El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-30
NORWEGIAN IS
WOMAN CHAMP
Holds American Record as
Best Tennis Player
for the Year.

New York, oct 30.-Au discussers
Of the women's tennis ranking this
year agree that Miss AIolla Bjursteds
the Iightninglike Norwegian nurse. viii
receive the coveted first place honor.
It will be the first time a foreigner has
ever won IL.
Mrs. George ". Wighuman or Mra-
Marshall Mclean will probably take
Miss Bjurstsdt has been beaten only
once this season, and is now the holder
OF the national indoor ana outooOl
titles. and OF half a dozen local cham
pionships-
The first record Of a wOman's Ameri-
can national championship was IN 1854
when Miss A F. Hansell won the ute
-Four years later Miss Mabel l. Cahllls
Of Ireland carried off the honors, and
repeated in 1892 Tor % years Amerl-
can players we're able successfully 10
oppose the efforts OF foreign cor
testants and il was not until last teD-
ruary, at the Seventh regiment armory,
that the new European star won her
first big tournament in this country.
a Consistent Player.
Except for g brief season preceding
the national tournament for women.
Miss Biurstedt played continually from
last April up to the Early part OF this
month, and during that time she sus-
tanned but one defeat, when she plainly
oTertaXed her strength Mrs Marshall
Mclean, who, as Miss Helen Romans,
won the national championship in 1906.
was the only woman TO score a victory
over the Norwegian girl, accomplishing
the feat in the final round OF the
Thousand Island tournament Upon
that occasion the courts were very
heavy from frequent rains. robbing the
foreigners OF one Of her greatest play
ing assets-speed-
Biurstedt had vanquished her opponent
in three previous tournaments Mrs
George ". Wightmau. the former Miss
Hazel Hotchkiss. Of California, lost on
two occasions TO Miss B1udsLedt, first
in the national championships and then
in the final round OF the Clay Courts
championship at Plttsburg- among
the other proInln ent PLAYERS VINO Ieli
before Miss B1urstedt were Miss Bar
ger Wallach, national title holder in
1908, Miss Anne Sheafe. Of the Long
wood Cricket clube, OF Boston; Miss
Marie Wagner, former national indoor
champion; Miss Clare Cassei, Miss
Martha Guthrie, and many others.
NorUeEian Defeated.
Mrs. Frederick Sehmitz, the English
player, scored a victory over the Nor
Wegianain the MOrristOTn, n. J. tour
nament early in the season, but that
was after Miss BJursteGt had strained
a muscle during the match and was
compelled to leave the court
II is an open question as to the rank
Ing OF the second player on the list
Mrs Wightman and Mrs Mclean ap-
pear 10 be even The Boston player
won from the west side expert in the
national championship at Philadelphia
in a hard threeset match. but was IN
able to defeat Miss BJurstedt a feat
that Mrs Mclean has to her credit
The latter has an enviable tourna-
meut record this year. and has de-
feated nearly all the best players IN
the east and midle west compart-
son Of the records Of the two players
would place Mrs Mclean second and
Mrs Wightman third
The California Standing.
II will be a difficult matter 70 in
clude the Calitornians in the ranking
while Miss Martha Guthrie. Of Pitts
burg. did not play a sufficient number
OF tournaments 10 give the members OF
the ranking committee an opportunity
TO gage her playing strength. Mrs
Thomas c. Berndy, the former MAY
Mrs Barger Wallach, and Mrs Benja-
min F. Briggs, viii probably offer some
valuable information relative TO the
western players and il is probable that
two CalifOrnians viii be included in
the first ten OF these, Miss Florence
sutton is a likely selection, for the
fourth position Of the list
Miss Marie Wagner, the New York
state champion, viii likely get into the
coveted ten" although she will have
big drop from last year, when she
was placed third. She lost her ua-
uonal title to Miss Biurstedt and was
put out OF the Metropolitan title play
BY Mrs. Wallach, but in the smaller
tournament in the Metropolitan district
she met with greater success and this
VIII help to place her in the ranking
LIST