Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-05-19
WALLACE JOHNSON
SELECTS RICHARDS
cynwyd Star and Young New
Yorker Likely to Team UP for
Tennis Doubles Tourney
FORM STRONG COMBINATION
by SPICK HALL

Unless something unforeseen occurs.
Wallace +. Johnson. the Cynwyd star,
and Vincent Richards, the dashing
young metropolitan expert will play to-
gcthcr in the national lawn tennis dou-
blcs tournament which was awarded to
the Wcstside Tennis Club. Forest Hills,
l.. l., where the all -comers singles
meeting has bccn held since it was taken
from Newport. This team unquestiona-
bly, will be one Of the strongest in
America and there is every reason to be-
licvc that this pair will have an excel
lcnt chance to add the American doubles
title to their long list of lawn tennis
titles.
Johnson and Richards look to be an
ideal combination. Apparently the only
, thing they need to leap into champion
ship form is practice together. and thPv
intend to get this by entering number
of the big Eastern tournaments this
summer. In the meetings in the phila-
drlphia district Johnson will continue
10 have for his partner Stanley w.
Pearson. Germantown Cricket Club.
present amateur squash racquets cham
pion of the United tSatcs. Pearson
md Johnson will nlny together in the
lHlINV'I'UlH tUulllnlOHSHlIlS. WnFn DtplU
on tho courts of the Cynwyd Club next
Wednesday.
Reached Final Round
Although Wallace johnson and Vim
cent Richards have played few times
together informally on the Wanamakcr
roof courts. they have been in only onc
tournament rs doubles team. However.
in spite of their not having PLAYED to-
gothrr before that time. they reached the
| final round in the Newport invitation
tournament in 1910 and made splendid
impression on the big galleries that fol-
owed the matches closely.
In that meeting Johnson and Rich
ards plowed through to the semi finals.
where they met Il. V. Thomas and
Randolph 1.yCett. one of the Australian
teams that competed hero in number
of tournaments. on the occasion of the
last visit of Norman T.. BrookcS to
America. johnson and Richards
trimmed Thomas and Lycett in straight
sets Of ga each. Their superiority
was even more apparent than the Ga
sets would indicate.
When the final round was played.
Brookes and his antipodcan partner
Gerald l.. Patterson. were pushed to
| the limit Of their tennis ability, al
though they managed to win in four
sets. G-1. 6-3. SO. 10. johnson and
Richards didn't get going at all until
the latter part of the second set. but
it was too late to win that However.
the brilliant. sashing drives and
| Smashos made by Richards. plus john
| son : steady. heady game. won the third
set for them and they were within win
ming distance of the fourth set several
times. But the persistence of Brookcs
gave his team the fourth set at 10 and
the match and it was fortunate for the
veteran left handler that he did win that
one. for he and Patterson were visibly
| slipping, while johnson and Richards
were improving momcntarily.
VIII Steady Richards
Johnson is just the player that Rich
ards needs to steady him down. Rich
ards has n tendency to fall down badly
! in his game AT times, but with John
son to back him. he should be able to
overcome this fault completely.
| Richards is n fierce driver and plays
n crashing overhead game. This game
combined with Johnson's fine placing
and his sharp. accurate volleying GER
tainly will make for powerful
offens" and one which is likely to
smother any team at any time.
Johnson, unfortunately. has never
! had u partner Of the needed calibcr.
Pearson is steady, accurate, high
grade player. but his doubles game is n
tritic too soft to enable that team ever
to reach national championship heights
On the other hand Johnson and Rich
ards make almost an ideal combination.
| The change of pace and the vast diff
| ference in their execution of shots will
make johnson and Richards tough
proposition for any team. The oppo-
sition will have to look to Richards
sizzling drives and Johnson's s wicked
deceptive chop strokes and unless a
team is very good, they will find them
selves unable to cope successfully with
this style of play.