PERRY BEATEN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22435, 3 June 1936, Page 13

PERRY BEATEN

FRENCH TENUIS TITLE

VICTORY FOR VON CRAMM

MRS. SPERLING'S SUCCESS

By Telegraph—Press Aiisooiation—Copyright (Received June 2, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 1 A message from Paris states that the liinals of the singles in. the French lawn tennis I|hampionshipa resulted as follows . Men.—G. von Cramm (Germany) beat F. J. Perry (holder), 6 —o, 2 —6, 6—2, 2—6, 6—o.

' Women. —Mrs. Sperling (Denmark, formerly Fraulein Krawhinkel, Germany) beat Mme. Mathieu (France), 6—3, 6—4.

Perry's play was patchy throughout, the championship and he did not reach his usual form in the final. On the other hand von Cramra exhibited his customary perfect stroke production. He won the first set by finding the lines to an inch, finishing with two, love games. Perry was more himself in the second set, but in the third ho showed a tendency to double-fault at critical moments, Also, he wasi troubled by von Cramm's high-kicking; service, although he countered the German's new nonrising clipped strokes.

German's Superior Strategy Von Cramm was superb in the. final set, cutting off all the Englishman's, returns. Perry was discouraged and struck a bad patch. He double-faulted, giving von Cramm a Si—o lead, after which the German aced him, winning a love game, and ran out magnificently. He thus regained the championship he had lost to Perry last year. Von Cramm said: "I have realised my ambition. I have beaten Perry." Mr. Wallis Myers, writing in thei Daily Telegraph, says von C'famm thoroughly deserved his victory. His game, showed development in stroke variety and strategy, proving him to be a deep student of those psychological elements which enter into every big contest. Perry's Lost Enthusiasm "Perry was all out to establish st double record as the only player to win the French championship twice since it was opened to the world, also to gain the unique distinction of winning in two successive years-at Wimbledon, New York and Paris. However, his quest, which looked possible of achievement in two stages of the match, was frustrated by Perry- permitting a questionable line decision to upset his concentration in the key game in the third set, also by his fatal disposition to allow von Cramm to control the attack at the opening" of the third £et." "Tennis used to be my Whole life; but now I am married I have other interests, and tennis is only part of them," said Perry in an interview with the Paris correspondent of the Daily Mail. "I have lost interest and enthusiasm and cannot concentrate. That is the plain truth." Mrs. Perry, who had watched the match, broke in, saying: "I do not think Fred hi playing badly. I suppoise it is good for him to lose sometimes. I am not worrying over hi?:closing tennis championships. It is not a catastrophe to me."

Influence on Davis Gap Prospects "Of course, it is not a catastrophe," said Perry. "I expect I shall be playing better at Wimbledon. But if I do not, what of it? You cannot stay out of the game for seven months and then expect to win championships as before. I even astonished myself by my lack of concentration and kick. Whether I shall recover them remains to be seen." The News Chroniclo comments that Perry's defeat is not a big surprise, as von Cramm is one of the three best in - the world, the others being Perry and Crawford. Austin's pulled muscle is regarded as further reducing Britain's chances of retaining the Davis Cup, although it is yieldinj; to treatment. Australia's victory Jin the Daivis Cup tie against America has heightened the interest in von Cramm's defeat of Perry, as it is generally expected that Australia will overcome Germany, whom she is most likely to meet in the inter' zone final.