Evening star., 1942-07-20

Leaves Throne
As 7rueSport
Youngster Adds Heat
To Torrid Day With
Barney Whiting
By LEWIS F. ATCHISON.

Step up and give the fraternal
clutch to the winnah and new
Middle Atlantic tennis champeen,
Davey johnson.
APPARENTLY weary of saving second
string to Barney Welsh's feature
fiddling the embryonic young medico
yesterday unsheathed some OF the
sharpest stroking witnessed in this
precinct in recent years and per-
formed major operation on one
of the Squire's choicer titles. He
cut him down in three sets before
surprised and delighted audience
at Columbia Country Club, 8-6, 6-2,
60, duplicating a stunt he pulled
a couple of years ago.
Maybe the heat got the thin man,
for Barney had to quit even though
he insisted on playing out the
match and taking his medicine
like a true champion, but only the
first SO degrees were generated by
the sun. Young Davey was cook
ing with gas in the torrid initial
set after disappointing start and
gave Welsh's sparse carcass more
thorough browning than brides
first piece of toast. Welsh knew he
was in the grease at that point.
and there was nothing much he
could do about it,.
At the end of the second cluster
it was obvious to even the unln1tl-
ated that he was not his old, cock
sure self. There was long pause
between rounds, while murmurs OF
Hes through" and Hes gonna quit"
rippled through the crowd. Then
the tired and beaten champ tottered
to his position at the baseline ana
went through the motions OF play
ing out the final set while johnson
applied the coup de grace.
Welsh a Good Loser.
Welsh was the first to pay tribute
to his successor.
"The heat got me-" he said in the
dressing room. 81 felt like my brain
was frying and couldn't think. l
couldn't mix my shots, but on the
coolest day and under the most
favorable circumstances wouldn't
have beaten Daveys today. He de-
served to win"
johnson accepted his crown with
becoming modesty.
"I was as tired as Barney after
the first set and II he had won 1t
he would have won the match. But
I played to win the first set-I gave
it everything I had and 1t was
decisive. Barney usually plays to
win the first and third sets ana
thought if I took the f1rst II
would upset his strategy. I think
that's what happened"
But the young giant killer didn't
upset Barney's strategy until the
SQUIRE had three games under his
belt and looked good for three
more. He rang up II consecutive
points before Davey scored, driving
home his shots with the old, familiar
spirit and accuracy.
Wins Six Love Games.
But if Welsh appeared a million
in the first three games he must
have felt that old when Johnsen
began to pour it IN. Davey won
on his service in the fourth game
and broke Welsh's in the fifth as
Barney continued to bang both
forehands and backhands into the
net. johnson, who won six love
games during the match, chalked
up the first In deadlocking the count
at sail only to see Welsh take sue
cessive leads at 4-3 and Sd before
finally getting back on the beam.
He ripped off two forehand place
ments, another backhand and
cross-court fireball to win his sixth
game. but Welsh came back to
knot the count for the last time
at Gall after getting the best OF
his rival in a lively exchange OF
drop shots.
A questionable linesmans decision
marred the decisive game. A hard
forehand to the far corner by john
sen appeared good but was ruled
out, giving Welsh 40-love lead.
Barney then proceeded to knock out
two successive shots to right matters
and johnson, playing his shots as
accurately as though using cue
stick, came on to deuce the game
and eventually win it.
johnson, Leavens Keep Title.
After a rest, rundown and tall
glass of lemonade-yeah, lemonade
Welsh came back and teamed up
with Hugh Lynch in futile effort
to keep johnson and Don Leavens
from retaining their doubles title.
It was no dice
johnson served an ace on Barney
to clinch the first set, Ga, and he
and his partner then ran out the
string, Ga, 6-3, with beautiful
brand OF team play that produced
some thrilling shots. Lynch and
Welsh were not exactly slouches
contributing their share of excite
ment, but it simply wasn't their
day.
| Johnsen's victory also helped