LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 187, 8 July 1938, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS NOTES

Although the standard in the men’s singles at Wimbledon was the weakest lor many years, that of the women was just the .opposite, in fact the field was the !>est on record, including all the best Americans and Australians, as well as the top players of Chile, France, Poland, Denmark, and South Africa. Two former holders of the Wimbledon championship, Mrs Moody and Miss Jacobs, met in the final, as they have done on several previous occasions. No less than five previous champions of America were included, namely, the two mentioned above, Miss Marble, Miss Nuthall and Senorita Lizana, last year’s champion, of whom the last-mentioned two, as well as Miss Jacobs, were not included in the eight seeded players. Miss Jacobs has been in poor health and was not included in the American team for the Wightman Cup. When she went out to meet Miss Ingram in the second round it is reported that she fainted, so that the match was postponed till the next day, when she won 9 7, 6—3, and went on to beat Miss James, British No. 6, Miss Scriven British No. 3, the Polish champion Panna Jedwiga Jedzrejowslca, who last year was runner-up for the Wimbledon and American titles, and finally Miss Marble, who, American critics said, was not likely to be beaten by anyone except Mrs Moody. Miss Jacobs did not lose a set till she met Mrs Moody in the final, where she was unable, to make a figlit in the second set owing to an injury to her ankle. This was really a very fine performance. Senorita Lizana is the first holder of the American championship to be omitted from tlie seeding list, but it is probable that hor accident at Bournemouth may l>e tlie cause. No doubt she bad failed to show her last year s form at* tournaments before \\ lmbJodon. . Miss Nuthall was American champion in 1930, the only overseas winner till Senorita Lizana prevailed last year. It is a rather curious thing that in the days when Miss Nuthall was among the leading women plavers of the world she used to serve underhand, ancl from the day when she adopted an overhead service she lias had no notable successes. Coming to Mrs Moody, American opinion was that the championship lay between her and Miss Marble, but their faith must have been shaken when she was beaten by Fru Sperling and bv Miss Hardwick, British No. 2, at earlier tournaments. By her win she beat Mrs Lambert Chambers record of seven victories. Panna Jedrzejowska, known to her friends as “Ya-Ya,” started by beating the Australian player, Miss Stevenson, in three sets, then Mrs King, British N0...7 and formerly No. 1, also in three sets, and Miss Morphew, ot South Africa, in two sets, before being beaten 2—6, 3—6 by Miss Jacobs in the quarter-finals. The fact that she was carried to three sets in tlie earlier rounds seems to show that she was below her best form.

Fru Sperling, a former runner-up to Mrs Moody at Wimbledon and probably winner of more national championships than any other woman, put up a great fight against Mrs Moodv in the semi-finals, only losing 10—12, 4—6. She had very weak opposition till she met Miss Coyne in the third round, as mentioned above. In the fourth round she beat Miss Lumo, Britain’s Wightman Cup representative 7_5, 6—l, and after her close three-set match with Mrs . labyan in the quarter-finals, was eliminated by Mrs Moody in the semi-finals. Madame Mnthieu, another great winner of championships in Europe, though nearly always beaten by I'rii Sperling, has won the British haul court championship twice and has been runner-up at Wimbledon. Last jea l at Wimbledon she beat Senorita Lizana 6—4, 6—4, as she had done on previous occasions. In the fourth round she beat the Australian No. L Miss Wynne, I—6, 6—2, 6—o, but lost to Miss Marble in the next round. 2—6, I—6.1 —6. Mrs Fabvan, perhaps the best doubles player of the day, won the women’s doubles with Miss Marble, and partnered by the German champion, Henkel, was in the final of the mixed. She had an easy journey to the fourth round of the singles where she put out Miss Bundy, the Australian champion, at 6 —4 in the third set, Miss Bundy being ranked three places above her in America. In the quarter-finals she was just beaten by Fru Sperling 6 —4, 4 —6, 4—G. Had she won, all the last four would have been Americans.

Miss Stammers was the only' English player to get into the last eight where she lost to Mrs Moody, 2—G, I—6. Miss Lumb lost to Fru Sperling, 5 —7, I—G,1 —G, in the fourth round, in which Miss Jacobs beat Miss Scriven 6 —3, G —o. Miss Stammers beat Miss Nuthall 6—3, 6—o, and Miss Marble beat Miss Hardwick, o—s,0 —5, 6 — 4 .

None of the Australian ladies got very far, though Miss Coyne did well to beat Miss Yorke, 7 —5, G—2 in the first round, and also beat the little Chinese girl, Gem Hoahing, 6 3, 6—o. before being beaten 4 —6, 2—6, | by Fru Sperling in the third roundMiss Wynne was beaten in the third round by Madame Mathieu as mentioned above. Miss Hartigan, three times Australian champion, was beaten, 4—6, 26, by Miss Hardwick in the second round. The results show how much stronger America is than any other country in women as well as men, but they ha far more players to choose from. They smothered the British team in the Wightman Cup, who in turn were far too good for the Australian ladies. Women’s form in New Zealand is at a very low ebb indeed, for it may be remembered that when a young team from this country went over to N S.W last season, they suffered a heavy defeat from a N.S.W. team, our 'New Zealand champion being beaten 2 —6, 2—6 by Miss Selwin who is only ranked ninth in Australia.