The New York herald., 1922-05-29
NIPPONESE PLAYS
WONDERFUL TENNIS
Worlds Champion Is Forced
Into Extra Sets to
Win.
SCORE is 4-e, Go, Ga
Tn Doubles Tilden and Rich
ards Lose to Shimizu and
Hunter.
ny SAMUEL J. BRooKMAN.

ny SAMUEL j. BROOKMAN.
BY way of adding strength to the
conviction that he can extend William
r. Tilden whenever he engages him
on the court, Zenzo Shimizu, Japan's
tennis ace. carried the worlds cham
pion through three sets of whirlwind
tennis at Travers Island yesterday be-
fore being forced to accept defeat
Tilden's margin was none too COM
Portable, but it was no new experience
for the Philadelphian. The memory of
that sensational match at Forest Hills
last summer in which Shimizu was
within two points of defeating Tilden
in straight sets is still fresh in the
mind of the champion Of tennis
players.
1t was Just an exhibition match. this
tussle at the country home of the New
York Athletic Club yesterday, but you
never would have guessed 1t from the
ding dong tennis that was played. from
the manner in which the rivals battled
for every point. 1t was a fight from
start to finish, and it was a pretty we'll
at 4-6, Go, Ga.
Shimizu made determined bid for
victory. He was again the sensation of
amazing recoveries, of unshakable con-
troll. of tireless energy and OF fighting
aggressiveness that had made tennis
history In the Davis cup challenge round
of 1921. He was swift, crafty. perfectly
sure OF himself, and he knew where to
place the ball to keep Tilden on the qui
vivc. He never slackened speed for a
moment and seemed to be just as fresh
at the end az at the start. He handled
every type OF Tilden service, including
his cannon ball delivery, with perfect
sangfroid and judgment. and his antici-
patton was keen. He was in short,
every bit as good as in the international
match of last summer.
Exerts Every Ounce.
Little wonder. then. that Tilden had
to/give all he had to win in an extra set.
There were times when I'm back court
driving duel Shimizu had the champion
running from one side OF the court to
the other and exerting every ounce of
energy to keep pace with the ball. 1t
was quite feat even for a champion to
beat the sort Of tennis the little Nip
ponese showed, and incidentally quite a
spectators to witness It,
= Tilden showed his best in the second
set. in which he opened the speed throt-
tie wide and astonished by his aggres-
siveness. He had just lost the opening
set after trying hard to win 1t. and he
determined then and there to depend on
the sheer power of his attack. He be-
gan injecting every ounce of strength
into service and began coming up to the
net in the rallies. 1t was dangerous
work, for Shimizu was a sharpshooter
and passed him often or lobbed over
his head with good effect. but Tilden
was not to be denied. and he won six
games in row for love set
1t was far closer than the score
showed, however. In three of the six
games Tilden was forced to deuce
points and in the other three he had
TO call on all his tennis wits and speed
10 win important rallies. The extra
effort left Tilden pretty tired when the
third set started, and Shimizu, as fresh
as ever. began to make headway again.
He seemed to be getting more sting
than ever into his forehand drive and
he found the lines and the corners
with astonishing judgment OF distance
and angles.
Astonishing Recoverics.
Many a time and oft Tilden sent a
wizard of shot through that Shimizu
appeared to have no chance at all OF
reaching. The best that was expected
of the Nipponese on those occasions
was TO get the racquet on the ball, yet
he bobbed up at the right place some
how and not only sent the ball back
safely but turned It into a winning
pass. The gallery was kept applaud
ing constantly.
Tilden was willing to forsake his
net game in the third set after his
hard effort in the second and II was
nearly all baseline In the final divi-
sion OF play, but just as sensational as
n net game would have been. The
drives on both sides went through with
elan nd the rallies proved to be the
best sustained of the match. Games
went on service to the seventh, when
Shimizu by some remarkable court
covering broke through and took the
lead at 4--3. Tilden. however. by su-
preme effort retaliated in the next
game and brought the score TO ALL.
and In the next two games, although
extended TO the limit ended the match
in his favor.
In doubles match that followed. the
national championship team OF Tilden
and Vincent Richards met defeat at
Hunter. the American indoor title hold
er. by a score of &c. Cd. ca. Tilden
and Richards won the first set so casi-
ly that the shift in the tide came as a
decided surprise. Tilden, however. did
not play with as much ambition in dou-
bles as he had In singles and contrib
uted numerous errors toward the end
that were factors i'm the defeat. Rich
ards. too. seemed TO lose steam and
L.. lA lnrt nt fnt. III
Shimizu. on the other hand. gained
speed with every game and earned the
victory by their superior attack The
point score and stroke analysis Of the
singles match follow:
FIRST SET.
Tiiden.n . 2 I Alt
shimizu....! 2 6 . a e-3a.s
y. @. y: So. DE
shimzu.. o II o o 0
SECOND SET.
Tilden .......,........ : a-3o-S