TENNIS STAR MAY RETIRE

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28529, 7 March 1958, Page 2

TENNIS STAR MAY RETIRE

Il Titles Won At Wimbledon

[By SUSAN VAUGHAN! LONDON

Thousands of tennis enthusiasts will be sorry to hear that Miss Louise Brough, four times Wimbledon champion, is thinking of retiring from championship lawn tennis this year. * Miss Brough has talked about retiring before but this time she probably will.

Miss Brough has recently announced her engagement to Dr. Alan Clapp, an American dentist who lives near her home at Beverley Hills, California. She thinks it is time she settled down.

At the age of 34, she is not so agile on court. She was recently ranked as America’s No. 2 women’s singles player—second to Althea Gibson. But there is a lack of outstanding young talent in the United States at present. It is significant that last year, when she was seeded No 2. she failed to reach the semi-finals of the Wimbledon singles for the first time since the war. However, she is still a great doubles player and she and Mrs Du Pont are the current American doubles holders

Miss Brough has a fantastic tennis record. Born in Los Angeles, she had her first big success in 1940, when, at the age of 16. she became American junior champion.

Since then, she has won 11 Wimbledon titles and has been runner-uo in the singles three times. In 1955. she won the singles titles of the United States and Australia. With Mrs Du Pont, she has won the American women’s doubles championship 11 times.

Miss Brough is now on her way to South Africa to begin what may be her last tennis tour. But she may make one more appearance at Wimbledon, the scene of her greatest triumphs.