The New York herald., 1921-09-10
FAYORITES TRIUMPH
IN NATIONAL TENNIS
Opening of Championship Sin
giles Tourney Leaves Real
Thrills to Come.
JOHNSTON HARD PRESSED
Plays No Harder Than He Has
to Against Kelleher at
Germantown.
JOHNSTON sHARD PRESSED
BY SAMUEL ). BRooKMAN.

singles are 10 come, ana Wnen tney 90
will make this years title event one
Of the most interesting in lawn tennis
history. They were not SO plentiful.
however, on the opening day OF the
championship on the turf courts OF the
Germantown Cricket Club this after
noon because the favorites-all Of
them-met comparatively little opposi-
tion in their initial matches and won
as easily as they pleased.
william r. Tilden I'd, William NJ.
Johnston, r. Norris Williams I'd, Wat
son M. Washburn, Wallace F. john
son. Zenzo Shimidzu and Robert and
Howard Kinsel, all came through with
out having to call on anything like
their best tennis. With severe tests
Just ahead most of them were con-
tent to conserve their energies.
In William M. Johnston's case the
score OF Ga, Ga. Ga Is deceptive. IT
indicates a rather difficult task on the
Californian's hands in every set Of his
match with Hugh G. M. Kelleher OF New
York. yet Johnston was just as sure OF
Ills NlClOly a. SNSiJ StdeO 80 VeAc
who triumphed over Irving c. Wright of
Boston by the one sided score Of 60,
60. 6--1. Johnston dubbed along in
every set. playing just as hard as he had
to to keep a slight lead or within hailing
distance. Then with the score ALL. 1t
was astonishing to see how quickly he
could gather himself and what superb
tennis he could play to win the next
two games and the set.
Kellcher I'm Fine Form.
Kelleher played some mighty impress
sive tennis, and 1t Is probable that john
ston could not have saved many more
games than he did had he extended
himself from start to finish. but there
was no questioning the marked superior
ity of the internationalist's game when
ever he elected to fash his best. Cold
figures. however. show that Johnston. in
match that was decidedly interesting II
not thrilling. scored only nine more
points than his opponents to 25 In the
first set, 80 to 81 in the second, and 81
to 80 In the third.
What pleased was the abundance OF
net play, at which Kelleher held his own
Once in the second set Kelleher had a
lead OF 4--3; again in the third he led
3-2: yet on each occasion Johnston
looked the winner.
They broke through one another's
service several times in the first set.
Johnston losing his three times and Kel-
leher four times. This alone indicates
that Johnston was following service to
the net or forcing matters, and at the
same time shows that whenever the occa-
sion demanded he could come right back
and retaliate by breaking through SER
vice.
Tilden breezed through his match with
Wright In manner surprising even for
a worlds champion. He won seventeen
games in a row from his veteran oppo-
nent. who year ago reached the round
before the semi-finaI in the national
championship. Wright was sadly of
stroke and rarely forced Tilden to his
best speed. He drove return after re-
turn out OF court, and was caught out
Of position repeatedly.
Wright Has a Relapse.
The best he could do was to force four
of Tilden's eighteen winning games to
deuce. and even then 1t was due largely
10 the champions temporary lack of con-
centration. In view of the fact that he
defeated Marshall Allen, Carl Fischer,
Gerald B. Emerson and Ralph H. Bur-
dick at Forest Hills last season Wright's
showing was astonishingly weak.
The other two members OF the Amerf-
can Davis cup team. Watson M. WASH
burn and r. Norris Williams I'd.
Yielded few games. Washburn dropped
only four Of twenty-five to Alex d.
'Thayer and Williams only three out Of
twenty-one to Sydney Thayer. Wallace
Johnson had little more trouble with
Fred M. Mercur. a youthful budding
star of Harrisburg, Pa, who improved
as the match went along, and on the
whole made a splendid showing against
the Philadelphia chop stroke specialist
and former intcrnationalist. The score
was 6--1. 6-3. Cd.
Vincent Richards. the national junior
and national doubles champion, dropped
set to Edward T. Herndon Of Prince
ton. but not until after he had won
two easy sets and could AFFORD to
slacken his pace. Zenzo Shimidzu. re-
garded as the strongest OF the foreign
aspirants to the title. was far too
strong for Arthur c. Nielsen, whom he
disposed of with the loss of Just one
game in each set. The Kinseys of the
Pacific coast, Robert and Howard, also
found little resistance.
Youngster Creates Sensation.
There was one more or less start
ling upset-Norman Peach Of the Aus
tralasian Davis cup suffering straight
set defeat at the hands of William w.
Ingraham, the Rhode Island Junior
champion. The score was Ga. 6--1. Ga.
Without detracting In the least from a
really splendid performance on the
part OF the youngster. II may be said
for the Australasian that he scarcely
was In condition to do himself justice.
lie had not quite recovered from an at
tack OF ptonaine poisoning on Tues
day and his play clearly lacked the ag-
grcssiveness and the speed that have
marked his game. Skill alone could not
prevail against the hard hitting. net
forcing tactics Of Ingraham, who APP
parently is soon to take his place
among the top ranking players in the
country.
The other three Australians, Clarence
v. Todd. John o. Anderson and John
y. Hawkes., won their matches impress
sively OF the trio Anderson alone was
compelled to yield set but this was
not surprising, as he had n capable op-
ponont In Lawrence n. Rice of Boston.
Anderson's victory was scored on the
grand stand area. He showed a splen-
did forehand forcing shot and some
crisp. decisive volleying. but not until
the Bostonian had taken n set at 6--f.
IL took the Antipodean n long time TO
get into stride. but once he had found
himself his tennis proved easily SUI
perior to that of his opponent.
Y. Gordon Lowe OF England advanced