AMERICAN SINGLES

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 55, 2 September 1924, Page 8

AMERICAN SINGLES

A RUNAWAY MATCH

AUSTRALIAN IN BAD FORM.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION.—COPXRIGHT.)

(AUSTRALIAN-SEW ZEALAND CABLE ASSOCIATION.) (Received 2nd September, 1.30 p.m.) • ' NEW--YORK, Ist September. The day was .tremendously hot, and Patterson was listless. Johnston had no difficulty, in . making it a runaway match.. In.the.;first;.set, when Patterson served three double faults in.,the sixth game," losing';his service,- he offered Johnston an entering wedge, which the American improved upon by a tremendous onslaught in the .eighth game, when he again drove through the Australian's service. Patterson .double-fault-ed five times during the set. Johnston's forehand drives ■ made return shots impossible, they were so viciously speedy. Patterson's service at first iwas effective, offering three aces in the second game and winning the fourth to love Johnston was utterly unable to return the service. Patterson, for a moment hi the seventh game; was up on Johnston s service.

s ihe. Australian, in-- the second set, seemed; utterly to lose interest in the m;\ tchvHe double-faulted repeatedly! and only, during the; fourth game did' he make anything hke an effort to return the service. : Although'Johnston ultimately woir the game, 8-6, the American was playing brilliantly, and apparently visualised thrf match as the mirror of a .Davis Cup. challenge: should Australia advance to the ultimate round: It may have been the tremendous heat which hindered the Australian, but it deemed that he missed^ the easiest shots arid drove the remainder into the net' or out. His backhand, which Johnston hammered- unmercifully, failed every time;;and. even his ground strokes, ,which are, usually splendid, proved ter-' nbly weak. ; '

The third set was a.complete duplicate of the second. The Australian appeared to care nothing about the outcome, wiiue the American -iwas at the : top"of his form and never erred; and he won without an effort. '