Men's Doubles

On the smooth tennis lawns of the Longwood Cricket Club, Brookline, Mass., famous men played doubles for the U. S. championship. Famous William Johnston, San Francisco, stepped off the train out of practice and teamed with Richard Norris Williams. Once they had played doubles together before; to win the Norwood Tournament in England, 1920. Spectators watched them narrowly, since only they could dispute with William T. Tilden Jr., Germantown, Pa., and Francis Hunter, New Rochelle, N. Y., sly shotmakers, the honor of playing doubles for the U. S. against France in the approaching Davis Cup matches. They won early matches easily against unknowns, improving with practice. Their first ardent opposition came in the semi-finals against young George M. Lott Jr., Chicago; and young John Doeg, Santa Monica, Cal. The young men, prospective champions sages say, showed fight, forced the older men desperately, lost 9-7, 6-4, 10-12, 8-6.

In the other bracket of the semi-finals Tilden and Hunter were careless in the first set, lost it 5-7 to John Hennessey, Indianapolis, and Lucien Williams, Chicago. Tilden and Hunter tightened up, ran the match out easily 6-2, 6-3.

Spectators were sorry thus to see all the young men go down before all the old men. The day before, the young men had swept the French menace from the tournament, Hennessey and Williams defeating, unexpectedly, Jean Borotra and Rene Lacoste; Lott and Doeg defeating, also unexpectedly, Henri Cochet and Jacques Brugnon.

Tilden and Hunter then took the National Championship: 10-8, 6-3, 6-3. Tilden served eight aces; Hunter, one; Williams, one; Johnson, none. Tilden last won a doubles title in 1923 (with Brian Norton). Last year Williams and the then amateur Vincent Richards beat Tilden & A. H. Chapin in the finals.