The New York herald., 1921-08-22
WOMEN'S TENNIS
MAKING STRIDES
Gain in Speed and Strength
Noticeable in National
Tourney.
DRAW MAY BE SEEDED
Championship Just Ended a
Strong Argument i'm Fa-
vor of Change.
DRAW MAY BE SEEDED
BY SAMUEL J. BRooKMAN.


women's tennis in America has made
rapid strides in the last few years.
Those who attended the eventful title
tournament at Forest Hills last week
could not but be impressed by the OK
ceptional skill and the surprising as-
gressiveness and speed shown not only
by the contenders but by the majority
of those who participated in the event.
1t was rather expected of Mrs. Franklin
]. Mallory. Mrs. May Sutton Bundy,
Miss Mary X. Browne and one or two
more. but the fact that so many others
strolled with almost masculine strength
and set so fast a pace throughout their
matches was the surprising feature.
Few matches. and certainly none in
the grandstand enclosure, were marked
by any of the tiresome slapping back
and forth of the ball that frequently has
been associated with the average wom-
ems tennis. There was real zest and
speed and a concentrated effort TO win
points as quickly and as decisivcly as
possible. The tournament also disclosed
the fact that after the first four or five
in rank there are many women players
SO closely matched in ability that the
committee is certain to have quite a
task on its hands rating them in the
order OF merit.
Mrs. Mallory Leads.
On the seasons play it is not difficult
to place the first five in order Of merit.
The national championship fnalists. Mrs.
Franklin T. Mallory and Miss Mary X.
Browne. have earned first and second.
and Mrs. May sutton Bundy. who won
dccisiyely from everybody she met ex-
cept Mrs. Mallory and Miss Browne. who
defeated her only after the hardest sort
of matches, deserves third place. 1t is
rather tossup between Miss Eleanor
Goss OF New York and Mrs. Marion
Zinderstein Jessup for fourth place. with
the chances favoring the former because
of her triumph over Miss Browne at
Seabright But for the illness that kept
her out Of the national championship
Miss Goss might have earnud third
place.
If ever the title tournament added
strength to the conviction that a
seeded" draw is to be preferred 20
blind draw, IL was the womcn's national
championship at Forest Hiils laet week.
How much better Il would have been 20
have distributed the strength evenly IN
stead OF trusting to luck and having title
contenders elirpinate each other IN the
first round How much fairer 20 the top
ranking players who deserve 20 advance
as far as the semi-nnal or the rIund
before the semi-hnal at least How much
more desirable from a box office point
OF view
Mrs. Marion Zinderstein Jessup, Sec
ond in national ranking, had to meet
the champion in the first round, and the
crowds that gathered on the succeeding
days did not get an opportunity of wit
Messing her entertaining tennis. On top
OF that Mile. Suzanne Lenglen. the
tournaments leading attraction. had to
meet Mrs. Mallory in the second round,
a
rest Of the week. 1t takes quite an
outlay of money to erect grandstands
and arrange for other details OF cham
pionship tennis tournament. and the loss
IN attendance caused by Mile. Lenglen's
early exit cut deeply into the net pro-
coeds Of the tournament. Fortunately
the fact that Mrs. Mallory. Mrs. Bundy
and Miss Browne were three of the last
four survivors kept interest alive and
brought the total attendance figures to
about 1900, but with Mile. Lenglen
contender in the late rounds the figures
easily might have reached $4,000 and
more.
Favor an Ideal Draw.
The ideal draw, In the opinion of
many critics, would be one that dis
tributed the playing strength according
TO ranking or to estimated ability in
the absence of ranking as follows Num-
bers 1. 5, 2, t3, &C., in the first quarter
numbers 2. s, 10. IA. &C.. in the second
quarter; numbers 3. z, II, 10, &C., in the
third quarter, and numbers 4, s. 12,
IS, Sc. in the fourth quarter In draw
OF that character the players that de-
served to get into the semi-hnal round
or the round before the sem-fnal would
be reasonably sure OF making that ad-
vance. anl interest would be sustained
throughout.
The matter Is worthy of the attention
RI the United States Lawn Tennis Asso-
citation, and we will hazard a guess that
II will be discussed and voted upon by
the delegates to the national convention
before many seasons roll by.
II IL not a question whether Miss
Helen Wills OF California has a bright
tennis future before her. but of how
long before she viii be fighting It out
with the country's leading players for
the national title. Any girl who. al the
age of fifteen. can extend some of the
first ten in national rank and who can
take q set or q match from one or two
of them, Is fairly certain to be a title
contender before very long. Miss Wills
has moro than skill, surprising general
ship and good command Of strokes. She
has the tennis temperament. She APP
pears to be perfectly cool and at ease in
the heat Of the fastest rallies, but
despite her composure can fight as hard