M. Johnston and C. J. Griffin, the National
Champions, in the final and defeated them in five sets,
inflicting the only reverse the title-holders suffered during
their two-year reign as champions.
Another much more regrettable incident occurred in the famous
match between R. L. Murray of California and George M. Church of
New York in the fourth round of the American National
Championship in 1916. George Church, then at the crest of his
wonderful game, had won the first two sets and was leading Murray
in the third, when the famous Californian started a sensational
rally. Murray, with his terrific speed, merry smile, and genial
personality, has always been a popular figure with the public,
and when he began his seemingly hopeless fight, the crowd cheered
him wildly. He broke through Church's service and drew even amid
a terrific din. Church, always a very high-strung, nervous
player, showed that the crowd's partiality was getting on his
nerves. The gallery noticed it, and became more partisan than
ever. The spirit of mob rule took hold, and for once they lost
all sense of sportsmanship. They clapped errors as they rained
from Church's racquet; the great game collapsed under the
terrific strain, and Church's last chance was gone. Murray won
largely as he wanted, in the last two sets. No one regretted the
incident more than Murray himself, for no finer sportsman steps
upon the court than this player, yet there was nothing that could
be done.
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