LAWN TENNIS

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 150, 29 June 1929, Page 23

LAWN TENNIS

By "huka" AT WIMBLEDON

MANY NATIONS PRESENT

ANDREWS WINS IN FIRST

ROUND

Wimbledon, where champions from all over the world assemble—or long to do so—is now the attraction for all tennis players, no matter to what nation they may belong. The championships as the meeting is called, started at Wimbledon last Monday, and runs for twelve days. Champion players, male and female, from over twenty different nations are this year representing their countries, all hoping to be fortunate in the draw, so that they may continue in the struggle without having to play hard matches on successive days, while some will be content to be able, to get through the first round, which proclaims far and wide that they are better players at any rate than someone who has been accepted by the authorities as a tried player, otherwise they would not be in. the event. Some, of course, do slip into the Wimbledon events, but only get there more by compliment than on their standard of play. Still, ftiat matter really only concerns the authorities, who govern the meeting. The men's championship singles islimited to 128 competitors, and the opening day of the tournament sees the first round of that event completed. Tho opening round at times spells a surprise defeat for some champion, and a sensation when a,"seeded" player,, goes down to one less fancied, as was the case With Hunter last year when he fell to E. D. Andrews, the New Zealand player. According to the cables it would appear that two "seeded" players in Baron yon Kehrling (Hungary) and G. Lott (U.S.A.) have tasted defeat in the first round. The "seeded" players are as follows: Henri Coehet (France), Jean Borotra (France), W. T. Tilden (U.S.A.), V T. Hunter (U.S.A.), Baron de Morpurgo (Italy), G. M. Lott (TT.S.A.), Baron yon Kehrling (Hungary), and J. C. Gregory (England). Rene Lacoste, who beat H. Coehet in the final last year, is not defending his title this year. It was Laeoste who put Tilden out 2-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3, in the semifinal last year. Seeing that Moldenhauer defeated de Morpurgo in the Davis Cup match this year, one wonders at the latter being "seeded" before his conqueror, but possibly as it is Moldenhauer's first year at Wimbledon his non-inclusion in the "seeded" area is owing to insufficient data. Hunter appears to be lucky to be included, as were Lott and. yon Kehrling. Andrews at Wimbledon. E. D. Andrews had an easy win from Leiner, the latter only collecting one game in the first and second sets, whilst the third set went to the New Zea- I lander without the loss of a game. Seven rounds have to be played before the winner is definitely proclaimed, and only a real champion can reach the fifth round where "seeded" players should meet, unless they have met tKeir Waterloo beforehand. This year's Wimbledon will prove whether New Zealand's representative—E. D. Andrews—is a player above ordinary national champion standard. That is, a champion able to more than hold his own outside his own countly. He has had time to mature, and become accustomed to and overcome the many obstacles that are the downfall of players on their first visit to other countries, such as climate, light, condition of courts, and other things of lesser degree. Andrews has had time to tune up his game to the required standard to meet the attack of other national champions, but it is not every player that can give his best at Wimbledon, even at the second time of asking. ,To win, or even to advance any length in this classic event one has to be. a tried player with almost perfect shots to play an all court game, and after that he must have the courage of a lion, with a supple, well-trained frame to stand the strain of hard play day after day without letting up. Pos-

sibly one of the greatest assets a player cau have at Wimbledon is a temperament that -will stand him through what may appear to him to bo faulty decision, to enable him to lorget the roar of the thousands assembled to see champion strive against champion, and to withstand the craft of older and more experienced players than himself. A seasoned player once admitted to the writer that he was so nervous the night before he had to play at Wimbledon, that he could not rest so he went to an opera, "The Bohemian Girl," but when the song "I Dreamt That I Dwelt in Marble Halls" was sung it unsettled his whole night's rest as it rang through his mind almost up' to daylight, but the words were "I dreamt that I won at Wimbledon." The greatest excitement at Wimbledon will be in watching the course of Tilden's progress. Some say he is done, whereas others contend that he is still clever enough -to extend even the best of all comers. Tilden should be there when the "seeded" players meet, and should ho be less unlucky in the draw as compared with last year, he may have a chance to win. Miss Helen Wills. Miss Helen Wills, America's champion, sailed from New York on the Cunard liner Aquitania, bound for her fifth, and, as she said, the most exciting trip of her career,.to Europe. She had arrived at 8.30 in the morning by train from California, and from then onwards until settled in her cabin at midnight, she was the focus of interviewers, photographers, illustrators, agents for one thing and another, and friends, who swarmed around her during morning and afternoon in the drawing-room of the Hotel Eoosevelt. Except for an early morning trip, when she purchased Zo racquets for her European tour, the champion had hardly a minute that she could call her own. At L3O she was still trying to escape from the crowd to get her luncheon, but five cameramen ana three magazine, artists blocked the way, and vied with one another in trying to get her to pose for them. Miss Wills readily answered questions, and stated that her marriage, which will not take place for over a year yet will not interfere with her tennis career. Her fiance, she said, is fond of the game, and they are in agreement about her continuing to play. Also, she said she will continue to make her trips abroad, both for tennis and to pursue her career in drawing and sculpturing Her tour through Holland, Prance, Germany, and England will end in July as she leaves by the Mauretania from Southampton on the 13th of that month. Pasadena's Champion. Mrs. May Sutton Bundy. has also gone over to England, where she first won international tennis laurels a quarter of a century ago. Mrs.- Bundy has taken her daughter Dorothy, who is 13 years of age, with her, but although Mrs. Bundy intends to visit the Continent, and also play at Wimbledon, it is not known if her daughter is also to be a competitor, and perhaps a surprise packet. As a girl of 16 Mrs. Bundy won the singles at Wimbledon in 1905 and again was successful in 1907 Last year she won the Pacific-Southwest ehampionslup singles, and on her return to Los Angeles she will defend her title Mrs. Bundy cannot be expected to so very far at Wimbledon, but she may win a round or two if she is fortunate enough not to strike any of the ehampions^ Miss Helen Jacobs, who is second, in the national .ranking list of America, has also sailed for Europe ■ She was to go direct to Havre, and hoped to compete in the French championships, and then play against the German players at Berlin. Afterwards she had Wimbledon in view. Miss Jacobs evidently did no good in France, and must have lost her matches in Berhn, as Miss Wills appeared to be tne cnly American to score there In America Miss Jacobs is billed as a tenms_ star, and her supporters consider year or soshe will beat the other ''Helen." The Davis Cup. The semi-finals of the ' European Davis Cup Zone have been completed Last week it was known that Great Britain had been successful in the lower naii.ot the draw against Hungary. Now comes the news that Germany, with its young team, has advanced to the final by defeating. Czechoslovakia, and now meets the British team.in the final possibly at Berlin. This particular match must be completed not later than Monday, 15th July. Germany was hardly

expected to reach the final, but its young players, especially Molilenhaucr, must have greatly improved this year. Germany had a bye in the first lound, and then defaulted to Spain jn tho second round. After that -Italy, which, country was expected to reach the final, was met and defeated in the third round, and in the semi-final Czeeho-Slo-vakia was not equal to the task set its representatives by the Germans, Moldenhauer must be playing well <d have put J. Kozeluh (C^echo-Slovakia) out, and it may take Gregory and Austin, all their time to secure a win for Great Britain. If Moldenhauer does defeat them, then all will depend upon the doubles match, as the two Bjitishera should be able to beat Gemiany's second string, who may be Prenu. Whichever nation wins will -have to meet the American team in ths interzone final at Paris on 19th, 20th, and, 21st July.