New-York tribune., 1922-02-21
Coward Defeats
Hyde i'm Great
Squash Battle
Champion Worn Down by
Harvard Star After Most
Sensational Struggle
By lack Masters

bnstering down tho defense Of the
greatest amateur champion the pane
has ever known, Thomas +. Coward. of
the Yale Club. won the national squash
tennis championship from Fillmore
Van 5. Hyde Of tho Harvard Club. in
q i've game match that sent tho "dope"
of the exports skyward with bang.
where it exploded to tho four winds
The score, which gives little Indication
of the struggle wagod on the Harva I'd
court, was 10 I5, I5-4, 1913,
15--12, IL 16.
The veteran champion entered the
boT-like court to favorito, but
'h' tcrfiHc speed and fighting spirit of
the Bulldog conquered the slender
NlnmsDn star, in spite Of the fact that
the present day squash players. Cow
ard 8 smashing shots stra ght up and
Gown the court won the title
Hyde was brilliant even in defeat.
His sensational gets, his ability to
come from behind and his cool, delib-
crate play when under fire won for
him volumes of applause. Although
Coward gave the best performance Of
his carccT, he was by no means the
more skillful player. Hyde was act
ually worn down by the long match.
in which the younger player forced
tho fight practically every moment.
Coward's Sensational Rise
Coward's sensational rise to the
heights is without precedent in the
history Of the sport. This is only his
second season in tournament competi-
tion. Last year he won the Glass 3
national mpionship, and this sea
son ne made clean sweep Of the three
important tournaments He won the
annual fall meet and the winter scratch
sor with the coveted national cham
pionship.
Coward is the second Yale graduate
to win the crown, and he and A. J. Cor
der, his clubmate, are the only two
men who have interrupted the monop-
oily which the Harvard Club established
when Alfred Stillman I'd won the first
tournament. George Whitney, Eric
Winston Hyde and Apple followed in
successive years. until Corder defeat
ed Appel. Hyde came back last season
and took the championship from Cor
dier.
The first game was rather easy vic
tory for Hyde, who played steadily,
while Coward was erratic, to say the
least. Coward vas thoroughly warmed
up to his task in the second and made
a runaway affair Of it. Hyde's timing
was bad and he made numerous errors
The champion was lucky TO win the
third. Coward outplayed him up until
within two points of victory. when the
Yale stars own errors beat him. Cow
ard had Hyde 1910 and weakened. the
champion making 1t 13- all for an cx-
traset game of FIVE points. Then Cow
ard rallied and had Hyde 3-love, and
with only two points TO win "blew up"
and Hyde made five straight points.
Best Game of Season
With the score two games TO one
against him and in the face of his poor
exhibition in the previous contest
Coward went into the fourth game with
a remarkable fighting spirit. and, after
a back and forth struggle in which the
slightest slip would throw the victory
either way, he beat Hyde in q rousing
finish.
The final game was easily the best
played on a local court this season.
but it was exceedingly rough on the
nerves. First one, then the other,
would score. until finally Hyde led at
13-l0. At this point it seemed certain
that the champion would retain his
title, but Coward came back and evened
the count at 13 all and again they
started the set game Of five points.
Coward made it love on a beauti-
full placement, but Hyde tied it a mo-
ment later on fast lot shot around
the court. In his next hand Coward
Tailed again, and with the tide turned
in his favor the Yale man held Hyde
10 two more points, while he won the
necessary three points and the cham
pionship.
The point score and stroke analysis
follow: