Cochran's Carom

A faint click click, followed by loud applause, broke the tingly silence. Boyish-looking Welker Cochran strutted and grinned because with that last shot he had beaten grey-haired Willie Hoppe, 50-to-46, in 45 innings, regained the world's three-cushion billiard championship.

This dramatic match last week ended 14 successive days of caroms, draw shots and four-cushion banks at Chicago's Sherman Hotel. Defending Champion Johnny Layton, a 3-to-1 favorite to repeat, fell behind at the start. When he met Hoppe, a fly zoomed on his cue ball, rested comfortably while Layton fidgeted. When the fly took flight, Layton fumbled, let Hoppe beat him for the first time in tournament competition. 50-to-49. Finally Cochran, toppled only by Arthur Thurnblad, 1931's winner, faced Hoppe, his onetime U. S. touring partner, previously beaten by Allen Hall.

The crowd, usually greedy for "color," that curious amalgam of arrogance and nonchalance, this time preferred Oldster Hoppe's quiet manner. At first he justified its hopes, led Cochran by seven points. Gradually Irishman Cochran regained his skill, his orthodox playing succeeding where his opponent's daring wizardry just failed. Superstitious spectators thought Hoppe a sure winner when he reached ''king row" (40th point) ahead of Cochran, groaned when a minute later he miscued. Cochran, now bubbling with confidence, soon completed the match with an unfinished run of seven, prevented Hoppe from fulfilling a ten-year dream.

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