LAWN TENNIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16542, 28 September 1921, Page 3

LAWN TENNIS.

NEW SEASON OPENING.

The Christchurch season of 1921 promises to be unusually interesting, principally on account of the New Zealand championships, to be held on the United courts at Christmas' time. The situation of these courts could not be equalled in Australasia, and a big effort is to be made to carry the tournament through in a manner that xvili leave no cause for criticism on any detail. It will be impossible to make a charge for admission to the United courts, but no doubt permission will be obtained from the Domains Board to make a collection at the gates, and the experience of the Cricket Association iri regard to simila-r collections at Hagley Park suggests that the public will respond liberally. A special -committee has been set up to prepare for the tournament, and the secretary of th© New Zealand Association should find his executive work straight forward on his arrival. The abolition of the management committee of the Canterbury Association and the restoration of monthly meetings of delegates will almost certainly stimulate interest in the administration of the association. The president (Mr W. N. Seay) has outlined several very important matters that will come before the delegates soon. The engaging of a coach is necessary if. lawn tennis is to make a big general improvement. Association courts are also necessary, although the reported opening of five new clubs xvili relieve congestion to some extent, but association or municipal courts will become a greater need ex T orv year. Mr "Seay, hoxx*ever, did not touch on the most important factor in the encouragement of tennis, namely, the development of the game in the schools. The anmfal schools championships show that the game only requires fostering in the schools to produce very promising material. Action along, those lines,-well merits all the attention tho Canterbury delegates can give to it. MDLLE LENGLEN’S BREAKDOWN. Tlie physical collapse of Mdlle. Suzanne Lenglen, the holder of the world women’s championship, furnished a dramatic climax^. to the second round of the United States annual women's tennis championship tournament on the courts of the W est Side Tennis Club at Forest Hills on Tuesday. August 16. The French wizard, xvho arrived in the United States only three days previously, says the San Francisco “ Chronicle,” heralded as the greatest exponent of the court game in the feminine domain, after being decisively defeated by a score of six games to txvo in her opening match against Mrs 'Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, present American titleholder, collapsed in a chair alongside the referee’s stand and defaulted her match after losing the first txvo points of the first game of the second set. Mdlle. Lenglen’s sudden capitulation to a renewal of her attack of bronchitis and the powerful and aggressive play of Mrs Mallory left a gallery of some 8090 spectators stunned into absolute silence by the tragedy which took place on the green turfed inclosure at their feet. The girl from Paris was undoubtedly the magnet which drew the majority of the spectators to the Forest Hills grounds- For sex-eral years followers of tennis the xvorld over have been enthralled by news of the play of the French woman. Visitors to the English courts at "Wimbledon. St Cloud near Paris, the Riviera and other continental tennis centres have returned to America with tales of the wonderful speed, stroking and almost mechanical accuracy in placing possessed by Mdlle. Lenglen. In her own country she xvas and is as great a popular idol as Georges Carpentier. To-day she fell from the pedestal of her came in a far more dramatic and decisive manner perhaps than did Carpentier on July 2. Notwithstanding the known lack of practice due to her arrival in this country as late as last Saturday, Suzanne xvas generally expected to give Mrs Mallory a terrific battle, with the odds in favour of victorx’. Mrs Mallory won the first two game* at point scores- for 4 and 2 in a most convincing fashion. She stroked the ball from deep court with a brawny arm that sent the xvhite sphere down the side lines or bounding high from her opponent’s court. Mdlle. Lenglen appeared to open her plav hi a slow and hesitating fashion, xvhic’n xvas remarked upon bv those xvho have been fortunate enough to see her in action at homeIn the third game she increased liei speed, noth afoot and astroke, winning after deuce had been called twice, and it was then that c!c*c observers noticed that she was beginning to cough. The fourth game was quicklv won by the American championship holder, while the fifth went to Mdlle Lenglen after one deuce round. With score three to two games in her favour, Mrs Mallory quickly ran out the set. winning the last three games by point scores of 4—2, 5—3, 4—2, for a total of 32 points to 24. and six games to two. The French woman opened the second set on her oxvn service, the “ Chronicle ” xvriter continues, driving out after a short rally, and then double-faulting. At this point- she appeared to hesitate on the back line before taking her service position, and then xvalked slowly across the court to the referee’s stand. She sank into n chair and after a moment’s indecision Mrs Mallory also walked to the rapidly increasing group and a momefit later xvas seen to shake Mdlle, Lenglen’s hand perfunctorily and hurry across the turf to the clubhouse. For a moment there was absolute silence in both the stands ana on the clubhouse baleoirv. Then a hum of excitement and the murmuring of the word default gave an inkling to the uninitiated as to what had happened. Mdlle Lenglen, with a towel held at her mouth and in a x'iolent spasm of coughing which caused the tears to roll down her face, xvas quickly assisted to tlie clubhouse and shortly after to her private apartments in a near-by hotel, while the official announcement was made that she had defaulted her match xvith Mrs Mallory and xvithdrnwn from the singles tournament. Tho physical collapse and xvithdraxval of the famous European racauet wielder under the conditions and circumstances left spectators, both critical and uninitiated, in a most uncertain frame of mind concerning Mdlle. glen’s ability, at least on the American courts- Judged entirely from her showing against Mrs Mallorv this afternoon she was not the court phenomenon which American followers of the game had been led to exrxect. A comparison of t’- c play as disclosed by tbe stroke analysis. shewed that Suzanne piled up an astonishing number of net and outs in contrast with the reputation xvhicli had preceded her

here. She drove the bell out of cour® fifteen times to Mrs Mallory's ten, ana made five nets to her opponent’s seven, and scored seven placement shots against the American title holder’s txx-elve. In both driving power, service and general court strategy 6he waa inferior to Mrs Mallorv. who. in addition to her muscular stroking of the ball, raced around tlie court xvith a speed and ability far superior to that cf the French girl- Had the match continued under the same playing form there would not have been the slightest doubt as to the outcome. The American tennis writers were not very generous to the French champion, seeing that her physician before the match had ordered her a week’s rest and forbidden her to play. One newspaper heading read: “Suzanne loses match and gets sick.” sxiygesting that the meeting of a better player had had a temperamental effect. So far from this being the case Suzanne had beaten Mrs Hallorv in three straight sets at their previous meeting in Europe.