The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-01
Bill Johnston Is
 Beten In DaUis Cup Net Tourney

FOREST HILLS. August st.-(By
 Associated Press. )-Proving an un-
 expectedly formidable penace to America's tennis supreHacy, Aus tralia's Davis cup challaHglns forces broke even with the United States today in the two singles matches
 marking the opening of 1923 play for
 the historic trophy that carries with 1t the emblem of worlds team cham ] pionship.
 William NJ (Little BilD Johnston, l one of Uncle Sam's chief hopes in the title struggle, went down to defeat
 before James O. Anderson, Austral- i ian captain, in a spectacular, gripping five-set battle, 4-6. 6-2,, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2, but William T. Tilden, national cham pion, evened the score for the United
 States when he crushed% ~John B.
 Hawkes. in a dazzling exhibition in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1.
 Anderson's victory over the diminu- tive Californian, who this year won the title of worlds champion at Vim
 bledon, came as startling surprise to tennis followers, who had consid-
 cred Johnston and Tilden virtually in- vincibla in the realm of international play Upsetting the hopes and call
 culations of the cup defenders, it faced America with the most danger ous challenge she has had in the past
 four years, a challenge which can only by flung back by victory in two of the remaining three matches of ths series.
 Tomorrow Hawkes. and Anderson will face Tilden and E. Norris Will Hams, American captain, new inter- national combination, in the third match, while on Monday Tilden will play Anderson and Johnston will op- pose Hawkes. in the remaining singles matches. Thus the winner cannot be determined before Monday, and should Anderson maintain the dazzling pace
 he displayed today, the bid of the Antipodeans for victory will be no less powerful than it is determined.
 Taking rank among the epics of Davls cup history. the Johnston-An-
 derson battle thrilled a colorful gal lery of about 10000 fans, but though Anderson flashed to hls most bril- llant heights in coming from DenInd, to win after dropping two of the first three sets, his victory, in the opinion of experts, was due no less to hls own for the most part fell far below his
 usual standard of play. Both players were alternately cratic and spec
 iacular as they fought point for point. but in the end AnderSons superior
 stamina and greater accuracy at cru- cial moments prevailed.
 From the start Johnston lacked the deadly control that has marked his brilliant career. His booming forehand shots carried their usual power, out lacked the relentless ac 1 cpracy of old. And as Anderson,
 matching drive for drive, returning
 Johnston's swiftest forcing shots with even greater speed, carried the attack to his opponent, the American
 weakened.
 Against such brilliant play, John
 ston was hopelessly beaten, but weary under the Australians relent- less attack, he fought on gamely. He managed to take the fourth and sev- enth games of the final set after both had gone to delce, but they
 were only momentary flashes of his
 tennis genus. Anderson, bringing all the crashing power of his fore hands into play, quickly finished the | set and the match.
 I The defeat was the first Johnston has ever suffered in Davis cup play. In three previous yeaIs of compe- ttiuon, he had won twelve matches in singles and doubles, the latter with Tilden as his partner.
 The Tilden Hawkes. encounter,
 though it gave America much needed victory, was an anti-climaX to the Johnston-Anderson match, which had held the crowd in sus- pense for more than an hour and a half. Tilden, bringing the full bat tery of his brilliant strokes into play, overwhelmed Hawkes. almost
 from the start. The left-handed
 Australian proved a hard and aG- gressive driver but he was outclaSs- cd by the American champion.
 Hawkes. gave Tillden his keenest
 opposition in the first set, taking three games in row after the American had raced into lead of 5-1. But Tilden boomed across two placements and a service ace to help take the tenth game and the set, 674.
 After that Tilden kept Hawkes. on the defensive almost entirely with the accuracy and bewfldering speed. The tall Philadelphian allowed his opponent but five points In the first four games Of the second set.
 Hawkes. managed to win two of the next four on his own service but ne was helpless against the bullet-llke delivery of his opponent
 Hawkes. took but one game, the fifth, on his own service. in the last Ret, Tilden sweeping through the last two games without the loss or q point to clincll the set and the match.
 Tomorrow's program in addition tN the cup doubles match twill include two exhibition attractions. Vincent Richards, fourth member of the American international team, Will play with his Wimbledon partner, Francis T. Hunter, in a double con test with the reservists of the Ats tralian team, Ian Mclnnis and Rlcn- ard Schlessnger. Manuel Alonzo or Spain will oppose Brian l. c. Nor ton, South African star, in singles eyh hi