LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 248, 17 September 1936, Page 2

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

WORLD’S RANKING

WOMEN'S FORM CONFUSED

NN'itli the U.S.A. championships decided, there are no more tournaments of great importance this season, thougn Miss Stammers and some or the leading American players ol both sexes may take part in the Californian tournaments dining this month. Though Perry may be deemed lucky to have m'on, tiie U.S.A. title for tiie third tin*; —it would have been lor the fourth time in succession had it not been for his accident last year—on the other hand it might equally have been said that he was unlucky if he had lost.

The form seems to show that Budge will succeed von Criumn in the worm s ranking lists this year. J’erry as winner at Wimbledon and Forest Hills must be first. Von Gramm beat him for the French championship, but in two of the five sets of tho final TVry ran all over him, whereas Budge look Perry to four sets at Wimbledon and got to match point several times at Forest Hills. Taking the line through Qaist, Budge comes out well ahead of von Cramm, for Budge has beaten Quist in three straight sets each time tney have met, whereas von Cramm only just got home against Quist, who was suffering from a sprained ankle, after a desperate five-set match in the Davis Cup. Von Cramm is clearly third, ana Quist on iiis form against von Cramm and his victory over Austin in tho Davis Cup must be fourth. Austin’s will over Crawford puts him fifth and Crawford sixth. This leaves only two of the eight men seeded at Wimbledon, viz;., Grant and Allison, and though the latter was until last week the LI.S.A. champion, yet on the whole Grunt lias a better record this season. For the remaining places in the first ten Henkel, the German second string, seems the best, and perhaps Pallada, the Jugo-Sluvian player who beat both his Trench opponents in the Davis Cup, and scratched at Wimbledon, may he included. The victory of Miss Marble over Miss Jacobs in the U.S.A. championship makes the women’s form very contusing. Miss Marble, who is just on 26, has in the past beaten Miss Bound, Miss Heeley, Mrs Fabyan and Miss Babcock. She was picked to play for U.S.A. in the Wigliunan Cup m 1966, but owing to a slight sunstroke did not compete. In 1964 she represented U.S.A. v. France, and was No. 6 in tile American ranking list in both those years. Owing to a severe breakdown when on a foreign tour she lias been out of the game for two years, and made her re-appearance last April in the Paint Springs tournament wnere she won the singles, losing only five games in beating May Doeg, Dorothy Bundy, and Dorothy Workman on her way to the final in which she beat Miss Babcock, who was successful in her singles in the AN iglitman Cup against Britain this year. At the South Caliiornian tournament she won both singles and doubles, and repeated the performance when playing at Longwood. As her performances have been confined to America, with neither Mrs Moody nor Miss Jacobs meeting her till the latter did so in the U.S.A. championship last week, it is hard to say where the critics will place her. In America she will probably be placed at No. 1. lollowed by Miss Jacobs, but the form of the women this year is so confused that opinions will differ widely as to their merits. 'Although Miss Jacobs won at Wimbledon site has been beaten by Misses Round, Stammers, and Jedrzejowska. Miss Round was beaten at NVimbledon by Frit Sperling, in the Hard Court championship by Mrs King, and just the other dav bv Senorita Lizana for the North of England championship. On the other hand she beat Miss Jacobs and Mrs Fabyan in the Wightman Cup and Senorita Lizana at burbiton. Miss Jedrzejowska has beaten Miss Stammers on each of the four occasions that they have met, including NVimbledon, and was a semi-finalist at NVimbledon. She has also beaten Senorita Lizana and Madame Matliieu and has lost to the latter. Miss Stammers has had losses to Miss Jedrzejowska and Fru Sperling as noted above and to Miss Jacobs at Forest Hills as well as to Mrs 1 ( abyan m the Wigbtman Cup, but she beat Miss Jacobs in that event, and won the Hard Court championship from Senorita Lizana 7—5, i o. Fru Speilin<r has the most consistent record. She was runner-up at NVimbledon, taking the second sot from Miss Jacobs, and beating Miss Round, Miss Adamson (Belgium’s No. 1), and Miss Babcock (U.S.A. player in NVightman Cup) on her way to the final, and has the credit of never having lost a set to any player between last years Wimbledon and this year’s final against Miss Jacobs. During that time she lias won the championships of France, Germany, Belgium, Switzerland, etc. But she is anything but a stylish player and for that reason the critics may hesitate about placing her at No. 1 in a world’s ranking. Senorita Lizana lias bad a good season. Though beaten by Misses Stammers and Round, she boat the fattei in the more important South of England championship. She was beaten by Miss Jedrzejowska in one minor tournament, but lias won several, including the Scottish championship tor the second time. At A\ ini bled on she did better than any other player against IVtiss Jacobs. Alter winning the second set at 6—l she went to 4—2 in the third and looked all over a winner.

Madame Matliieu was a semi-finalist at NVimbledon beaten by Fru Sperling, as she was in the finals of the I rcnch and German championships. On her way to the semi-finals she had beaten Fraulein Horn (Germany’s No. 2), Miss Hardwick (Britain’s Wightman Cup player), Mrs Andrus (American No. ()) and Miss Dearman (British Wightman Cup player). On the Continent she won tournament after tournament, beating Miss Stammers, directly or indirectly, several times, and had a win and a Toss against Miss Jedrzejowska. Altogether a good record. Of those seeded at NVimbledon there remains only Mrs Fabyan, who after beating Miss Stammers in the Wightman Cup was unexpectedly beaten in the first round by Fraulein Horn. The eight players seeded at NVimbledon, as given above, with Miss Marble can hardly be left out .of a “world’s best ten” list. If any of them is left out it may be Mrs Fabyan, while of others who may be included the most likely seem to be Fraulein Horn and the Comtesse dc la Valdane, who as Senorita de Alvarez was three times runner-up to Mrs Moody at NVimbledon. Owing to the calls of bunsiness Andrews appears very little in tournaments now, but Malfroy and Stedman continue in their winning ways. Last year Stedman beat Malfroy on five occasions when they met, but this year Malfroy seems the better. At the Northumberland Golden Jubilee tournament Malfroy won all three events. Stedman, who beat him last year, and was the holder of the title, went down to R. J. Ritchie, 4—6, 6—B in the semi-finals, and Maliroy beat Ritchie 6—4, 6—l in the final. In the doubles the New Zealand pair, who won last year, again won from Ritchie and Deloford 6 —4, I—C, G —3, while in the final of ihe mixed

Malfroy and Miss Heelev (a former British No. 1) beat Stcdman and Miss Saunders, I—6,1 —6, 6—o, 6 —l. It has often been discussed how much a first-class inan can give a first-class woman. At the Northumberland Jubilee tournament Austin and Miss Bound, who represent about equal form in their respective sexes, had a match, which, though only an exhibition match, was played as a genuine test. Unfortunately, there was a high wind which made the conditions unfavourable. Austin owed 30, and Miss Round received 15. The lady won the first set 7 —5, and Austin the second at B—6.8 —6. In the first set Austin scored 52 points to 31, and in the second 71 to 36. the respective totals being 123 and 67. [These notes a.ro published with the co-operation of the Manawatu Philatelic Society. Queries and items of interest for publication should be addressed to the Stamp Editor, care ‘ ‘Standard’ ’ Office.]!