New-York tribune., 1919-06-15
Miss Bjurstedt
ToDefend Title
Against Stars
Champion Will Have Keen
Competition ON Philadel-
phia Courts This Week
By Fred Hawthorne

ship tournament, on the historic turf
courts of the Philadelphia Cricket
Club, at st. Martins, beginning to-mor-
row afternoon at s o'clock and con-
tinuing through the week There has
been so much uncertainty recently
owing to sickness and other unavoid-
able causes as to who will compete in
the blue ribbon event of the courts
that speculation concerning the event.
ual winner is unusually open.
Ever since 1915, when Miss Molla
Bjurstedt first startled America by her
meteoric style of play, the singles title
the North and she has literally swept
all opposition aside since then, with
the exception of her meetings with
Miss Mary X. Browne and Mrs. Thomas
G. Bundy in 1917. So we'll nigh uni
versal have Miss Bjurstedt's victories
over the highest ranking stars of the
East been in this span of four years
that it has by now come to be regard
ed as matter of course that she would
come forth the victor in any tourna-
ment in which she competed
hcSoIo way De DTOheH
cannot escape the feeling, however,
that a break in her long string of
triumphs may occur with the week of
play on the Philadelphia Cricket Club
courts this coming week. For one thing,
Miss Bjurstedt has been entirely out
of the game for the last three weeks
or more, except for her few matches
in the doubles at Ardsley last week.
This means that she has had practi-
sally no play on grass courts, for all
the previous tournaments were held on
the clay surface, and there is a vast
difference between the turf and the
clay court games.
Then, it must not be forgotten that
the great champions injury has prob
ably affected her play to a decided ex-
tent. Her physician has advised her
to avoid all danger of straining, and
when you add to this the lack of prac-
tice during this enforced idleness. it is
not hard to believe that Miss Bjurstedt
will be quite a bit below her usual
playing strength when she starts the
nervewracking grind of a week of
play against a very strong field.
Still another thing that must be
taken into consideration when weigh
ing the chances of Marvellous Molla"
at Philadelphia is the fact that three
Of her most dangerous opponents in
former years are playing more brilliant
lawn tennis this season than in any
previous meetings with the title holder.
| refer to Mrs. George w. Wightman,
!. Miss Eleanor Goss afl Miss Marion
Zinderstein.
The present champion has always
called upon her astounding speed of
foot, her power of stroke and her tire
less energy and reserve strength to
pull her through against opponents
who might be better court generals,
and up to the present she has been
almost invariably successful. But
Will she be able to withstand the com
bined assault of three such formidable
rivals as Mrs. Wightman, Miss Goss
and Miss Zinderstein, all of whom are
going at their best right now? l con-
fess it is difficult question to answer.
Needs Much Practice.
Much will depend upon how far Miss
Bjurstedt will be able to polish up her
game between now and the time when
she meets her first formidable opposi-
ton in the national tourney. At Ard
sley the champion gave unmistakable
signs that her game has been distinctly
weakened by her forced absence from
the courts, and it is but natural that
this should be so. Not only was she
unable to keep going through match
at her customary peerless pace, but
her execution of strokes. lacked the
snap and precision that have always
been such delight to watch.
A great deal, too, depends upon the
luck of the draw at Philadelphia next
week. Should the champion be brack-
eted in two or three easy matches in
the early rounds it will help her game
tremendously and manifestly increase
her chances of retaining her title On
the other hand, should she be called
upon to face any one of her three
closest rivals in the first day or two
of play she seems in more or less dan
ger of tasting defeat for the rst time
in this tournament.
In all their many previous meetings
across the nets 1T has always been
Miss Bjurstedt's greater speed and
strength that have won for her against
Mrs. Wightman. She has lost much of
that margin now, while the former ma
tlonal champion has gained appreciably
III the same qualities. 1t would seem
to resolve itself, then, as between
these two great players, into the ques-
tion of their relative places in the
draw, the opposition Zach wTl encoun-
ter before they meet, supposing they
do, and the measure of Miss Blur
stedt's success in regaining her best
form. As they stand to-day / would
favor Mrs. Wightman to defeat the
champion.
The same line of reasoning applies
IN the cases of Miss Zinderstein and
MISS Goss. Both are very brilliant,
Of practically unlimited potentialities
ana almost arrived at that stage of
thelr court progress where either is
iiaole to startle the lawn tennis world
ny climbing, overnight, to the seats
oi the mighty. 1t may be one of these
two who will wear the national crown
after next Saturday.
Joseph VI, Jennings, again chairman
Of the tournament committee, has been
handling this annual fixture with such
conspicuous success for q number Of
years that those who compete at Phil
adelphia would feel there was very
strong magnet missing were he 10
abandon his many duties in the ron.