TENNIS CHAMPION

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 10 March 1934, Page 8

TENNIS CHAMPION

AUSTRALIA’S TOP LADY MISS HARTIGAN’S ACHIEVEMENTS COMPETING AT WIMBLEDON. Since the Lawn, Tennis Association., of Australia lias decided to grant £IOO toward a fund (o,.send Joan Hartigau to the world’s lawn tennis championships at Wimbledon, there should be little difficulty iii raising the other money required far the purpose. The project to' send abroad Australia’s woman champion has interest for New Zealanders, many of whom saw her play inr the Dominion in 1932, when she worn the New Zealand women’s singles championships. Since Joan Hartigau visited New; Zealand she has won the championships of Australia (twice), New South Wales and Victoria. She is not yet 22 years of age. Writing in the Sydney “Sun” recently, Con. Simons said: Should! Joan Hartigau go abroad, she will be the first real woman champion to 1 represent Australia in overseas tennis since the late Mrs Cozens (nee Daphne Akhurst) placed our women on the map so delightfuly and so effectively.

True, we have had other Australians playing at Wimbledon and in other tournaments, but not of the calibre of either Daphne or Joan. To ask thafi Joan should fill the hearts of enthusiasts abroad as did Daphne Is a tall .order, but, from what we have seen of her and the comments of the Americans and the Englishmen, we could not have! a more worthy representative.

LONG BATTLE TO THE' TOP., Joan Hartigan has had a long fight to reach the top. In 1928 she won the schoolgirls’ championship of , New South Wales, and! received a fair amount of favourable comment, although at the time there was .little thought that she might one day develop into an Australian champion. Consistent practice and the ability to learn by watching the champions in action, combined with coaching, had its reward three years later, when she won the junior singles, going through all the rounds and the final without losing a set. However, what brought her right into' the public eye was her defeat of Miss L. Bickerton in straight sets in the wom'en’* championship. From that year Miss Hartigan never looked back. True, she met many defeats before she at last reached her goal last year—the Australian title—but, like a real champion, she did not’ let her defeats worry her. . She was right in the .public eye now, and, after collecting the New South Wales and Victorian championships in 1932, the next year she won the Australian singles, and just went down in the doubles with Mrs Van Ryu to Mesdames 1 Molesworth and Westaco.tt. In the last few 1 months Miss Hartigah’s game has gone ahead by leaps and bounds. Under the coaching of popular Jimmy Willard, She has gained' knowledge of the game, has improved her backhand-, and her service is much more deadly than, say, about 12 months ago. As to her forehand, everyone knows the speed which she can clap on'

it. • That her improvement has been most marked is revealed by her figures in the last three important singles chainpion'ships in which she' has competed* She did not lose a set in the .New South Wales titles, dropping only 23 games in eight sets. In the Victorian singles championship she went to the final without losing a set, and then, according to report, she threw away .the first set against Miss Chitty, but, speeding up her drives, won comforably in the next. .two. In the recent Australian championships Joan, reached! the peak of her form. Against the cream of wopien plavers in Australia, she did not give lier opponents a chance, winning the following sets without a weak one. Her figures Were - o, 6——l, 6—l, G—l, 6—l. 6—3, 6—l, 6—4, for a total of 62 games won against 24 games lost—astonishing figures indeed. Her display in the final, against-Mrs Molesworth will live in the memory of those who were fortunate enough .to see, it. She hit the Queenslander off the court, and her generalship was delightful

ENGLISHMEN’S VIEWS. Both. P J. Perry and G. P. Hughes were greatly impressed by the. Australian girl Hughes in particular thought that she would be very har'd' to beat at ■Wimbledon, although she might find it a bit difficult settling down to strange conditions. Still, Hughes beiisved that with her forehand drive she would have many of the overseas players in trouble, he would not venture the opinion that Joan would teach the final, hut he saw no reason at all for her not getting into the semi-finals. . " With that speed she wall certainly have tire, best of them running about, said Hughes, “and she is such-a fine girl that she would be welcomed with open arms wherever she went. :• - Miss Hartigan has beaten eveiy woman player of note m Austraji^^

aHSTof a second service was not part of the first code of lawn tennis rales, "but was introduced tennis seo J a inn was adopted, and that nearly 60 vears ago there was as much controversy about the advantage of serving as there is to-day. .