Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-22
FRENCHMAN SENT
FIVE SETS TO WIN
Rallies Brilliantly After Grip
Piled Foe Gets Good Lead
Near Finish.
BY FOSTER HALEY,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

n YEW YORK, March I'll
M Jean Borotra today won
/ Y the United States indoor
tennis singles championship
for the fourth time, defeating
Berkeley Bell, Dallas, Tex, in the
final in five gruelling sets and
making it a clean sweep for France
in the American title play.
Borotra and Christian Boussus
teamed up yesterday to defeat
Cliff Suffer of New Orleans, and
Pierre Landry, also of France, in
the doubles.
The bounding Frenchman. veteran Of
Davis Cup play and second in the
French national ranking, had to be at
his best today to beat the slightly built
American, only eleventh in the United
States ranking and handicapped by an
injured foot.
The little Bell slashed back at his tall
rival with all the power of stroke and
speed of foot he could muster, and at
times had the Basque obviously wor-
ried and uncertain.
oOAOb1d SbcLUcQ OH I4lC ulAbCl Is II uS
intended to win it quickly, taking his
first serve at love and running out the
first set with the loss Of only one game.
Bell Starts Fighting.
Bell, who plays best when he Is be-
hind, got his service and backhand
working in the second set and broke
through .Borotra's service twice to win
at 6-3 and tie the match.
he frd Uo4 Ill mia
Borotra finally winning, Ga, and It
looked to be all over except for the
formality of playing one more. Bell was
limping as he left the court for the To-
minute rest period, while Borotra seemed
as fresh as when he started.
Bell, however, soon convinced the
crowd of 1000 that filled every avail
able seat in the big armory and stood
five and six deep along the court that
there was still considerable tennis In his
system.
Outplaying the Frenchman at every
turn, placing his shots as cody and
crafty as an expert rifleman, he kept
Borotra on the run, dominated every
rally and won the set. to 3.
The fifth and final set ran for eight
games with nothing to choose between
the two. Games followed service with
Bell sending as good as the Basque
second service ball that caught Borotra
flat-footed.
Break In Ninth Game.
The break came in the ninth game.
Borotra had pulled the game up to
deuce after Bell had him 40 love. With
the advantage his on the Odd-court
play the Frenchman took an easy re-
turn to send the ball booming down the
base line and win the game.
He went to the serving line for what
was to be final game bouncing like
ballet dancer. Boom" a service ace
went whistling past Bell. Again Borotra
fired with all his might, then rushed to
the net to "kill' Bells soft return, an
other service ace, then, as Bell went out
of position to get his fourth serve, Boro-
ira sent shot angling across the court.
Bell took one look at the flying ball,
then ran to shake Borotra's hand and
stand by while he was presented the
cup.
Borotra won the American indoor
title in 1925, 1927 and 1929. He did not
defend his title last year.
In an exhibition match after the
Borotra- Bell duel the Philadelphia team
of George Lott, r., and John Van Ryn
defeated John H. Doeg Of Newark, ma
tional champion and No. in the rank
ing, and Frank Shields, ranked No. 2,
two sets to one, 8-6, 4-6, So.
The four will meet Borotra, Landry
and BouSsus in an international team
match Monday, Tuesday and Wednes-
day Of next week.