Evening star., 1941-06-23
Vet Racketer Routs
Court Challenger
After Slow Start
Barney Also Gets Share
Of Doubles Title With
Lynch in Stur's Meet
By BILL DISMER, yr.

by DILL bASuLh, JIs
Barney Welsh, like another cham
plon, Joe Louis, is thinking Of
starting a club. Only what was, for
a while. Louis Bum of the Month"
Club will become another unincor-
porated group, Welsh's "Bum-of-
the-Year" Club. Authentic men,
3ership will go to any outstanding
tennis player of the District as soon
ase he is paired with Welsh in a
tournament match.
Latest of a Six-year string of such
"bumS" is personable Don Leavens,
whose chief consolation today
should be the knowledge that he
isn't the first serious challenger
whose reputation has been exploded
by the Rockville rocket.
It's hard to say whether Leavens
or the Districts record amateur ten
mis- crowd of nearly a thousand
spectators was the more amazed at
the ease with which Welsh took
Leavens' game apart in straight
sets to the tune of IS, 81, SIS.
AS the scores indicate, only in the
first set did Leavens have a chance.
But, with the count SIS against
him in that opening tilt, Welsh be-
gan a streak which saw him take
seven games in row, IA of the next
Is and 16 of the last 20 of the
match
Adds to Leavens' Woes.
To make the sadly debated Mr.
Leavens all the more miserable
Welsh and his partner. Hugh Lynch.
outlasted his singles victim and
Davey johnson in a long, hard
fought doubles match which came
within a game of being terminated
by darkness at sail in the fifth set.
For it was 7:44 o'clock when Welsh
appropriately smashed a hot one
past Johnson for the point which
gave his side a 40, 6-3, +6, 50,
Ga victory.
Thus it was that Welsh captured
his fourth City of Washington sin
giles championship and shared the
doubles title for the second time
since The Star assumed sponsor
ship of the event in 1886. Only
Dooly Mitchell has won the tourna-
ment's singles crown oftener, the
old Georgetown racketer winning
five straight years, from 1881
through IS.
If he plays in it. Welsh should
tie that mark next year. After yes
terday, We wouldn't bet against Bar
ney in a local tournament if his
foremost challenger were National
Champion Don Mcneil.
The wise guys said Welsh would
have it when the chips were down
and they were right.
Welsh Greatly Superior.
After sparring lightly for the first
eight games, Barney began to open
up" on his service in the ninth and
the handwriting on the wall became
unmiStakable. Leavens could win.
only four points in those last four
games, while Welsh was adding to
his point total with placements as
well as his opponents errors.
On The Stars Scoreboard Welsh
was credited with % placements
throughout the match, while Leavens
could make only seven against the
champ. That, largely, is the story
of the match. Barney passing his
opponent time after time with
LeavenS standing either helpleSsly
at the net after chasing drop-shots
or being far back on the baSeline,
with Welsh blasting croSS-court VOL
leyS from the net. LeavenS, it is
said, doesn't like to volley Welsh
showed him that he'd better learn
to like it or else
Five times during the match
LeavenS was the victim in love
games. Only three times did he
hold Welsh scoreleSs, but one of
those times-in the second set
Welsh threw" four straight points
in an apparent effort to conserve
his strength. Here again was a
surprising feature. Welsh, five years
Leavens' senior, seemed fresher at
the end than his foe Both halted
the match countless times to wipe
the perSpiration from their glasses.
johnson Is Doubles Star.
From the seventh game of the
first set until the sixth of the third,
Welsh didn't drop his service.
Altogether, he won II of IA games
while serving, while LeavenS' service
was cracked eight times in IA.
Despite that he was on the losing
side, all three other doubles players
agreed that johnson was the out
standing star of the team encounter.
If anything, Leavens looked worse
in doubles than he did in the singles,
muffing easy shots and once missing
hitting the ball completely on an
overhead smash. That he and
johnson were able to extend their
adversaries to the limit of five sets
is due to the fact that Davey car
ried" Don almost completely.
Lynch was no drawback to the
champion, but again and again
through the five sets it was Barney
who came through with game
winning or saving points. including
the match point The losers held
% and +3 leads in that final set,
but Leavens dropped his service in
the eighth game and after Welsh
won on his own. Johnsen's was
cracked in the tenth.