Evening star., 1938-07-17
StockIins and Shelton Reach Parks Net Final as III
DEFENDING CHAMP
FALLS WITH THUD
Title Struggle Is Slated for
Today-A. Ritzenberg and
TarpIey Triumph.
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

Surprises ran 81 ahead of form
yesterday in the public parks tennis
tournament at the Reservoir courts
as the defending champion was beaten
and Ray Stocklinski and Hugh Shelton
crashed the final round of singles with
pair of as one-sided victories as semi
Anal matches ever produced e.
Form held sway only in the titular
doubles match in which Allie Ritz
enberg and Mel Tarpley swept to the
team championship with straight-set
victory over Allies brother Hy and
Stan Haney, 6-1. Ga, GO.
But as Stocklinski the Districts
ninth ranking player and Shelton, the
newcomer from Tennessee, who is No.
20 in Southern Association ratings
became opponents in today's cham
pionship singles match at 3 o'clock, the
thud of their victims falls drowned
out all else.
Completely turning the tables on
Ritzenberg. parks champion last year
and who only last month had defeated
him in The Star tournament, Stock
hnski gave Allie one of the most de-
cisive defeats Of his career. The scores
were 81, 60.
Then, as if to justify his place in
the final against such rival, Shelton
trounced Bob Bradley by identical
scores, the only difference being that
he won the first instead of the second,
set at love. 1t also was one of the
worst defeats that Bradley. a veteran
public links player, ever suffered.
Popular Victory Assured.
incidentally, Ritzenbergs defeat
marked the third consecutive year in
which the seeded No. l player in the
parks tournament failed to reach the
final round.
BY winning, Stocklinski and Shelton
4pt the stage for an extremely interest
2lg match this afternoon in which a
newcomer, with a bright collegiate
background, will stack up against one
OF the Capitals best-known players
who has yet to win major champion
ship. Separated only by year in age
-StockinsN being the older at 23-
the result will be popular one who
ever Wits.
shelton, native of Columbia,
Tenn, with a characteristic Southern
drawl, also was a football and basket
baI star at Sewanee, playing end on
the eleven and guard on the ouint.
Two years ago he reached the semi
finals of the intercollegiate tennis
tournament only to lose to Ernie
Sutter. the eventual champion, in
straight sets. Currently employed by
the H. o. L. c.. he is studying law
at George Washington University.
Bradley Generous to Foe.
Whether Bradley's quarter final vic
tory over Bill Burns which he won
yesterday morning by 6-1, As. 60
scores took too much out of the vet
eran was questionable, but it was evi-
dent, once play started, that the red
head was no match for Shelton. Shell
ton won 10 straight games before Brad
ley finally managed to break his foes
service in the fifth game of the Sec
ond set. Twice Bradley changed
rackets in an effort to change his
luck, but he just about conceded de-
feat az 40 in the second set when,
on exchanging courts, he told Shelton,
I'll see if can't give you some prac-
hce for tomorrow"
Stocklinski's victory over Ritzen-
berg found the eventual winner out
scoring his adversary by a 81 mar
gin in each set In the first set
stocklinski scored % points to Ritz
snberg's IS, and in the second it was
29-14. "Stock" seemed to gain con-
hdence as the match progressed and
toward the end was advancing to the
net constantly for point-ending vol
hys.
Doubles Result Apparent.
Like the two singles matches, the
doubles result never was in doubt,
although Hy Ritzenberg and Haney
enjoyed brief leads at the start of the
second and third sets. Ability to hold
their services and break their oppo-
nents spelled victory for Allie and
Tarpley. each winning five times on
his own and Allie losing only once
and Tarpley twice. Hy Ritzenberg, on
the other hand won his service only
one time out of six, and Haney was
able only to break even in half
dozen instances.
The winners constantly stormed the
net, and their vicious overheads often
sent balls bouncing over the back
stop. The victors never hesitated on
set or match points, winning at the
first opportunity. The match ended
when Allies volley landed on the
baseline with Hy looking on futilely.