The New York herald., 1922-12-05
CHAMPION CLIMBS
IN SQUASH TOURNEY
Thomas r. Coward, However,
Is Forced to Extra Games
by Livingston Platt.
BY SAMUEL J. BRooKMAN.

:. In match featured by sizzling speed
u stroke Thomas r. Coward. national
champion, defeated Livingston Platt. q
member of the sports First Ten. In the
second round OF the National Squash
Tennis Associations open tournament at
the Yale Club yesterday. 1t was con-
test that brought out the limit of the
titleholder's power and skill. and be-
fore he could clinch his victory he had
to yield a game, just as he did in the
opening round OF the tournament against
Armin w. Riley on Saturday. The score
this time was 10--15. 15---5, 15--11.
There were some dazzling rallies in
the match during which the ball trav-
eled so swiftly around the four walls
that 1t was difficult to follow its flight
On innumerable occasions when one or
the other of the contestants tried a
straight smash to the front wall the
hall rebounded so fast that the receiver
could not get out of the way much less
get his racquet into position for stroke
The sphere was badly punished The
wonder OF it all was that the men could
sustain the rallies as splendidly as they
did-could make such startling gets.
Coward won not only because he
could answer speed with speed, but be-
cause he could outsteady his opponent
at critical stages and outfoot him. He
was rather slow to get into stride In
the opening game and Plat ran into so
commanding lead that the former
despite a rally toward the end of the
game could not save that division of
play. By the time the second game
started Coward was moving along at
top speed and turning the tables i'm
pressively.
While the smashing type of game pre-
N a nj
when both men changed pace craftily
and depended on skillful placing for
position Coward was in full command
of the situation throughout the second
game and the greater part of the third,
but in the latter, after outsteadying his
rival and running into lead of 10-1,
the champion let down sufficiently to
give Platt an opportunity for a spirited
squirt that almost cut down all of Cow
ards advantage. Before Coward could
regain his best speed Platt had drawn
up gradually to within three points OF
tie. For eight consecutive hands the
title holder went without a score, so
did Platt. and then with the score 14-11
Coward ended 1t with an untakable
smash that caught his opponent out of
position.
The champion was one OF seven who
tournament, which now has sixteen sur
viyors. OF the latter Yale Club has five,
Crescent Othletic Club four, Harvard
Club and Princeton Club three each and
y. K. e. Club one. The summary:
FIRST ROUND.
H. g. Thorne ID. X. +. Club, won from
Kenneth McVaugh. Heights Casino. by
default.
SECOND ROUND.
c. w. Dingee. Crescent Athletic Club. de-
feated Basil Harris. Princeton Club. 15--9.
15-6.
William Rand. Jr.. Harvard Club. defeated
C.. j. Mcclure. Yale Club. 15-7. 15-S.
Thomas II. Coward Yale Club, defeated
Livingston Platt. Yale Club. 1918. 1916,
\ i5-1t.
Reginald Roome. Yale Club. defeated III. NJ.
Turner. Yale Club. 1919. 1872
Charles M. Bull. Jr., Crescent Athletic Club.
defeated Nelson. n. Alexander. Columbia
Club. i5-7. 15-4
H. s. Thorne. d. X. e. Club. defeated Car
roll T. Cooney. Yale Club. i5-f1. 6-15.
f5-s.
Lindsay Bradford. Yale Club. defeated Fred
erIck s. keeler, Columbia Club. Ills
1S-f3. l5--11