Evening star., 1941-07-06
Defending Champion
Goes Out Fighting
In 4-Set Battle
= Lynch Is Tough Victim;
Title Match Is Corded
At 10 This Morning
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

mis- history repeated itself at Co.
lumbia Country Club yesterday
when Barney Welsh and Don
Leavens reached the final of the
Middle Atlantic tournament, thus
setting the stage for the second
title match in three Sundays be-
tween the perennial local king and
his new challenger from the Pacific
Coast.
Avenging his defeat in the same
tournament almost year ago to
the day, Welsh dethroned little
David johnson in four sets, while
Leavens rallied from a 81 deficit
in sets at the intermission period
to defeat Hugh Lynch in a strug-
gle which went the limit.
Because Welsh and several of the
doubles finalists are leaving town
early this evening for the Spring
Lake, N. j., tournament starting
tomorrow, the singles final has been
scheduled for 10 o'clock this morn
ing. The two doubles semi-f finals,
pairing Welsh and Lynch against
Buddy Adair and Eddie Miller and
Leavens and johnson against Char
ley Charming and Dick Murphy,
will follow, with the title team
match between the winners taking
place this afternoon. No hour has
been set for the start of the dou-
bles final, but 1t probably will begin
around 3 o'clock.
johnson Gets Winning Start.
For while, the tournaments
largest gallery envisioned another
victory for johnson over Welsh as
the George Washington University
ace. using a beautiful drop-shot
to advantage, took a marathon first
set, 10-8. But Welsh, breaking a
A deadlock in the second by
cracking Johnsen's service in the
ninth game, evened the match by
winning. "a. and then began hit
ting out with all his power for a
60 decision and one-set advan-
tage as they left the courts for the
rest period.
Upon resuming play, Welsh falt-
cred only once, allowing Davey to
tie the score at 1-all in the fourth
set. But thereafter, Barney was in
vincible, mixing his shots strateg-
ically for a 6-3 count in the de-
Gliding set. johnson STAYED off three
match points in the ninth game
before succumbing to a flashing
forehand which he just couldn't
reach.
Playing before less than a dozen
OF the some 300 fans who almost
totally ignored him and Leavens
for the Welsh-Johnsen tilt. Lynch
surprised by taking two of the first
three sets from the same guy who
knocked him off in straight sets in
The Star tourney last month. Lynch
won the first. 6-, and after
Leavens took the second at 60,
Lynch came back to win the third,
60.
Leavens Coasts Home.
But that was Lynch's last threat.
After an extended rest of 25 min
utes, Lynch could win only one
game-the first of the last set-and
Leavens coasted home in rather
dull, long-rallying match. Leavens
showed, however, a fine overhead
game hitherto unrevealed by him
here and better volleying tactics
than in his Inflated stand against
Welsh just two weeks ago today.
For both Leavens and johnson,
their semifnal matches were their
second of the day, although the
latter had to play only one game
to enter the round with Welsh. He
had resumed Fridays rain-halted
match leading Adair by So, but
with Adair's service coming up, the
latter's supporters weren't exactly
hopeless. But Buddy shockingly
double-faulted at 30-all and then
proceeded to hand David the vic
tory by over-driving the baseline
on match point.
Leavens played almost two full
sets against Breese before entering
the semis, but had the satisfaction
Of defeating the big Harvard
alumnus by identical scores of 60.
They resumed play with Leavens
leading. 20, in the second set.
Don won four games in a row and
then took it easy in winning the
third set by the same margin.
Match Is Touch and On
Justifying the crowds interest,
Welsh and johnson waged an out
standing match. Each injected
timely drop-shots into proceedings
throughout and alternated in catch
Ing each other flat-footed at the net
with passing shots. johnson had
Welsh, 42, in the first set, only
to be caught and passed when the
latter took three games in a row.
But David held the odd game at
6-5, TO and 81, before breaking
service for first blood
Again in the second set, johnson
got off to a lead, but with the score
standing 1-3 against him, Welsh
again collected three successive
games to forge ahead. Davey tied
1t up at A, but missed an easy
volley which would have given him
a 5- lead. Thus reprieved, Welsh
won the ninth game in deuce and
the set on his own service in the
tenth. johnson overcame Welsh's
20 advantage in the third set to
deadlock the count at "a, only to
drop four in a row, and won only
the second. fifth and eighth games
In the fourth.
In the only doubles match played,
Welsh and Lynch advanced from a
7-7 stage in the second set to beat
De Witt Smith and Breese, ga,
81, 6Is. Smith was brilliant in
defeat and with a little more help
from his partner might have ex-
tended the issue. Breese was way
OF, however. and provided scant
aid.