Evening star., 1940-06-16
Welsh Faces Murphy,
Loser With Smith,
For Singles Cup
Older Teom Makes Bruve
Showing in Doubles
Defect at Edeemoor
By BILL DISMER, Jr.


position without the loss of a set,
David johnson and Hugh Lynch
successfully defended their City of
Washington tennis team champion
ship yesterday when they defeated
the combinations of Jimmy Farrin
and Bill Howard and Alphonse
Smith and Dick Murphy to conclude
The Star-sponsored doubles tour
nament at Edgemoor Club.
After routing the Naval lieuten-
ants by 6-4, 81 scores in the
semifinal round, the Districts and
tournaments ranking No. l team
turned back hard-fighting Muir
phy-Smith tandem, IS, Ga, 8-6,
in the title encounter. Murphy and
Smith had entered the last bracket
by whipping Bill Breese and Ed
Mather, 60, 60, in the other
semi.
Today, at 3 o'clock, Murphy will
take the court against Barney
Welsh, reigning local net king, in
the final of the singles division, with
The Star Cup going to the winner.
Representative Jennings Ran
dolph of West Virginia, himself an
entrant in the tourney, will make
the presentation of The Star Cup
and prizes to the runnerup and
doubles fnalists Immediately upon
the conclusion of the match. AS
usual it will be on the best three
out-of- five basis.
Welsh Twice Winner.
Welsh won the tournament in
1896 and 1887, but did not compete
the following two years. 1t is the
first local final for Murphy, who
came to Washington only last year
after making national name for
himself by winning the LongWood
Bowl in 1888 and being runnerup to
the national intercollegiate cham
pion the following year. In the
only match Welsh and Murphy have
met, the former triumphed, 6-3,
8-6.
Murphy and Smith made a battle
of every set in the doubles final
yesterday, holding leads in all sets
end coming very close to winning
both the first and third. They had
set point no less than seven times
in the opener, fives times in the
10th game, only to err at the crucial
points. Although johnson and
Lynch were debited with seven more
errors than their opponents, the
latter's came at the most inoppor-
tune times.
losers were ahead at 5-4 and
6-5, only to lose three games in
row and the set, match and cham
pionship On the whole, games went
with service-Johnsen, Lynch and
Smith winning six out of their nine
and only Murphy showing losing
percentage with only three out of
nine.
Losers Set Early Pace.
According to The Stars scorecard,
Smith was credited with q place
ments to 10 for johnson, 18 for
Lynch and 13 for Murphy. johnson
cost his side the most points with
So errors, while Smith had 40
chalked up against him, Lynch A
and Murphy Al.
Winning the first three games of
the opening set, Smith and Murphy
ran their lead to 5-3 before the
defending champs called halt.
With a 40-15 score on Smitty's serv-
ice, the tourney favorites forced
each of their opponents to net drives
and then forced Smith into two
more for game.
Again it appeared as if the new
comers we're not to be denied in
the next game when they assumed
0-40 lead on Johnsen's service
only to have Lynch burn the court
with two placements, which, coupled
with Smiths error, deuced the
game.
Twice thereafter, the doomed pair
held the advantage in deuce only
to have johnson and Lynch fight
back to win the game and tie the
score at sail. Murphy then lost
his service and johnson drove home
two placements in the 18th game
for first blood.
Older Team Tires.
After trailing, 1-2, in the second
set, johnson and Lynch won four
straight games, and although the
opposition broke through Lynch's
service and scored on Smiths, they
won in the tenth. At that. it took
a bad bounce to win, Murphy being
all set to return a ball with the
score 40-3O against him when it
hit a soft spot and skidded crafty
away.
Clearly fatigued, but not yet
ready to give up, the older team
found itself on even terms with
it's conquerors five times in the de-
Gliding set, even getting off to 81
lead. But with dapper Dick and
Smitty ahead at 6-5, the champs
turned on the steam to tie the score
on Johnsen's service, broke Smiths
for 7-6 advantage and took the
match in the next game when
Murphy's return of Lynch's service