Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-05-25
j. S. TENNIS STARS
LEADING JAP ANESE
Van Ryn and Hennessey Play
Spectacular Game to Gain
Advantage.

John Van Ryn and John Hennessey,
the two young American tennis stars,
enter the third and last day Of their
Davis Cup play with the japanese this
afternoon, holding q lead Of two
matches to one. Hennessey and Yoshira
Ohta, captain of the japanese team,
will take the courts at the Chevy Chase
Club at 1880 o'clock, while later Van
Ryn will play Tamio Abe, who was de-
feated by Hennessey In four sets on
Thursday.
Should either Hennessey or Van Ryn
win their singles match this afternoon,
the Americans will have removed from
their path the threat Of elimination in
the American zone semi-fnal COMPETE
ton for the right to challenge France
for possession Of the historic Davis Cup
Only one more victory is needed to give
the Americans a safe margin Of three
matches out of the Ave to be played.
Ohta Plays Brilliantly.
Ohta yesterday brought alarm to
American tennis followers when his
| n1asterful stroking earned a triumph
over Van Ryn In a drawn-out Ave set
match, although the former Princeton
tennis captain stepped on the courts an
overwhelming favorite, holding a margin
OF two sets TO one and a lead Of Az in
the fourth set, where play was halted
| Thursday because Of darkness.
However. Van Ryn's later victory in
the doubles, when, paired with Hennes-
| sey, the two Americans trounced Ohta
and Abe, went far to allay anxiety and
| Justify the action of William T. Tilden,
| I'd, and Francis Hunter. the country
two leading players, In leaving for
| Europe q month ago, tntrusting the
American zone play to the younger
members Of the Davis Cup team.
The japanese captain yesterday DEM
onstrated that he was q At opponent
| for anybody as he bewildered Van Ryan
| with his heavily topped drives which
| raked the lines. He proved that the
| soft lobbing game was q more powerful
ofense than Van Ryn's net smashes,
| frequently registering clean aces by
lifting the bail Just over his opponents
reach.
Evens Set Score.
Returning to complete the match
halted Thursday, Ohta punched his way
through four straight games to even
the set score, and won the match after
a succession OF brilliant exchanges with
the scores Ga. ST, 2-6, "a and
IS. Wearied by his effort, Ohta gave
| his partner scant support In the doubles
and the determined Americans won,
6-3, "a, 60.
Hennessey was the shining light in
the doubles victory. The victors con-
| centrated on Ohta, who besides showing
the effects of his spirited singles en-
counter, has a relatively weak volleying
game, a fatal defect in doubles.
Abe strove valiantly to stem the
| attack of the aroused Americans, who
rushed the net and seemed to gain
| power as the match progressed. The
! specialized Japanese volleyed with all his
customary agility, at times handling the
alternate smashes of both his opponents.
| For the first time since the Harding
administration. interna tional tennis
players engaged today in an exhibition
match on the White House courts, with
| the American and Japanese Davis Cup
| players as participants. Both contests
! ended in draws.
-Iennessey and Van Ryn played Abe
| and Sadakazu Onda of the Japanese
| team four games. which ended 2-all.
Preceding their exhibition, Dean Mathey
Of New York, former high-ranking
American player teamed with Onda
against Wilmer Allison of Texas. the
third member of the American Davis
Cup squad, and j. Gilbert Hall of New
Jersey. in four game match, the score
Of which, likewise, was 2-all. Mathey
and Hall are not members Of the Amer
lean team.