MARIA BUENO HEROINE OF BRAZILIAN SPORT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28952, 21 July 1959, Page 2

MARIA BUENO HEROINE OF BRAZILIAN SPORT

When Maria Esther Bueno, aged 19, won the Wimbledon women’s singles title this month, ' she smashed a 21-year American monopoly and became the greatest heroine in the history of Brazilian sport.

She has returned home to a welcome led by her country’s President Juscelino Kubitschek. She. has been called the greatest serve-volley player in women’s tennis since Louise Brough But Maria remains unaffected by her new-won fame. As Darlene Hard, Wimbledon runner-up. told me :‘‘She is unassuming and very, very sweet. No-one m tennis has a bad word to say about her ’’ On court Mana employs a man-like serve and net attack The explanation is that she developed her game through practising with men. In particular, she was influenced by Armando Vieira. the former Brazilian Davis Cup player, now a professional; and by her brother Pedro, aged 21. who played for Brazil before he became a student at Lamar University, Texas. Sturdily-built. Miss Bueno developed a backhand smash similar to Vieira’s and her powerful serve-volley game is ths result of years of practice with her brother Her father, a wealthy businessman who markets animal foods, insisted that she should qualify as a schoolteacher before devoting her time to tennis. As a result, Maria did not go to Europe until 1958, when, on her first visit, she captured the Italian singles title and won the Wimbledon women’s doubles with Althea Gibson. She was only 18 and she had already had a court named after her in Sao Paulo to comrilemorate the time when she and her brother won half of the 20 events at the state championships. Now after only 18 months in international tennis. Mana is Wimbledon champion and undoubtedly the greatest stylist in the women’s game today Miss Bueno, pronounced Booennho) does not plan a long rest from tennis. ' Soon she will go to the United States fcr the next major American tournaments, and she means to defend

her Wimbledon title next summer. Her immediate ambition is to capture the United States singles title at Forest Hills. “It gave me more confidence when I beat Angela Mortimer last month. I have been playing better since then and I have improved my ground strokes,” she said. Maria says she has one special boy-friend. “He lives in Sao Paulo and we have known each other since we were 12. But he does not play tennis.”