Evening star., 1950-07-10
Three Seeded Stars
Make Middle Atlantic
Net Debuts Today
By Cospor Names

Net Debuts Today
By Cospor Names
Three seeded stars make their
first appearance at the Kenwood
Country Club today as the Middle
Atlantic tennis championships en-
ter the third day Of play.
Jim Brink of Seattle. ranked
9 nationally and seeded 2 in the
tournament; Straight Clark of
San Francisco, ranked 19 nation
ally and seeded 6, and Sidney
Schwartz of New York, ranked %
nationally and seeded Z, face first
round opponents this afternoon.
Brink is pitted against Bob Speer
of Annapolis at S pm. Clark faces
Dick Covington of Washington at
q, and Schwartz plays Charles
Anderson of Washington at S.
Twenty-Six matches were played
in the mems singles. 8 in the
women's singles and 10. in the
mems doubles yesterday. Tourna-
ment officials hope to hold the
final matches, women's doubles
and mixed doubles in addition to
the above events this Sunday.
Curtiss Puts on q Show.
A large gallery yesterday was
treated to an Unexpectedly close
contest when Earl Cochell, ranked
5 nationally and seeded l here,
encountered a Tartar in John
Curtiss Of Washington. Cochell
finally beat Curtiss by the unusual
scores of 6-1, 1-6, 61, but not
until he abandoned his back-court
play Of the first two sets and
threw everything into a third-set
net attack.
The contest started off in rou-1
tine fashion, with Cochell holding
a definite edge over Curtiss in
their back court exchanges
through the first set, which he
won 6-1. With the start of the
second set the match's complexion
suddenly changed. Curtiss, using
his heavily topped forehand and
undercut backhand against the
spins and loop shots of Cocheu,
won the first game. -Cochell then
took his service to even the score.
At this point Curtiss, hitting the.
ball with speed, accuracy and
depth, ran IL straight points for
a Al lead. Cochell then won 2
points to bring the next game to
30-all, but he lost the following
point on a passing shot by Curtiss
and then double-faulted for the
game. The Californian intention
ally dropped the next game so he
could start the deciding chapter
on his own service.
CocheI Switches Tactics.
Cochell abandoned his back
court tactics almost entirely in
the third set. He frequently fol-
lowed his serve to the net and on
other occasions came up as soon
as he had an opening. Though
the score was 6-1, Cochell had
to apply himself throughout to
win. Curtiss played sturdy and
at times daring tennis to the end
and he was cheered by the crowd
for his fine showing.
Hugh Stewart, of Los Angeles,
seeded 4. limping on an infected
foot, defeated Alan McCarroll,
Edgemoor Club, 6-1, 6-1, In a
contest featured by sharp FORE
hand drives. c. Alphonso Smith Of
Washington played good tennis for
one set against the champion Of
Chile, Ricardo Balbiers. After
Smith lost it at Ga, the sting
went out of his shots and the tall,
blond South American swept
through the next six games.
Gil Hunt, Washington player
who was ranked 8 nationally in
1888 and 1889, played well within
himself to defeat Ernest Byfield,
6-4. 6-3. Hunt showed all the
smoothness of stroke execution of
earlier years and may upset some
of the seeded players later in the
week.
Woman Champ In Debut.
Arnold Saul Of Los Angeles,
seeded 5, and Gil Shea, Los
seeded 8, won their
in straight sets. Saul de-
feated Mark Hailer, Washington,
81, 60, and Shea erased Frank
Arlington, Washington, 6-1, Go.
Magda Rurac, former Rumanian
star now living in Los Angeles, is
scheduled to start defense of her
1949. Middle Atlantic title today.
She meets Julie Arnold at 5 pm.
Mrs. Ann Gray. perennial Wash
ington No. player, also is slated
today. Mrs. Gray. seeded 3, meets
Barbara Conard at 4 O'Clock.
Bahia Lewis of Boston, seeded 2,
will play tomorrow. She will
meet Mrs. Peggy Pace, wife of the
Secretary of the Army-