Evening star., 1941-07-28
Public Parks Tennis
Crown No Novelty
To Eddie Miller
Young Terp, Conqueror
Of Bobby Bensinger,
Ace as SchooIboy
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

bV DILL DlSmLh, JT.
A cool-tempered, easy-going youth
with a world of courage was WASH
ington's new public parks tennis
champion today, but that title
isn't the first important crown ever
held by likable 19-year-old Eddie
Miller of the University of Mary
land.
For Miller. who upset lot of CAL
culations yesterday at the Rock
Greek courts when he defeated
Washington's Junior champion,
Bobby Bensinger. in four sets, 6-3,
6-3. 3-6, 10-8, was the inter-
scholastic champion of Pennsylvania
before moving here a little more
than a year ago.
Eddie represented Germantown
High when he proved himself the
best of the Keystone States school
boy racketers in his senior year, so
he wasn't without experience when
he found himself in the title round
of Washington's municipal event
yesterday.
COncede BObbv's Supremacy.
Yet another player Older than
Miller mentally had conceded defeat
when called upon to face BenSinger
who hasn't been beaten by a local
junior or bov competitor since he
started his active career in 1898
To Miller. though. Bobby appeared
Just another opponent And al
though the new champ didn't have
to come from hehind at Is and
fieht of four match points as he
did Saturday against Ken Dalbv
he did have to apply the iuire
when BensinCer seemed about 70
stage counter-rallv similar to his
own of the previous dav.
| For after winning the third set
before the l0-minute intermission
Bensinger returned to the courts
tn come within game of suuaring
the match, holding a 5-4 lead in
the fourth set. But Miller took his
own service to tie the score, alter
mated winning with Bensinger until
! the score stood at 8-3 and then
after breaking Bensinger's service
for a o-8 advantage took his own
at love for the set and champion
shin.
Refusal IN vary losing oame. the
offensive Of which was based almost
entirely on drop-shots that either
GiIr't work or were disposed nf by
Miller. NAV have cost Bensinger
the title Half the time BensingerS
drops refused to clear the net and
when thev did as aften as not they
were banged back at him for place
ments. Yet Bobby rarely hit out
with his former power which would
have enabled him to take the net
for volleying
MiIler's Serve Bothers Him.
Millers high bounding service OBJ
viouslv bothered Rensincer, the new
title holder winning IA of his q
serves. while Bobby could do no
better than break even on his %
Gifted with long legs. Miller cov-
cred the court like a tent. often
evoking applause from several hun
dred spectators by his remarkable
gets" Despite the torrid tenn
perature. nearly 100 fans stood
around the court for the two-houl
struggle at the hottest tournament
site of the city.
BenSinger gained some consola-
ton when he took the court with
I Charley Chuck Freer for the fifth
and deciding set of a match with
Miller and Harry Brinkerhoff, ir.
for the doubles championship
Brinkerhoff and Miller never could
recover the form wghich enabled
them TO win the first two sets Sat
urday and were licked, 0-6.
Although the new champs anC
Willie Herbert. the women's hold.
over title-holder, are eligible to rep.
resent Washington at the nationa
public parks tournament. 1t is ex-
) tremely doubtful any will go. Th'
local body hasn't been able to fine
the funds to finance the trips of any
: champions in the last five years anc
it's hardly likely that they can dis
1t up this year.