The Washington herald., 1921-08-13
Wiry Little Californian
Wins in Straight Sets
Loser Outclassed in First and Last Set but
Shows Flashes of Former Greatness in i
t. Second When Little Bill" is Forced.
BY ARTHUR ROBINSON.

Dripping wet Little Bill" Johns
ton of California, weighs approxi-
mafely 126 pounds. Bone dry ana
air cooled. his. 1.-THE. wiry little
hulk houses exactly 120 pounds.
He lis small. as men go. but today.
in the final round of the annual
Invitation tournament of the Sea-
bright Lawn Tennis and Cricket
Club the sun beat down on his
back and he threw of the dark,
awssome shadow of a giant.
On the court he played with all
the power of a giant, possessed or
great speed and tremendous force
and overwhelming Richard Norris
Williams, twice holder Of the ma
tional championship, in three
straight sets at 60. 81. 6-2-
Thus johnson becomes the holder
of the Seabright bowl. Last year
Watson NJ. washburn won it, This
year he elected not TO play. In 1913
williams won his third leg on the
famous Achilles Cup, a trophy
which had survived since 1901 the
onslaughts of great players who
sought to win permanent possess
sion of the historical trophy.
Form seldom Lies O..
So a new prize came into being
and today the California stalwart
asserted his right to il.
Johnston Is No. on the national
ranking list. williams is No j.
They played true to form today IL
is an axiom of sport that form sell
dom lies. 1t was truthful today and
the little Californian Joined the
ranks of those who have won the
annual tournament here since it's in
ccption twenty years ago. Some OF
these players, now inactive, Wit
messed Johnston's triumph today and
among them were William a.
I.atned, William ]. Clothicr, Hol-
conbe Ward. Robert WreRn, Harold
Hackett and George Adee. all hold
ers Of national championships in the
past
At FIVE minutes after three John
ston and williams INDUCED in a
varm-up. The members of the
committee, charged with selecting
the team which is to defend the
Davis Cup at Forest Hills early next
month, served as linesmen, and Ed
Conlin. veteran umpire Of important
tennis matches, took the umpire's
chair.
iwiIuim. Uncertain at start.
williams won the toss and began
the service in the far side of the
court with the blazing sun at his
back He seemed a bit uncertain at
the start and lost the first two
games by making a succession of
nets and outs and a double fault
He scored only one point in the
third game and this was on a net
by Johnston He lost the reXt
game, the fourth straight, and then
changed his racket But even now
he continued his erratic fight. and
he dropped the next two'games and
the set
He started the second set still
unsteady and lost on his own serv-
ice Here he shook himself loose OF
his losing streak of seven straight
games and broke through John
ston's service.
Now he won three in a row and IL
appeared that he had found himself
Then Johnston got going and after
a session of spectacular rallies the
Californian brought the score to
three all.
Williams Again ErratIc.
They were playing tennis now
The duels at the net were swift
and sensational and presently John
ston forged into the lead again and
held it, winning the set at g.,
without the loss of a point in the
tenth game
Williams once more started the
service in the third set and as in
the first set he embarked upon an
erratIc flight. One moment he
would make a shot which was the
acme of brilliancy. the next and
more frequently he would fubsan
easy one.
Thus the manner of his play in
the first three games which he lost.
In the fourth game. which went
20 deuce several times, he emerged
from the throes of uncertainty and
IN the fifth game he scored three
tremendous service aces and finally
won II after Johnston had twice
made II deuce.
The score was now 81, hui
Johnston won the sixth game with.
out the loss of a point. Here the
little Californian brought his ter
rife forehand drive into play and
shooting sharply through the tiniest
IN " uNACHSCF hS
won the next two games, the set
and the match.
The last point was an out by
Williams. 1t epitomized the kind
Of game he played.
II Ate this afternoon Miss Eleanor
Goss and Mrs. Marion Zindersteih
Jessup defeated Miss Helen Gilleau-
deah and Mrs. Benjamin F. Cole In
the final round of the women's
dou bles. The score was s-3, IS.
Doubles Finals Today.
This morning. just before the
showers. Miss Gilleaudeau and Mrs
Cole defeated Miss Mary Browne
and Mrs. Louis Williams, 6-3, rs.
In her play here Miss Browne has
failed to show the form she dis
played in 1917 whep she proved
herself to be at least the equal of
Mrs Molla B. Mallory. then at her
bes1 in a series of exhibition
matches for the Red Cross.
Tomorrow Mrs. Mallory will meet
Miss Goss in the final round Of the
wornen's singles, and Williams and
Wathburn will play Vincent Rich
ardf and Howard voshelI in the
hnal of the mems doubles. Rich