully and following his
drive TO the net at every opportunity,
but he slumped badly in the second set
Of his match with Merritt Cutler and
| dropped six out OF seven games and the
set. Fortunately he steadied down in
/ time In the third set 20 win at 6-3. In
| a match that followed Hunter took two
love sets from e II. Merle. but it was
not so much his effective playing as his
| opponents weakness that enabled him
to score without the loss of a game.
| Among others who attracted attention
| during the afternoon were Herbert L.
| Bowman, who triumphed easily over l.
/ a. Evans, Percy L. Kynaston. the Mas
sau and Queens county champion Ed
ward Oelsner and Gerald y. Emerson.
| The last named won two matches de-
| feating G. n. Names in the first by
| 60. Ga, and G. A. Brown in the sec
| ond after hard tussle. 6--3. 2-6, 6-4
Edgar t Appleby. who made a good
showing recently in the national anna
teur billiard championship. played good
/ tennis against II. A. Christie, but the
| latter was too experienced for him.
With a dozen courts in use more than
half OF the field had been eliminated
when play terminated for the day All
/ matches left TO bc played In the first
and second rounds are TO be disposed Of
| to-day.
The summary.
! Metropolitan Indoor Tennis Championship
| Sfngles-First round-Gerald u. Emerson de-
| feated G. IT. Names. 60 6-3; c. A Brown
defeated Fred Damrau, 90, G-3; siEmund
/ Spaeth won from VI. r. Macksond by de-
/ fault; w. VI. Fischer won from F. ID.
/ Powers by default: Abraham Dassford. Jr..
defeated s r. Palmer o., 60; J. n.
default: w. Il. Hadseii defeated George
Garbe. 6-1, 1-G. O. stephen V. Brubans
/ Shsffer defeated r. r. Roberts. -. G-4;
/ H. A. Christie defeated Edgar Appleby.
/ g., G-3; Valentine y. Havens defeated A.
L. Won Bernuth Ga. G--3: Percy L. Kynas-
I T. Mcwatty won from l.. @. French by de-
\ fault; 9. Baker defeated J. p. Leary, e-4.
| I-5; y. II. Merle won from p. s. McHugh
i by default. Francis T. Hunter defeated Mer-
| rift Cutler. 6-i, 1-6. Ga Herbert L. Bow
/ man defeated L. A. Evans 6-1, Go; Ben
| Letson won from II. J. French. Jr.. by de-
/ 81. Ia. ~; r. J. sommer defeated s. Il.
Davenport Jr.. rs. G-3: Vincent Richards
defeated william II Ruxton. Go, 81.
Second Round-J. Nikonow defeated Roland
| feated II. r. Nelll. 81 Go: George g.
/ Groesbeck defeated r. =. Fallon. 60. Al
/ Walter J. Toussaint defeated G. u. Stewart,
| CO. 8-2 Charles Blauvelt won from Fred
/ feated J. u. Keyes, Go. 2-6 Sc: II. V.
/ Lake defeated George X. Churchill, e-S.
/ G-1 Cosmos Farquhar defeated n. r. SIN
feated c. 4. Brown, Ga. 20. Cd: Francis
I r. Hunter defeated T.. n. Merle. 60. 90
~ Greer defeated ". A. Levy, TO. 6-4:
default: Charles A. Anderson defeated X
w. Lynn, 81. -; Fred Letson defeated
s. Cohn. i3-i1. O..