Evening star., 1941-06-12
Best Here on Display
In Singles, Doubtless;
Leavens Pressed
Martin Is Given Cheers
In Defect Following
Brilliant Effort
BY BILL DISMER, Jr.

Some of the zest of final matches
may be lacking, but for quantity
and quality in local tennis, you
can't beat tomorrow afternoon
semifinal program of The Stars
tournament at Edgemoor Club.
Setting the stage for the doubles
final to be played on Saturday and
the singles championship tilt on
Sunday, Referee A. K. Tigrett has
scheduled all four semif1nal matches
tomorroW-two in singles and two
In doubles. In those four en-
counters will be involved the best
netmen of the District.
Defending Champion Barney
Welsh's semifinal opponent was to be
determined today by the Dick
Murphy Charley Charming match,
with the former. seeded fourth,
slightly favored over the lone un-
ranked local star still in the tourna-
ment who is seeded eighth. The
other singles semiinal will send Don
LeavenS, leading contender for
Welsh's title, against Hugh Lynch,
seeded fifth.
Charming, Willis Advance.
Leavens and Lynch will clash at
o'clock and Welsh will play either
Murphy or Charming at S, with
doubles starting as soon as possible
after completion of the singles.
Charming and Ricky Willis beat
three doubles teams to the semifinal
round yesterday by whipping Jim
Hardey and Slater Clarke, 6-3, 60,
but the trio of other semiflnal
tandems were to be decided this
afternoon. Channing's and Willis
opponents will come from the match
between second-seeded Leavens and
David johnson and Doyle Royal
and Eddie Miller.
Opponents in the upper half of
the doubles draw depend on today's
battling. Top-seeded Welsh and
Lynch were to meet Bill Breese and
Ed Mather with the winner to take
on the victor of the tilt between
Murphy and Tom Mangan and
Austin Rice and Dave Hoppock.
Hot Tennis in Prospect.
If remaining matches in the
tourney follow the pattern of yes
terdays singles-and there's no
reason to believe they won't
spectators are in for some rare
tennis. For high-grade play, &C
centuated with the thrills of beau
tiful volleying, that match between
Leavens and Don Martin of George
town University would be hard to
equal. If ever a guy deserved a
better fate it was the young Hoya
who raced all over the court for un-
believable gets" only to bow to
Leavens' slight superiority, 8-6,
6I3. But before he did, Martin
evoked round after round of ap-
plause with full volleys, half volleys
and a smashing overhead game
which must have surprised the be-
spectacled southpaw who was
heavy favorite.
For II games of the first set,
Martin returned as good as he re-
ceived, smashing Leavens' hottest
drives back nearly as fast as they
came. At that point, Leavens
softened up his game a bit, got
Martin off stride and broke his foes
service to win. Then Leavens began
to make Martin run so much that
his tongue literally hung out. The
favorite got off to 80 lead in the
second and after Martin won the
next two, raced off with three of
the next four to capture the deci-
sion. Martin still was getting of
those volleys at the end, however,
and drew big ovation when he left
the court.
Lynch Comes From Rear.
Lynch had to rally to whip John
sen who captured the first set, Ga,
but after deadlocking the match by
taking the second at the same score,
coasted home in love set. johnson
rarely has made as many errors as
he did yesterday and when his fate
appeared evident in the final set,
seemed to give up trying altogether.
After dropping the first set, 1-6,
Buddy Adair matched Welsh game
for game for half of the second
before succumbing, 6-3. The loser
got in several good shots against the
champ, but In the end it was the
titleholder's smashing offensive that
spelled Adair's doom.
Murphy and Mangan were ex-
tended to deuce scores in both sets
of their doubles match with Dewitt
Smith and Tom Walden, which
ended LID Is a.