New-York tribune., 1919-06-02

i'S HtooV encouraging feature or the
last week, in my Judgment, was the
manner in which the girls metropolitan
junior championship tourney was con-
Quoted and the results thereof. Even
though the entries and singles and
doubles were not as large as we could
have wished, it served to bring out sew
eral young players of the utmost prom
lse, and 1T is from the ranks Of this no.
vitiate thet we may look with con-
fidence for our women champions in
the years to come.
There are three or four of these girls
who are bound TO make their presence
telt on local courts within the next
two or three years. Even now, while
still acquiring the groundwork of lawn
tennis technique, they have shown
enough to warrant the belief that they
will worthily uphold the prestige of
American women when their time TO
occupy high places arrives.
Miss Helen Rice, who successfully de-
Tended her title as singles champion,
is undoubtedly the best of the lot at
present. Blessed with splendid play
ing physique, Miss Rice has every ap-
pearance of being q natural player.
Her strokes are executed with perfect
smoothness and unusual power, and she
seems to have an intuitive genius for
the game.
The Misses Martha and Alice Bayard,
Of Short Hills, N. j., who made their
first appearance on local courts last
week, won the doubles championship
by really clever play, and both possess
services that are surprisingly severe
and we'll controlled. Miss Ceres Baker,
the little runner-up for the singles
title, should make rapid strides toward
the top, for already she is far advanced
with game that is we'll rounded.
Mrs. Harry Franklin Morse, the for
mer Marion Vanderhoef, whose energy
and untiring zeal were responsible for
the success of the tournament, has
good reason for encouragement as the
result of her work. 1t is just this kind
Of unselfsh interest in Junior lawn
tennis that is going to do great things
for the game. Mrs. Morse tells me that
many OF these girls who competed at
Forest Hills last week will be entered
IN the women's Metropolitan tourney
on the Forest Hills turf courts, start
ing today and will also take par:
in the national girls tournament at
the Philadelphia Cricket Club on
June 16
The most important tournament in
the local district this week will be the
annual women's Metropolitan cham
pionship singles and doubles and
mixed doubles, starting to- day, on the
West Side Tennis Clubs splendid
courts. The singles crown is now worn
by Miss Molla Bjurstcd, who in all
probability will defend her honors in
this fixture, in spite of the reported
INJURY she is said to be suffering from.
But the great Morse girl will have
to be at her very best if she hopes to
retain the championship, for it is for
midable field indeed that will strive to
take the title from her. Mrs. George
Wightman, Miss Eleanor Goss, Miss
Marion Zinderstein, Miss Eleanora
Sears, Miss Helene Pollak, Miss Marie
Wagner, Miss Glare Cassel and q host
Of other high ranking stars have en-
tered, which means that the player who
expects to survive the rigors of such
test will have to be playing in TOP
form in every match.
| do not know just how serious the
injury to the playing through champion
is, but if she is the same great player
of the last two or three years there is
nobody who is going to conquer her,
in my opinion. Should she be unable
to give Of her best, Mrs. Wightman
should have an excellent chance of car
rying off the high honors, with Miss
Goss and Miss Zinderstein always dan
gerous. 1t is only a question of time
when either one of these two Young