WORLD STARS

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 238, 7 October 1936, Page 19

WORLD STARS

TWO CHAMPIONS PERRY ANp MISS JACOBS RETIREMENT OF MRS. WILLS MOODY. Supreme in the tennis world to-day are F. J. Perry (England) and Miss Helen Hull Jacobs (America), who carried off the respective Wimbledon titles last season. It is the hope, possibly, of every New Zealand tennis-player that some day lie will see a Wimbledon tournament. Auckland players have been particularly fortunate in recent years, for many of the world's greatest have tripped this way to hold local tennis followers spellbound with their artistry. Auckland, indeed, has been fortunate. The great F. J. Perry smashed his way to success and triple honours in the last New Zealand championship meeting at Auckland. His colourful personality will never be forgotten by those with whom he came in contact, whether on or off the courts. Frederick Jolin Perry was born at Stockport, England, on May 18, 1909. He learned his tennis at j Ealing, and in 1928 he won the Middlesex junior doubles championship. In that season lie was a force to be rQckoned with, and he represented London against Paris, and for the first time represented Great Britain against Australia. Tours of North and South America followed. Superb Style. By 1931 Perry was England's No. 1. Seven rounds of Davis Cup matches were played by Perry that year, and in the course of his run of successes he beat the crack American, Sidney Wood, and the one and only Jean Borotra. Since then Perry has been the outstanding personality of the tennis world. He has won championships in England, America, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, Argentina and France. He is one of the most dynamic personalities the tennis courts have ever known.. His superb style, liis artistry and his reckless abandon will ever be remembered by those Aucklanders who were lucky enough to sec him. Recently he married Miss Helen Vinson, a personality just as great in her sphere as Perry is in his.

Since the retirement of Mrs. Helen Wills Moody from championship tennis, her countrywoman, Miss Helen* Jacobs, has captured for America once again the women's world tennis title. Born in Globe, Arizona, on August 6, 1908, Miss Jacobs played her early tennis at the Berkley Club, California. In 1924 and 1925 she won' the American girls' championship. Two years later she had won greater success when she took the Pacific Coast title and the Califorfiian State championship, and the same year she represented America in the Wightman Cup series and reached the semi-finals of the American singles championship. At' the last Wimbledon tournament Miss Jacobs won her first world title, when she beat Mrs. Svend ' Sperling (Denmark) o—2, 4 —6, 7—5. It was the fifth occasion in which she had been in the Wimbledon final. Hers has been a remarkable tennis career. Some day Auckland tennis fans may see' her in action. Let us hope that it is soon.