LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 143, 17 June 1916, Page 12

LAWN TENNIS

(By "Huka.")

Miss Molla Ejurstedt, formerly _of Christiana, Norway, but now classified a-s of New York, has added the covered court championship to her list of honours. The tenth annual covered court championship for -ladies was heJd at tlia Seventh Regiment Tennis Club, in their armoury at Now York. There were forty players in the- singles and eighteen pairs in the doubles. The Norse girl galloped through the five rounds very easily, and continued on by defeating Mrs. F. Schmitz in the final, 6-2, 6-1. In the doubles, Misses Bjurstedt and Wagner had an easy rim to th-6 final, where they mcl Mesdames Schmitz and Weaver. Tho latter pair could not even extend their opponents, who won 6-1, 6-3. t Kumagae, the Japanese player, who defeated Griffin, the American, player, for the championship of the Orient, has clearly demonstrated that it was no fluko by again winning aJi exhibition match played at Tokio, in Japan. The Jap played alt over his opponent from the start, and soon had two sets in a.t 6-2, 6-0. To his credit oame four gajnes to love before Griffin could stop him. The American captured two games, but the Jap made it 5-2, and with tho service led 4(W5 for what appeared the final game.' Then cam© tho battle, for Griffin refused to be beaten, and, with great pluck, made tho score deuce by .winning two strokes in succession. His opponent won the next stroke, and had "advantage in," but here again. Griffin won three strokes in succession, thus winning _ the game. The Jap was four times within a stroke of winning the match in that particular game. Griffin kept going at top, and took tie next three games, and "5 all" wa6 called. Griffin had his man on the ran, but the Jap, with a great effort, led 6-5 by winning Griffin's service game. Again the American rallied, and won out at 8-6. In the fourth set Griffin appeared to have his opponent settled— in fact, it looked, as though ho was simplyplaying with him when ho took four g-ames in quick succession, only losing three points in doing so. The Jap rallied, but lost the set at 6-3. Both players had been under very severe, strain, yet Griffin had so used up his opponent that the match looked all over when the fifth sot was started. The piny was fairly even, yet whenever in a tight place the Ja.p appeared to be able to put on an extra spurt, and although the spectators expected to see the Califomian win, Kumagae led at 4-1. Griffin woke up a.nd took a game, but Kumagae won the two last games. His last three strokes were hurricane drives, far out of reach of the panting American. The Jap won by 3 sets to 2, the score in the last set being 6-2. The United States Association has been piling up the dollars of lats, and has now a very fins balance in the treasury. It will be a great fighting fund in the future not only to secure the Davis Cup, but to successfully defend ir. The Americans will spend those dollars freely to get that cup back, and a-s their balance is 39,014 dollars they have something to play with.