Evening star., 1923-09-16

Tilden's victory today carried the
world title. as we'll as the national
honors. for Little Bill in his trip
abroad this summer brought back
both the so-ealIed clay and turf
court championships. No one in the
early play OF the tourney here that
included the leading players of seven
nations was able to take a set from
Johnston. Then Tilden beat John
iton three sets in row. That settles
conclusively all arguments as to who
is ruler of the courts.
Just how we'll matched the two
Bills are in tennis prowess is told
in the figures on their meetings. They
have battled on thirteen occasionssin
Journeys or in east ys. west con-
tests during their careers on the
courts and up until today each had
won six times. Today was the hrSt
time. however. that Tilden has ever
beaten Johnston in straight sets.
Most of Johnston's victories over
Big Bill have been on clay. while
over Little Bill have been on turf.
As Sam Hardy. the expert of experts
on tennis has said: "Tilden is the
king on grass and Johnston il su-
preme on clay"
Tilden set a modern record for
winning national championships
when he triumphed this afternoon.
1t gave him his eighth American title.
four each in singles anu doubles. No
other player, except R ID. Sears. has
more than seven to his credit. Sears
won the singles honors seven years
in row and shared In the doubles
championship a half dozen times.
However, his last victory came in
1887, several years before Tilden was
born.
the gallery here today. took the
singles title for aeven years. the last
time in 1912, but he never played in
the doubles. Holcome Ward also has
seven championships to his credit, six
which are in the doubles. His last
one was taken in 1905.
Champion GoOd for Years.
| Unless Tilden should meet with
some pr ysical miShap. he should set
a record that will stand for all time,
| for he should be able to continue for
ten more years. as the game, as he
plays 1t, apparently is absolutely no
strain upon him. Both he and John
| Ston are tennis geniuses, but Tilden
also has been blessed with a ply
sique that is ideal for the pastime.
Tilden. who played nearly all of
his early matches in the tourney
with his sweater on. was not long In
| taking it off this afternoon, as he had
to work like he had not done before
| to conquer the little Californian. In
| fact. Johnston realizing that if' he
was to win at all he must do 1t
quickly, went after Tilden at mer-
| ry pace from the outset.
| He broke through Tilden's service
! in the very first game. but Tilden re-
! turned the cor;p.lment immediately.
| Johnston broke through again in tha
! seventh game IL take the lead IL
t4-3 but Tiiden, who, il was apparent, ),
| always had something in reserve. ran
! out the next three games handily to
| win the set
! Johnston showed visibly in the
: second set that his strenuous efforts
| in the opening one had taken a lot
out of him. His shots were weak in
| comparison, and, after Tilden ran
into an early lead he practically
! conceded him the set in order to rest
| up for another supreme attempt in
| the third.
Johnston then fought with grim
| determination TO staye off a straight
| set defeat but despite his valiant and
| brilliant efforts Tilden was off to a
| two-game lead and never was headed.
| 1t was the old story of a good
| little man being unable to cope with
a good big man. ~,
A recapitulation of the match shows
that Tilden earned twenty-eiRht
points to fourteen for Johnston and
/ that Big Bill had sixty-three errors
to Little Bill's sixty-nine.e
| Figures do not properly convey the
real story. Tilden's errors were
mainly on balls that he drove S1t
iby applying too much of his physical
| power On the other hand. a great
percentage of Johnstons errors were
on Tilden's terrific drives to deep
court that he netted, many of which
could easily have been credited as
placements for the champion. No
other player except Johnston would
have been able to have gotten his
| racket against them.
! Apr oximately 1900 persons. all
| that could be jammed in the glands
or gain other points of vantage, wit
| messed the championship struggle.
Among them were many prominent
people, including Dwight. F. Davis.
assistant Secretary of War and presi-
dent of the National Tennis Associa-
/ ton.
FIRsT SET.
johnston. johnston . 3 i-s$-9
; A' sA. PL. 0, N. pF. Ep. z.