The New York herald., 1921-09-20
TLDEN KEEPS HIS
LAWN TENNIS TITLE
Champion Smothers Wallace
johnson With Fury Of
His Attack.
FIVE GAMES FOR LOSER
Winner Rises to Superheights
in Shortest Contest
on Record.
FIVE GAMES FOR LOSER

Special Despatch to TIE New YORK HERALD
PHILADELPHIA. Sept. 19.-An aroused
tennis champion fairly smothered his
challenger in the national title round
at the Germantown Cricket Club to-
day. Playing like a man inspired,
William r. Tilden Cd overwhelmed
Wallace +. Johnson before a gallery
of $4,000. attacking furiously at the
first stroke Of the match and main
tanning so swift pace that his oppo-
nent never had chance to quit the
defensive or to strike anything like
his true game. The score was 6--1.
6--3, 6-1.
1t was more than championship ten
mis- that Tilden flashed before a gath
ering that was too astonished to show
its customary enthusiasm. 1t was
supertennis. At least it was that for
one set and part of another. After
that Tilden could afford to slacken
his efforts and still go breezing along
easily. for Johnson was too dunn
founded at the turn Of events to show
his best.
Some one said just before the match
started thar the champion was never in
better mooc for superlatva effort
that he hal been aroused by the opinion
expressed in some quarters that John
son would have beaten him last Satur-
day had not the contest been interrupted
b. rain. Be that as 1t may, TIE fact re-
mains that Tilden rarely has developed
so much dash and daring so early In a
match as he did against johnson to-day.
His whiriwind aggressiveness right
from the start fairly made the crowd
gasp. His first point was a service
ace, a terrific shot that johnson scarcely
saw as It flew past. his fourth point
was another service ace. and ground
stroke placement followed volley. and
volley followed smash. his boldest ef-
corts going through with remarkable ac-
curaey. 1t was almost incredible that
| Tilden could smother so decisively an
opponent who had held him even in six
teen games played last Saturday.
short and Sweet.
In less than ten minutes the champion
had taken the first set, yielding just ten
| points to his rival, and In forty-tVo
minutes, to be exact, he had completed
| the match--the shortest championship
final on record. So thorough was John
| sons defeat that In the first two sets ne
| failed TO score an earned point. Will,
his total for the match was four--two
| volleys. a service ace and ground
stroke placement, all in the third set.
The champion in the meantime earned
thirty-three OF his points. Ave on servics
aces, Ave on overhead smashes. eight on
yolleyed placements and fifteen on
ground stroke placements. The triumph.
therefore, was every bit as complete as
the score of 6--1. 6--3. 6--1 shows--if
| anything. more 80.
Through It all .TIlden wore a heavy
white sweater II Is customary with h.tn
to remove II after set or SO. but to-day
he was breezing along SO swiftly and
making such short work OF his task tn at
| he never took the trouble TO stop. For
! all OF his lightning fast play, the cham
pion scarcely worked up enough per-
spiration to find the woollen outergar-
ment handicap.
All the superlatlves usually employed
| to describe a game of exceptional merit
could be used TO tell of Tilden's tennis
| In the first set to-day without fear Of
exaggeration. II was never better. with
the possible exception OF the first set N
the title match year ago, when Tilden
amazed Billy Jof nston by taking the set
| in eleven minutes. There wasn't thing
the champion tried that he did not ac-
complish in the first Ave games, and this
despite the fact that he was taking all
sorts OF chances. storning the net IN
nearly every rally. Tiiden vollcyed AMI
smashed with delightful abandon. get-
ting so much sting into his strokes tina,
Johnson. whose getting" Is conparabis
with the Lest. could DO little but watcl,
! the fash OF Tldcn's racquet and then
\ The fash of the ball as 4 sped by on
either side.
sInckens speed n nit.
\ Before ri'den ltcted to ease up a bit
in the first set johnson gathered jest
three points In four games. two ON outs
and one on a net by the tireholder. In
the fifth game Johnson managed 10 force
tho score to deuce. but Tilden. putting
on full speed again. came to the net an5
(youffunrd mn Efffesufh Pane.