The New York herald., 1922-07-12
II. C. Johnson and Davies
Worry Rhode Island Cham
piOn at Agawam.
BY SAMUEL j. BROOKMAN.

PROVIDENCE, r. J.. July 11.--A sudden
change from clay to turf courts fire.
quently brings the best of tennis play
ers into difficulties. 1t takes some lit
tie time for the racquet wielder to ac-
custom himself to the different bound
of the ball and to the comparatively
softer footing. Perhaps that explains
why Vincent Richards, playing through
titleholder, experienced far greater
difficulty than he had expected In COM
Ing through the first and second rounds
of the Rhode Island championship on
the Agawam Hunt Club courts to-day.
Perhaps Winnie just had an off day,
but the fact is that both Harry C. john
son, the Longwood veteran, and James
E Davies the California collegian.
gave him plenty to worry about and
made his margin surprisingly slim. y,
Richards won all four sets In the two
matches but in every one the score
went to 4-all. Barring two matches in
the Church cup series month ago,
Richards had not played on grass this
season, and as a matter Of fact he had
not played in any tournament since the
Metropolitan championship two and a
half weeks ago He was erratic. de-
cidedly so, and 1t was only his ability
to call on reserve speed at critical
stages that he was able to prevent the
loss of set
Improves as He Goes Along.
Before the day was over. however,
Richards indicated clearly that he had
found himself and that the local tennis
devotees could expect MIN to flash the
same scintillating tennis that marked
his triumph over William T. Tilden I'd
IN, th.. ant a a.
playing with more confidence and with
better control in his last set of the day
and treated the gallery to some OF his
real tennis wizardry.
There were temporary visions of an
upset when the veteran Johnson forced
Richards to drop the first four games
of his match almost before the entire
gallery was aware that the contest was
under way. Chopping repeatedly, John
son kept the ball bounding very low and
Richards had to do some exceptional
digging to make his returns. The foxy
veteran was also mixing pace and mix
ing length with excellent judgment and
was keeping the youth. racing all over
the court Richards, his stroke lacking
precision. kept driving in to the net until
the crowd wondered what was wrong
with him.
With the opening OF the fifth game,
however, Richards began to assert him
self. Coming to the net at every oppor-
tunity in order to avoid the low bound
ing ball he started making headway on
sheer speed. johnson tried TO drive him
back on his heels with lobs. but Rich
ards was not to be denied. He put
everything he had into his volleys and
smashes forced the Longwood man on
the defensive and then vent on to win
six games in row for the set.
The second division Of the play also
found Richards erratic. He played In
streaks, brilliant one minute and then
inexplicably mediocre in the next. And
so il went to 4--all. The next two games
ended the match In Richards.s favor,
but he had to work hard to overcome
his own lack of control and the excellent
court generalship Of his opponent.
In Davies later in the day Richards
met n harder hitter and a more aggres-
sive player than Johnson, although not
as experienced a tactician. The Pacific
coast collegian, with everything to gain
and nothing to lose stroked boldly and
we'll and had Richards busy every sec