MRS WILLS MOODY

Southland Times, Issue 23335, 20 October 1937, Page 14

MRS WILLS MOODY

KEENNESS TO PLAY AT WIMBLEDON

Mrs Helen Wills Moody, .tennis star, artist, and dress designer, recently laid down her soup-spoon in 6000-miles-away Los Angeles and interrupted her lunch with Sam Goldwyn and Francis X. Shields to tell the News Chronicle on the trans-Atlantic telephone- “I’d just love to play at Wimbledon again—and I’m hoping to next summer.” The beautiful, serious women who won thd Wimbledon singles title for sc many years is now 32. “I find I can combine my dress work and my tennis excellently,” she said, “so I’ve entered for the mixed doubles tournament at Los Angeles with Baron von Cramm. (They won). “Is this a come-back? Certainly not. I’ve been playing tennis all the time privately. Because one doesn’t appear in tournaments it doesn’t mean one has given up tennis altogether. “I don’t like to speak too far ahead about Wimbledon, and I feel the summer is a long way off yet. “But I will say that I am hoping to play on the courts there again. I have always been happy playing at Wimbledon; I have enjoyed the tournaments and the friends I made.

“Anyway, one thing is certain. I shall be in London in May. lam coming over then to hold an ex - hibition of my paintings as I did before. No, none of them are tennis subjects. They are still life and flowers.”

It was suggested that the temptation of Wimbledon once she was in London would surely prove too much. “Yes, it may be so,” she agreed. “But I won’t commit myself. I can only tell you that'l am going on with my play in tournaments again now that I can arrange it to fit my work.”