The New York herald., 1922-07-08
Memory of Forest Hills Not
Likely to Strengthen Her
Confidence.
QUICK LEAD HER CHANCE
Molla's Friends Counting on
Her Fighting Aggressiveness
The Ideal Match Player.
BY SAMUEL J. BRooKMAN.

Not only all England but all Amer
lea is agog over the great tennis match
that it will be the good fortune Of more
than $4,000 British devotees of the sport
to witness on the center court at VIM
bledon to-day. There are thousands OF
-tennis fans in this city alone who would
pay literally to be able to sit in the
stands while Molla and Suzanne are
fighting it out for the championship
of the universe. For that is the inn
port of the contest that is arnost GER
tain to be dramatic in the extreme.
Who will the victor be? Win 1t be
the girl who. reused almost to a fight
ing frenzy, broke the resistance OF her
opponent in the memorable match at
Forest Hills last summer, or Will 1t be
the French girl, who to all appearances
has recovered the form that for years
made her invincible--an acknowledged
tennis genius?
Those who watched Suzanne weaken
before the whirlwind speed, the tre-
mendous aggressiveness and the door
die spirit of the American champion
on the occasion of their last meeting
cannot see how she can hope to re-
verse the result. They acknowledge
Mile. Lenglen's greater versatility and
unquestioned craft. but they look for
the French girl to forget half her skill
once she is pressed as hard as Mrs.
Mallory is almost certain to press her.
Memory of Forest Hills.
Then there is the psychological ele-
ment. The memory OF the American
girls triumph at Forest Hills is not
likely to steady the nerves of Suzanne.
Is not likely to give her the confidence
she needs to render her skill effective.
True conditions are different. Mile.
Lenglen is to meet her test this time
on the tennis ground which has been
the scene of her greatest triumphs. be-
fore a gallery that is not all In SYM
pathy with the American girl, as was
the trrong that invaded Forest Hills
last summer. Apparently. too. she Is in
better physical condition now. The
truth of the matter is that Suzanne
was only two or three days off the
transatlantic steamer when she took the
courts against Mrs Mallory, she was
troubled with a, slight cold and In
strange surroundings probably was un-
able to do herself full justice.
No amount of argument, however. will
convince many American critics thai
Suzanne was not herself or nearly her.
self at Forest Hills. She started quite
confidently but seemed TO lose spirit as
Mrs. Mallory, playing with irresistible
determination. sent her best strokes
booming back across the court foi
earned points. Suzanne worried through
ono set. stopping frequently to check Q
fit of coughing and then collapsing com
pletely before the second set had gone
very far. Weeping and crestfallen, the
French girl stumbled to a chair on the
side line and announced Historically thai
she could not continue. The dramatic
finish ha9 the crowd gasping.
The French girls nerves were shat
tered-shattered by her own tempera'
inent and by the relentless tennis attack
she had been forced to face. Deprived
of complete victory Mrs. Mallory deter
mined to make the "Trip across the At
lantic, particularly after the French gir
had been quoted as saying that Mrs
Mallory's victory had been more or les:
of a fiuke and that she felt she coulc
beat the American champion IL the lat
ter cared to meet her at Wimbledon
Molla would not take a dare-so there
they are now in the final of the British
championship. with the whole tenni:
world aquiver with excitement.
Greatest Match Player.
II 10 10 DC n uuef between Ine pes
match player in the world and the
player who is equipped with an In
finite variety of strokes and the acme
of tennis skill 1t is to be a duel be-
tween a player who has been waiting
almost feverishly for the moment thai
has come. determined as greatly as
ever TO fight to the finish against a
player who must be looking forward
TO the match with some trepidation.
The chances favor Mile. Lenglen II
she succeeds in getting off into a SUBJ
stantial lead. That will give her the
confidence she needs and may
strengthen her game considerably. II
will surprise many II Suzanne wins
should Mrs. Mallory be successful ir
getting the so-called Jump" on hel
rival. The loss of the first set will
not necessarily mean defeat for Mrs
Mallory, for she Is likely to show tc
better advantage in the second Su.
zanne, even IL she wins. will know she
has been in one Of the greatest
struggles of her career. Molla, II she
wins. will stand the undlsputed queer
of the tennis world