TENNIS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 12 September 1924, Page 9

TENNIS.

DEFEAT OF PATTERSON

BRILLIANT PLAY BY TILDEN

• - cable—press association—copyright Received Sept. 12, 10.5 a.m. NEA\ \ ORE, Sept. 11. In contrast to ;the OA r erpoAvering heat in recent Davis Gup matches’, Patterson and Tilden began play at Germantown courts, Philadelphia, in blight sunshine, tempered by a cool breeze. The suectotorS Avore top coats and sweaters. Patterson began serving, but cut his service. This proved efteetiA’e, an< f he amassed a tAvo-love lead, breaking through Tilden’s service. Tilden, like most. American players Avho kneAA' Patterson’s style, drove every shot to the Australian’s backhand. Patterson Ayon the third after standing o—3.0 —3. Tilden Avon the fourth, after some difficulty, and he evened the score to three all. Breaking through Patterson’s service, his forehand drives Avere tremendous. Patterson’s ground strokes Averh imperfect. He found the ball rolling softly off his racquet, while Tilden Avas getting the length and pace of all his shots. Patterson aa'ou the ninth, his seswice bringing aces. Tilden had little difficulty in clinching the tenth, the crucial game, which Avent to deuce several times, hut Patterson made seA r eral. errors, permitting the champion to- pull out. the game and Avin the set. Tilden was sloav getting started, hut his superiority was then clearly evident. In the second set Tilden hammered the Australian’s backhand unmercifully, and he handled Patterson’s service with the greatest ease, playing a back-court game arid making it impossible for Patterson to approach the iiet. Patterson, rising to . great heights, tore through Tilden’s service in the sixth, 4 —2. lint it Avas only a- temporary spurt, and he succumbed in the' next game, losing his service, deuce, and ng the American a preponderant lead. Tilden won, taking the eighth game on : his oavii service. In the third set both, men played a hack court game, Tilden never coming to more than mid-court, and there driving deeply. Patterson made numerous errors, driving wildly or rolling shots into the- net. He missed gauit those opportunities Avhen he could have approached close to the net by outing. Tilden lobbed a few times, but these Avere earned points for Patterson, Avho killed them overhead. Patterson lost the service in the third, and this lead Tilden held. Patterson Avas being badly outplayed, not because he was not playing strongly. As a matter of fact he was getting his best effort in, but Tilden’s shreAvdly calculated managements forced the Australian to errors, hitting to. Patterson’s backhand, or keeping him racing hack and forth on the hack line. Patterson lost his- service in the, seventh, and the end was in sight. He fought desperately, but ineffectively. Tilden, playing faultlessly. shoAved his mastery. His backhand, with little trajectory, and his loav forehand would require nothing less than a genius in order to. successfully handle them. Patterson fought iriglit to the very finish, hut it Avas the slightest matter for Tilden to run out in the eighth on his OAvn service.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

RICHARDS v. WOOD

Received Sept. 12, 11.40 a.m. NEW YORK, Sept. 11. Details of the first set in tfte match Richards v. Wood are not to hand. In the second set Richards again took the lead, breaking through Wood’s service. In the third, his finely balanced play proved always effective. Wood, like Patterson, was here playing well, fighting hard, and repeatedly working in handsome placement shots. Richards, however, was more accurate. The American’s service was also effect tive, his first serve often being unanswerable. Wood continued to have great difficulty in holding the service. Roth men engaged in a volleying duel, each trying to get the other running to and fro in the back of the court. Richards usually ended such issues with a fast forehand drive that whistled through the ' air and the corner of the court for the winning point. Wood lost the service in the . seventh, Richards leading 5 —2. The American then overwhelmed the Australian with brilliant speed from the ground, and succeeded in coming to the net oltener. He was unpassable there, and Wood, fighting to do so, round himself checked continuously. Richards won the eighth and the set. The third set developed into an instance where a defeated man shows that he can fight defeat to the last point, and one can never tell he is beaten until all is over. Wood lost the service in the first, third and fifth games He appeared as clay in Richai*ds hands, and in the seventh the game stood 2—3 to lose the service and the match, but he -brought the game to deuce and won. Richards then, led 5 2. Wood now hung on to the match through sheer will. No shot was too impossible for him to get, and he was beating Richards point for point. Richards lost this service, and Wood, by winning three games consecutively, appeared to have a chance to win the set if he could break Richards’ service. In the tenth the Australian had fought bitterly to win on his own service. The ninth and tenth games found Wood seeking weak soots in Richards’ play iins was difficult, nevertheless the Australian won alternate points, taking a crucial game into deuce, where it gravitated, sometimes Richards, I with winning shots bv inches, snatching possible redemption from the Australian. The American could not be denied, and won the set and the match.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. The. spectators’ stand, holding 10,000 was nearly filled when the second match began. Richards, wearing a heavy sweater, served first and lost the first game. He.is the outstanding net player of America, and compelled Wood to give his shots the greatest length to prevent the American’s anprouch to the net. Wood obtained a ‘3—l lead by a beautifulLy calculated line of drives . caught the American decidedly off his oaee. Richards’ accurate, forcenil driving, however, soon began to rr.unr. and cracking Woods’ service in the sixth, and winning on his own in the seventh, he led 3—3. Richards demonstrated himseif an able backcourt player, and also earned many points with hard forehand drives shoulder high that sailed like a bullet hack over the net. and, were oraetically unreturnable. Wood, still playing accurately, was nevertheless constantly in difficulties. He lost his service in the eighth, and Richards led 5—3. The ;atter was winning easily. He lobbed every time Wood attempted to run to the net. and kept the Australian running back. His first service was hard, and Wood was comuelled to return it defensively. Richards ran out the set in six games against three.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.