THE LADY TENNIS CHAMPION.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1749, 13 September 1905, Page 26

THE LADY TENNIS CHAMPION.

An American writer gives the following information regarding the lady who achieved such success in the recent English matches:—-

Miss May Sutton, youngest of the four famous Sutton sisters, first came into prominence a few years ago' by winning the championship of Southern California. Shortly after this she was persuaded to participate in the Coast championship, which, needless to say, she won without an effort. This was four" years ago, and since that time she has played all of the leading tennis players in the world. What makes her long record on the courts the more remarkable is the fact that she has not lost- a set in a single tournament in all this time. Until Miss Sutton made her appearance in the Coast championship events at San Rafael ladies’ tennis was not taken seriously by the local followers of the sport. But since her first appearance it has been a standing joke that she should be made to compete in the men’s event. Perhaps many of the crack players of the Coast would not think it such a j oke if she were to compete with them. Her style of play is different from that of any of the other ladies playing the game. She is essentially a backcourt player, using a long, low drive almost continually. She has developed this stroke so thoroughly that she seldom misses it. It is not nearly as swift as the drive of a man, but it is far steadier, and Miss Sutton uses her head to such good advantage in placing it that she simply wears an opponent out chasing after it. After she has worked an opponent out of position sufficiently her position is then at the net, where it becomes an easy matter to “win the point with a well-placed volley or smash. Though Miss Sutton seems to prefer the back court to the net position, she plays the latter as no other woman does. Her overhead work is almost perfect, and her smashing at times is terrific. She is sure death to a lob, cutting it off to one side or the other or winning the point outright with a well-placed smash. She has a peculiar habit, which has no doubt materially aided her in perfecting the different strokes. Immediately upon an opponent’s return of the hall she steadies her racket with the left hand before every shot. With racket at the right angle she makes a quick upward stroke, which sends the hall about a foot above the net and well into the back court-. Miss Buttons’ game cannot be compared with that of any other woman, a® it is more of the man’s style of play. If any man could get the control over : his drive that- Miss Sutton lias over hersl there would be no question as to who . would win the championship. As iti is;>< there are perhaps a dozen men on this coast who could win from the s bur ay little world’s champion, and if these would guarantee to stay in the back court Miss Sutton would probably outrally any of them. One thing to which Miss Sutton oAves her success is the fact that she never throws a point. Many players feel that it is not right to defeat an opponent 6—o, 6—o, hut she has none of this feeling. If it were possible she avoulcl win point in every match. There is nothing that will put a player _ off his or her game so quickly as to throAV. points. It gets one off his stroke, and, there ie no telling when it. will come hack. Miss Sutton realises; this only too, A-Apell, as has been shoivn hy,,; her play in the past. Judging from the, scores in the .tournament Avhich AA’as completed in England recently, the players must he far more skilled' than any in this country, ..When Miss Sutton journeyed eact last year to participate in. the American championship tourneys eh©

played through the events without losing more than two game® in any one set. In the English championship two player® succeeded in forcing the champion to * deuce set. Neither of them, however, had her within a point.