BELOW HER FORM

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 137, 11 June 1932, Page 16

BELOW HER FORM

TEST FOR MISS STAMMERS

MISS NUTHALL^ WINS

. iThep;was:^ feast-of; gopd^hings i«^ the British' Hard Court-! Championships meeting.. Melville Park mover• held such:a crowd';on:the thirdiday; evenl. the. threat; of Lraija did;not keep the crowd away, writes •- A. ;WaUis Myers in the London "Daily vTeiegraph'.'^ Several long international niatche3 wer» waged, but these. proved ; to/^be only, prologues to the first, meeting-between. Miss Nuthall and Misss Stammers. Tha stage was set for ■ a-battle" ioyal between two English girlsi- dfV. winning personality "both. equippe'dTwitn. forcing weapons. The first-had won;the-Ameri-" can championship and is now _the holder of ■ tho American and, French.idonbles titles. Her younger' opponent;' is not yet a\ national champion, \. but: it may;be said: of, her that'-.in;this> ordeali although defeated,;the promiseiof."• th' 9 crown was there. . '. %.'

I An. ordeal.it undoubtedly wis. This players did not- prepare- for,it quita r in. the same way. Knowing that sha would-be having blows from, a lefthanded. adversary— a~ disturbing pect, even for a'champidn-^MisS'lfutllSll searched-the ground in the inorning for a -left-handed partner.. • She' found one in C. B. Hare, the present; juniorrchampiou. The': precaution ■• proved: most* valuable.. Miss Stammer's, on.the other' nand, gave a hostage to. fortune before she went into court. 'The.-bag contain? ing her kit"was notiput in the car which"' carried members, of ■ tKe house party, from Lady Wavertree's'" home on .the other side,of .Bournemouth.- Only when.. Miss. Stammers went..into, the_dressijig'« room, was the accident discovered.' The crowd waited.nearly "half an hour for-a damsel in distress, albeit- one outwardly calm., A ear was hastily unpirked ana Miss Stammers herself., '.wentv back ■to rescue her clothes. ''V i'}-\.-i: : .., ;j. , ■ ■_- At length, escorted by photographers and other-people who made up quite a retinue,.; the two girls >arriyed.v Miss Stammers ;was not nervous; somehow' she simply could-not:hit;a.ball into its proper place.: There was no'■; contest and nothing to applaud. 'Miss Ifuthall won a procession of points and ten. games running. She was and composed, serving well, and;hitting a . clean, fast drive. Bnt she had not. ,been. challenged. It takes two -to;.:make a match, and the girl who-had lost the first ten-games was searching ;f or a game that looked as if it was; never coming. ■■.; : / JtTSTTOOIiATS. / ;; = Then, just-before it 'wa»: too late— and after, serving two double.-' faultsMiss Stammers proved 1 "her" character; as a'fighter; one who can 'face, overwhelming oddsr and nearly: turn' disaster into triumph; She broke■throngh^Misi. Nuthall's service to- win:her first ganje;1 hearty- cheers .greeted the feat.: Miss Nuthall, quite runruffle'd ? and makihg;an. excellent volley,.went-to jSr-^l. It- was now or never with MissjStammers.;Her opponent seemed to sense'a lurking ;dan- ! ger-—or did she relax'to-makeLthe.eoup deVgrace?" The good-ifairyj;of' Miss Stammers 'smiled at-.lasti. 'andj-Beti^; served three • double ■faults.J • ;';r:v s ' Five-two, and-a■ thronginowicraying for fcore;excitement! 'Miss TStammers i.now began her steep inciineXitiiwarda .level, ground...Sheracquifed'-l)pth ;controi and speed, and with Miss rNuthall/ playing well, if with less, assurance, a real struggle was witnessed. Into tha deep .corners; the\ybunger- girl struck; some great, winners, while :she xlefi&ided her; own court with :cobl efficiency.- Sha . squared the set and earned her meed ; of applause, but she could not quite! j 'wiri'it. The double faults-had. ceased^! ■but two -or three ; wellrconceived1 shots ' jiist went over the lines. .._ ..._.;