MONEY IN TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 20201, 11 June 1927, Page 2

MONEY IN TENNIS

SUZANNE’S PROGRESS. TO PLAY IN LONDON. London, April 14. A Mentone correspondent says that Mlle. Lenglen, as a tennis player, may or may not have been worth £20,000 to her American manager. But she was worth over 3,000,000 francs (£25,000) to the tennis clubs of the Riviera. This is the estimated loss which her absence from the Cote d’Azur tournaments has caused the various clubs. Mentone, which last year made a profit out of the tournaments of over 80,000 francs, this year shows no more than 20,000 francs. The Nice receipts are many thousands down, and so are those of Monte Carlo and Cannes. In all cases they explain the reduction by the absence of the drawing power of Suzanne. Riviera tennis circles, who were unanimous at one time in supporting the amateur ban on Suzanne, are now busily engaged in attempting to devise some means of getting Suzanne back on to the courts, if only in a series of exhibition games. Mlle. Lenglen is to play in London during the first week of July. She has entered into a contract with Mr. C. B. Cochran for three exhibition evenings at the Holland Park Hall. For each of these displays she is to receive £lOOO for her own personal services and as her partners have to be taken into consideration the show will in all probability cost about £2OOO a night. The Holland Park Hall is to be converted into a sort of minature Wimbledon for the occasion, so far as seating accommodation is concerned. The plans for the alterations —which will be pretty expensive—have already been passed by the local authorities. The lighting will be a considerable item. It is to be on a scale never before attempted in connection with indoor sporting events; the intention is to make it resemble bj-illiant sunshine as nearly as possible. It is believed that accommodation can be provided for between 8000 and 10,000 spectators. Mlle Lenglen will bring her own party with her and make her own arrangements for her opponents.