FIRST TEN WOMEN IN AUSTRALIAN TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 24065, 2 March 1940, Page 16

FIRST TEN WOMEN IN AUSTRALIAN TENNIS

The premier position among the women tennis players in Australia must be given to Miss Nancye Wynne (Vic.). Mrs E. Westacott (Queensland) enjoyed this honour last year, but sickness, unfortunately, prevented her from competing either in the Australian or state championships this summer, writes Dr G. H. McElhonie in The Sydney Morning Herald. My list for 1939-1940 is:—(1) Miss Wynne (Vic.); (2) Miss T. Coyne (N.S.W.); (3) Miss M. Hardcastle (Q.); (4) Mrs H. Hopman (Vic.); (5) Miss J. Hartigan (N.S.W.); (6) Mrs Westacott (Q.); (7) Mrs J. Waddell (formerly Miss D. Stevenson) (Vic.); (8) Miss A. Hattersley (N.S.W.); (9), Miss M. Blick (Vic.); (10) Miss C. Coate (Vic.). Miss Wynne has met with only one reverse since last August. During the year she was defeated by Miss Joan Hartigan in the final of the Wagga tournament. She won the Exhibition singles in Brisbane, the New South Wales hardcourt championship, the metropolitan championship, and the New South Wales, Victorian and Australian titles. She was beaten by Mrs Westacott in the Queensland hardcourt championship and by Miss T. Coyne in a semi-final of the Australian hardcourt championship at Toowoomba. Miss Wynne recently added the New Zealand champiohship to her list of honours.

MISS COYNE’S MATCHES

Miss Coyne won the Riverina and County of Cumberland championships. She was beaten by Miss Hardcastle in the final of the Australian hardcourt championship, by Miss Wynne in the finals of the Exhibition (Brisbane), New South Wales, Victorian and Aus-

tralian championships, by Miss Hardcastle in the final of the Queensland championship, and by Mrs Hopman in the final of the South' Australian championship. She had, however, three victories over Mrs Hopman to her credit.

Miss Hardcastle won the Australian hard-court championship, in which Mrs Westacott and Misses Wynne and Coyne competed. She defeated Mrs Westacott in a semi-final and Miss Coyne in the final. She also won the Queensland title, beating Miss Coyne in the final. She lost to Miss Coyne in a semi-final of the Exhibition singles, and to Miss Hartigan in a quarter-final of the Australian championship. Mrs Hopman won the South Australian championship, beating Miss Coyne in the final; but she was beaten by Miss Coyne in a semi-final of the Victorian and Australian championships. She lost to Miss Blick in a quarter-final of the New'South Wales championship. Miss Hartigan won the City of Sydney championship, beating Miss Coyne in the final, and the Wagga championship, beating Miss Wynne in the final. She reached the semi-final round of the New South Wales and Australian championships, losing to Miss Coyne and Miss Wynne, respectively. She lapsed in the Victorian championship, losing to Miss D. Mauger in the first round; but she defeated Mrs Hopman in the inter-state match in Melbourne. Mrs Westacott won the Queensland hard-court title and reached the semifinals of the Australian hard-court and Exhibition championships. She lost to Miss Hardcastle in three sets in the former and to Miss Wynne in three sets in the latter. In an unofficial in-ter-state match last August she defeated Miss Coyne.