WOMEN IN TENNIS

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18947, 18 December 1929, Page 13

WOMEN IN TENNIS

A Man's Views On The Subject

(Written for the “ Star ” by

W. T. TILDEN.)

Fully a thousand times a year the question is asked: “Is the best woman tennis player the equal of the best man?” Sometimes its form is altered to: “Is Suzanne Lenglen, or Helen Wills, or Kitty Godfree, or Elia do Alvarez the equal of Rene Lacoste, or Billy Johnston, or Henri Cochet?” The asking of the question shows remarkable ignorance on the part of the questioner. One cannot compare the games of men and women in tennis in singles play, because they are in two different classes. There are fully 100 players among the men who could defeat any woman by almost any score desired. Yet in their way and in their class the great women stars are just as great players and artists of the racquet as the men. In other words, the women can play just as beautifully-produced Strokes with just as much strategy as a man, but physically she cannot do it at so fast a pace or for so long, and therefore cannot meet a man on an equality in singles. Mixed doubles is another point again. Here a woman can play almost even with a man, because she is not required to cover so much court, and can be saved by her man partner from being rushed off her feet. Mixed doubles is much more liked and played far more extensively in Europe than in the United States. Here mixed doubles teams pair up and play together for seasons, while in the United States mixed doubles are regarded as a sort of adjunct, almost a necessary evil, at certain tournaments.

In Europe the women play mixed along the same lines as men’s doubles. The girl will come to the net and attack like a man. There are a few women, notably Suzanne Lenglen, Elizabeth Ryan, and Mrs Godfree, who have almost the ability to volley and drive even with the best men. Senorita de Alvarez, if she was willing to sink just a shade of her daring into team play, could be one of the greatest mixed players in the world. Unfortunately a shade too snuch individualism mars her game. A Difference in Speed. The great difference between men and women in tennis lies in speed of foot in court covering, and, to a less degree, in speed of shot. Certainly Helen Wills and de Alvarez hit a ball almost as hard as any man, but neither can cover court as fast. I would say that between Mile. Lenglen, Miss Wills, Senorita de Alvarez, and Henri Cochet, Billy Jephnston, Jean Borotra, or Rene Lacoste, there is at least two full classes in singles, yet on a doubles court pair-

Sport has a definite effect on women, and possibly women on sport. Certainly sport tends to strengthen the sporting women physically. It may also tend to do some little injury to her beauty and feminine charm by making her slightly masculine in her independent self-reliance and physical hardihood. Yet one finds many examples that will seem to refute this statement. Certainly no group of more charming women, physically and mentally, can be found than one which included Senorita de Alvarez. Helen Wills, Kea Bouman, Betty Nuthall, Eileen Bennett, Miss Heine, Joan Fry and many others. Here poise and self-confidence, due to sport, are added to the natural charm and beauty of youth. I believe that sport tends to break down and partially eliminate many of the petty jealousies and narrowness of the average society. Certainly the sports woman of to-day is broader, less a prude, and more a cosmopolitan woman of the world than ever before. There is an almost boyish love of competition and generous appreciation of “the best man” among the women in sport that is not essentially feminine, and not found amongst most women engaged in other activities. This, to me, is the real value of sport to women. One hears much idle talk about poor losers, both men and women, but my experience has been that there are few poor losers engaged in active competition.

Publicity and Athletics. Fictitious publicity at times makes the strain of competition even greater than it should be. Sometimes the kindly desire that prompts the publicity actually defeats its own purpose by piling up too great a strain on the favourite.

“Newspaper stars” will rise only to fade, but sometimes real stars are handicapped or permanently injured by too great publicity. The great women athletes are marvellous people in their class. Rejoice in their successes, honour their achievements, but do .not expect them to play athletics on an equality with men. They are two different classes, each great in their own right. When they can meet almost on equality, as they can in mixed doubles, it is a pleasure to witness, but do not ask the woman athlete to overcome Nature’s handicap, and to meet men single-handed in athletic competition. (Anglo-American N.S. Copyright.)

ed with a man there is less than half in class.