Evening star., 1941-07-27
Doubles Title Match,
DeadIocked, , Halted
As Dusk Falls
Young Terrupin Meets
Bensinger Today in
Championship Tilt
By BILL DISMER, Jr.

at the Rock Creek tennis courts
yesterday produced 19-year-old Ed
die Bensingers contender for the
public parks singles championship
today. but only stalemate after
four sets of a match which was to
have decided the doubles title.
After fighting off four match
points held by young Ken Dalby in
the second set in which he rallied
from is deficit to win, Miller him
self was the victim, with Harry
Brinkerhoff, jr., of rally on the
part of Bensinger and Charley F'reer
which delayed the crowning of the
new team champions until today.
Brinkerhoff and Miller, seeded
fourth, took the first two sets from
Bensinger and Freer. IS, 60, but
just when they might have been
envisioning themselves champions
in straight sets. the top-Seeded pair
won the third 7-5, and after the
recess, squared the match by win
ming the fourth by the same score.
Rather than take a chance on
having darkness halt them in the
fifth set, the contestants agreed to
play the deciding skirmish after to-
days singles title match. Bensinger
and Miller will take the court at
2:30 o'clock in a three -out-of-flve
match and from the way Miller was
playing yesterday, it may go the
limit.
Final Packs Interest.
Whoever wins. the final looms as
the most interesting in the parks
tournament since the municipal
court days of Dooly Mitchell and
Barney Welsh, bringing together, as
1t does, two of the youngest and
most promising netmen in the city.
Miller, University of Maryland
sophomore, is only 10, and was
seeded second Bensinger. seeded
third. is still younger, having turned
II only last May. He is a student
at Friends School and the unde-
feated Junior champion of the
Capital for the last two years. Only
Welsh, David johnson and Hugh
Lynch have defeated Bensinger in
senior tournaments.
great stand against Dalby, Miller
must be rated an even choice today
Apparently outcIassed in the first set
which Dalby won, 60, Miller dropped
the first four games of the second
to dismay even his most ardent sup
porters. He took the fifth by break
ing Dalby's service, but when Dalby
1jo =
Drama came two games later
when, leading So on his own service.
Daily twice had match points in
deuce. But he duplicated MLler'S
netting on the first ad to give his
opponent first reprieve and over
drove the baseline on his second
chance Thus saved, Miller grabbed
the advantage himself and won the
game with smashing volley place
ment that clipped the sideline.
Miller Again in Trouble
But three games later, Miller
again was in dire straits, trailing
15-40 on his own service. Here again,
Daily failed to keep his shots within
bounds, oyerdriving the baseline
twice in succession to send the game
into deuce. He never held match
point again.
From the sidelines, it appeared
that Daily made the fatal mistake
of easing up when the match ap-
peared in his bag and when it be-
came necessary for him to apply the
pressure again. he couldn't. He did
win three games in row in the de-
Gliding set 10 take the lead at 80.
but 1t was his last stand, Miller run
ming away with the last four games.
For the most, it was baSeline
duel with the rivals making few ad-
vances TO the net. Miller's stroking
seemed to have more power behind
1t than ever and he seemed to have
rid his game largely of erratic
streaks. Many think he will beat
Bensinger today, but in this OBJ
servers opinion, Bobby has just a
few more weapons than the Terp
star.
Eddie Proves Durable.
Far from showing the effects of
his tvo-hour battle with Dalby, Mil
Ter was the star OF the doubles Setto
in which Bensinger decidedly was
of form. For in contrast to the
struggle which the other contestants
had to win as many services as they
lost. Miller won the first seven serv-
ices of the match and nine of the
II times he "batted" during the
four sets.
After capturing the first two sets,
Brinkerhoff and Miller found them
selves only two games away from the
title at A and SIS in the third
but Freer took his service in the 18th
game and he and Bobby broke Mil
ler's for the first time in the 18th
Game again went to 4-all and sail
In the fourth set and the next two
games we're decided just as they
were at the end of the thirdly
Freer winning his service and Mil
Ter losing his. Another striking
parallel was that each set point for
Freer and Bensinger came by the
former smashing a forehand off
Brinkerhoffs shoulder.