AMERICAN WOMEN PLAYERS FOR WIMBLEDON.

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 89, 14 April 1923, Page 15

AMERICAN WOMEN PLAYERS FOR WIMBLEDON.

, A. recent Reuter message from' Boston' to the "Manchester Guardian" says that the United States will not be without high-class representation in the forthcoming -women's lawn .tennis championship at Wimbledon, notwithstanding the ■announcement by Mrs.- Molla Bjurstedt iMallory, America's champion, that she will not play there this year. Miss Leslie Bancroft, of Boston, .who is ranked second. to .Mrs. Mallory among the women players of the country, and who is the leading American-born woman player, has decided to go abroad this spring, and will .play in several tournaments before taking part in the world's turfcourt championships .at Wimbledon. Miss Bancroft, a young left-hand player, whose improvement last.season was remarkable, will have as playing companion Miss Eleonora Sears. They sailed from New York on 20th March.and will play first in a tournament at Cannes. The world's hard-court championship at St. Cloud will have both the American women as contestants. Miss Bancroft, in ■discussing her plans, said she had no very high hopes of honours to be gained; "You know," she remarked, "Edith Sigoumey has told us that there are fifty English women players about on a par with an average player in America's first ten.' I realise-that my game is still far from perfect, and the opportunity for experience will be decidedly worth Miss Bancroft's entry into competitive tennis was made only three ; years ago. She ranked twelfth in 1920, eighth in 1921, and second in 1922. In twenty tournaments last year Ehe won eight, reached the final in five others, and.six tinies was put out in the semi-final round. Of the.scores of matches which she played last season, Miss Bancroft lost only twelve, and seven of these were to Mrs.i Mallory. TILDEN'S. INJURY. Lawn tennis critics who watched William T. Tilden play. at Brooklyn in January were of the opinion that the champion's form plainly showed ill effects from the. loss of part of the middle finger of his right hand. Tilden, paired' with S. Hardy, a former Davis Cup team captain, lost two informal sets to Watdoii M. Washburn, an international player, and Zenzo Shimidzu. His game suffered to some extent from lack of practice, and observers said the champion's stroking and attempts at cut shots seemed to cause him considerable pain. He declared after the match, however, that he believed, practice .would overcome his handicap, and that the spring would find his form close to its former standard.