TENNIS PRODIGIES

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 63, 7 December 1938, Page 15

TENNIS PRODIGIES

Girl Players In England

Two 17-year-old tenuis girls—Miss Rosemary Thomas and Miss Gem Hoaliing, 4ft. flin. British-born Chinese girl—have been included in the official British ranking list. Rosemary is No. 10, Gem No. 11. They are two of the three young tennis wonders of the moment. The third is a 14-year-old schoolgirl, Jean Nicoll, Harrow. , , , Rosemary is slim, wears glasses, touna work in a dress store fatiguing, but stayed up late every night to pass her matriculation rather than give up tennis. She has a tine tennis brain and plays well at the back of the court, passing even the most expert volleyers. She belongs to the Mrs. Moody poker-face variety ot I’layer. And she has beaten Mrs. King (Wightman Cup captain), Miss Susan Noel, Miss Valerie Scott, Miss Jean Ingram, all “names” in the tenuis world. She was junior champion in 1937. Miss Gem Iloahing can see over the net but not so very much above it. She has a solemn expression when she loses a shot and a six times more solemn look when she wins one. She is fond ol bull’s eyes. . She was junior champion m 193 b. She was too young for “Wimbledon,” and, like Rosemary, went in for killing off Wimbledon players at other tournaments. She floored Mary Heeley in Eastbourne —Miss Heeley had been Britain’s No. 1 a few years ago. On the Riviera last February Gem beat the French champion, Mme. Mathieu.