New-York tribune., 1919-06-17

bJuISteUt, tNe 1Our ClmeS ndClOnaI
defense of her title.
The second annual tourney in sim
giles and doubles for the girls national
championships also began to-day, with
twenty-seven young stars in the draw.
chief among them being Miss Kath-
crime Porter, of this city, who is the
present and playing g-through champion.
Miss Bjurstedt's three most danger
Gus rivals for the women's crown Of
the courts, namely, Mrs. George W.
.Wightman, former champion; Miss
Eleanor Goss, a runner-up for the
laurels, and Miss Marion Zinderstein.
Of Boston, are also entered and deter
mined to bring back the championship
to this country.
Favorites Not Extended
Miss Bjurstedt won two matches dur
ing the day, losing only one game in
four sets, and Mrs. Wightman, facing
slightly stronger opposition, came
through her lone match without the
loss of a game.
Miss Goss and Miss Zinderstein went
through the opening round by default
and both should win tomorrow, al
though Miss Zinderstein may we'll be
hard pressed to win from Miss Flor
ence Ballin, of the West Side Tennis
Club. Miss Goss faces Mrs. M. 3. Huff
and is not liable to be extended.
Miss Bjurstedt and Miss Mary
Thayer, club champion, reached out
into the third round of the singles and
are thus one round ahead of the rest
Of the field. Miss Bjurstedt first
crushed Mrs. Robert Herold, of the
Belheld Country Club, at 60, 6-1,
and then later in the day overwhelmed
Miss Marion Murray, another Philadel-
phian, by score of Go, Go.
Plays in Old Form
There was keen interest attached to
the great champions game to-day, for
the many reports that have been
spread concerning the weakness of her
game have served to give the impress
sion that either Mrs. Wightman, Miss
zinderstein or Miss Goss may strip the
famous Morse star of her laurels be-
rore the week is out.
Never was the time more favorable
for Miss Bjurstedt's rivals, apparently,
for never before has Marvellous
Molla" been SO patiently off form. But
the two matches in which she engaged
to-day served to show this-that the
title holder is slowly rounding into her
own. Perhaps within another week or
ten days of playing (always provided
she does not add to the injury she re-
celved some weeks ago. Miss Bjurstedt
will be right back at the height of
her wonderful game that has carried
all before her on American courts for
the last four years.
The leading question right now, how
ever, is: "Will the champion be able to
play through the great field and in
the final round, on Saturday, stand
ready and prepared to face her most
dangerous opponent in the struggle for
the mastery"
Was Fortunate in Draw
Miss Burjstedt has been rather for
tunate In the draw. She is in the
lower half, with Miss Zinderstein. Miss
Clara Cassel and Miss Marie Wagner
ngurlng as the chief obstructionists in
49, pawn ~ tlc uDdl bracket.
Miss Wagner should come across the
defendlng champions path in the
round before the semi-fnal, and in
the semi-hnal bracket the Morse girl
seems slated to face either Miss Cassel
or MISS Zinderstein, but only if the
nrst removed Miss Wagner from the
tournament. Those who have been fol-
LOWING the play Of Miss Cassel and
Miss Znderstein of late can fully
realize that both are quite capable of
giving any champion bitter struggle
for the victory.
Mrs. Wightman and Miss Goss are
close together in the upper half, so
close, IN fact, that one or the other
must fall by the wayside in the third
round, and this is most regrettable,
since one brilliant player will be
animated almost before the great
tourney is under full headway.
Mrs. Wightman vanquished Miss
Ioss in the final round Of the metro
poiitan tournament two weeks ago, and
Il would not be surprising to see her
repeat. After this third round match.
however, the path of the winner should
be free of serious pitfalls right into
'he tnal bracket.
Ground Strokes Improve
Miss Bjurstedt's ground strokes were
gong far better to-day than at Ardslev
last week, and she is regaining her
Judgment of distance, but she has not
by any means the marvellous endur-
lnce, as yet, that has always been such
striking thing about her tennis.
The champion was evidently pleased
At her improvement, for she said to
ne, as she came off the court after
Ter second match:
=, 1T is going little better, isn't it,"
let she complained that she felt a
rine weary after a practice set with
Ieofge ". Wightman this morning.
!. !. Is rare thing indeed to hear the
girl complain on that score.
Mrs. Wightman simply ripped through