Evening star., 1954-07-11
Tar Heel Team Takes
Men S Doubles TitIe;.
DeyIin Sisters Win
BxCaspor Nonnes

C~~N~~~~~~
seeding in the Middle Atlantic
clay courts tennis championships
by beating Charles Masterson,
the No. 2 seed, in the final round
of the tournament yesterday at
the Edgemoor Club.
The Swarthmore College youth
won well-played four-set match
from Masterson. 3-6. 6-3, GO,
6-4, and retained the title he
took for the first time last year.
"A new champion was crowned
in the women's singles when
Connie Ball Of Daytona Beach,
Fla. defeated Ann Gray. 6-2,
Ga, in stubbornly- fought con-
test.
The mems doubles also saw
new champions installed as the
young University of North Caro-
lima team Of Bobby Payne and
Tom Bradford overcame two
set deficit to defeat Dave John
sen and Fred McNair, 2-6, 4-6,
6-, 81, 6-4.
Devlin Girls Win Doubles.
Judy and Sue Devlin of Balti-
more captured the women's
doubles title by defeating Mar
jorie Norris and Charlotte Deck
er in the final round, Ga, 6-3.
The mems singles final was a
case Of MaSterson's powerful
serve and smooth all-round at
tack against the stone-wall de-
fense that Coss put up, and the
former wasn't quite good enough.
In the final analysis it was the
perfect lobbing and well placed
passing shots the Bethesda youth
used that upset Masterson's
efforts to get to the barrier for
decisive volleys.
In the opening set the former
New York star, now an execu-
tive assistant at the White
House, had that extra bit of
power and freshness to his shots.
Masterson clipped the rallies off
quickly with either sharp vol
leyS or sizzling forehand place.
ments. He broke through Coss
in the first game after the latter
held 400 lead, and then con-
centrated. on winning his own
delivery to run out the set.
Coss' LObbing Effective.
With the start of the second
set CoSS began to lob more fre-
quently, and with unerring skill
over Masterson's left side to the
baseline. This had the double
advantage of making the older
player approach the barrier more
cautiously and in having him
press on his shots in order to
make that advance.
After Coss took the second set
at 6-3, the two men battled |
on even terms until 2-all was
reached. Then Coss brok e
through on a perfect lob, a net
cord that trickled onto his oppo-
ent's court and a volley error
by Masterson.
The former New York star
took an early lead in the fourth
chapter at 81, but the Bethesda |
youth pulled even by taking the
next game, with a double-fault |
on game-point helping. In the
crucial seventh game a double
fault and another net-cord at
800 enabled Coss to take it
for 4-3 lead. From then on
he concentrated on holding his
delivery to run out the set, Ga,
and win the match.
1t was one of the best-played |
Anals tennis fans here have wit
messed in several years, with
both contestants hitting long
drives and showing themselves |
completely at home in other
departments of the game.
Women Battle 2 Hours,
Although Mrs. Ball, Florida
State champion, beat Mrs. Gray
with the loss of only four games,
the hard-fought battle took 2
hours to play. Each point was
bitterly contested. with the ball !
crossing the net frequently from |
so to 70 times on individual |
points.
The Florida star got off to an
early lead in both sets, but at no
time was she able to relax. Mrs.
Gray found that her own stone-
wall type of play could not quite
match the fleet court-covering
her opponent displayed, but Ann
was unable to change her tactics
sufficiently to change the course
Of play.
Payne and Bradford camped I
on top OF the net in the doubles
final once the third set started, 1
and they held a definite edge
from that point on. Both the |
left-handed Bradford and his
partner have strong services.
good overheads and sharp volleys |
and they made the combina ton
count. 1t was a good victory for
them and should herald more |
such tPillmnhc in tho f,1k,.ra