Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-06-19
MISS BJURSTEDT, PAIRED
WITH MRS. ROGGE, SHOULD
I ADVANCE TO FINAL ROUND
Win First Match From Misses Otis and Ledaux in Ma
tonal Doubles Tourney = Other Contestants in
Upper Bracket Should Prove Easy for Morse Girls
By PAUL PREP

NT1LLIAM LARNED, national tennis
w champion on many occasions and
one of the greatest exponents of the
court game that the sport has ever
known. once was asked by an aspiring
and also perspiring candidate for net
honors what he considered the most i'm
portant thing in the tennis game. Lar
ned smiled and to the utter amaZement
OF the youth replied, Putting the ball
over the net into the other mans court"
This statement of the former national
titleholder eNcellently summed UP what
Is considered the main essential in the
makeup of successful tennis player.
What will II, benefit one to have the
ability to hit terrific line drive. fob
his return or put a splendid cut on the
service II he can't lift>the ball over the
net? Nothing at all is the answer
Hitting the ball over the net in tennis
corresponds to the control of pitcher
In baseball. without such control this
person soon gets the ,Sh-known pink
slip and the gate.
Rounds Lost. Not Won
Tennis statlsticans go bit further
in their statements than Larned and
state that per cef of the points regis
tered in a tei,ais match are not WON,
but LOST And still more they claim
that 20 per cent of that per cent loss
Is due to the fact that the players drive
the ball into the net.
How we'll Larned and the statistcians
totaled up one of the most important
things Of tennis was demonstrated yes.
terday afternoon in the national women's
singles and doubles championship tourna
ment which is in progress on the beau
tiful courts of the Philadelphia Cricket
Club at st. Martins.
Miss Molla Bjurstedt, the present out.
door and indoor national singles cham
pion, was paired with Mrs. John Rogge,
also OF Norway, in the doubles. In the
first round play they were pitted against
Miss Carolyn Otis, of Bethlehem. and
lege.
All Look Alike 10 Molla
Well admit that there arc rnors
pleasant duties than facing the Morse
wonder in a tennis match. One glance
at the dusky bel;r of Norway from
across the net inspires a feeling akin to
the panic that grips the raw recruit
about the knees when he stands at the
plate and sees Walter Johnson. the
pitcher extraordinary of the Washing
ton club, glowering upon him from the
pitching box for the first time in his
peaceful career.
Aside from little sisterly regard for
her opponents Molla never gives a VIC
tim more than the benefft of her racquet
and brief but impressive tennis lesson
They all look alike TO her. Come one
come all---they see her white teeth flash
and hear fatal swish of her serve as the
little white ball skins the net and
striking either the grass or clay with a
deceptive twist, bounds invariably where
they "an't." "a
Lost in Straight Sets
But IT was not necessary for Miss
Bjurstedt and Mrs. Rogge to exert them.
selves in the first round of the doubles
yesterday. The Misses Otis and LedauS
must have experienced bit of stage
fright or something: for they failed to
give Miss Biurstedt and her partner a
workout for today's matches. The two