Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-06
Welsh Likely 10 Gain
D. T.. Net Final for
9Th Year in Row
Takes on Mitchell Todc
Johnsen's Cold May
Postpone Match
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

Whether the much discussed
turn match" between David John
and Hugh Lynch, which will del
mine one of the two finalists in t
current District tennis tournamei
at Columbia Country Club, will /
played today was uncertain but. bar
ring rain, the other finalist was {,
be designated late this afternoon.
And the odds were all on Barne,
Welsh to enter the title round .of
the annual tourney for the seventh
consecutive year, despite the fact
that his finger still shows some of
the effects of a deep cut sustained
last Saturday and that his opponent
was to be perennial trouble maker
Dooly Mitchell.
II young Johnsen's back muscles
are not sufficiently free of a cold
which he caught last week, his match
with Lynch will be postponed until
tomorrow, inasmuch as officials want
both contestants to be in the best
possible shape for a match which
has the tennis crowd thoroughly
aroused.
Gave Lynch Sheilacking.
johnson, it will be remembered,
dealt Lynch one of the most deci-
sive whippings of his local career
when he trounced him in straight
sets in The Star tournament
last month. Some attributed what
amounted to startling upset at
the time to the general all-around
improvement in Johnsen's already
fine game, but others say that Lynch
lost a large part of his effectiveness
when he broke his wrist last winter.
Whether the older player can come
back or whether johnson is on top
to stay is one of the most controver-
sial net topics in town at the mo-
ment.
A johnson victory would be pleas
ing to net followers not so much
because of the satisfaction of hav-
ing the youngster repeat. but because
1t undoubtedly would put him in the
final against Welsh. Again net fans
are interested in seeing just how far
JohnSen has come along, and thev
know no better yardstick than by
matching his game against WEIGHS.
Adair, Shore Scare Favorites.
Three doubles mi-fnalists also
were to be decided today. Third
seeded Dick Murphy and Alphonse
Smith already are in the semis and
will meet the winner of today's
match between the Johnsen-Lynch
and Harry Brinkerhoff- Ray Stock
Nnskl combinations. In the other
bracket Welsh and Mitchell were to
forget their singles argument to
pair against Joel Baker and Pat
Deck for the right to meet the sur
vlvor in the Frank Shore. 1t. G. c.
Russell-Billy Turner, Allie Ritzen-
berg match.
A scant gallery. held down by the
, threat OF rain, had visions of a
pair of upsets Yesterday when Buddy
Adair and Shore threw decided
scares into Mitchell and Welsh be-
fore succumbing. Adair. matching
the old favorite stroke for stroke.
carried Mitchell to 1911 in the first
set and to Ga in the second, but
greater steadiness on the part of
Mitchell prevailed. Buddy could
have used lobs to better advantage
in the first set, when he held leads
of 5-4. 6-5 and TO, but instead
he permitted Mitchell to stay at the
net for telling volley placements.
After winning the first game of the
second set. Adair never was ahead
Shores famed chop stroke started
to work perfectly against Welsh on
the soggy court, and the challenger
held a lead over the champ in
the first set. At this point Welsh
turned on the heat to win 10 games
in row for the decision.