Imperial Valley press., 1923-08-16
California Girl
Is FavOrite For
Woman Champion

of autumn in the AIR and dark
cluods that threatened rain at any
minute, made rather sombre set
ting for the fourth round of the
American womens tennis cham
pionships here this afternoon.
Mrs. Mallory, American cham
pion, defeated Miss Helen Hooker
of Greenwich, 6-3 and 6-l, in the
first match of the day, and was the
first to enter the semi-final round.
Miss Eleanor Goss and Mrs. b.
C. Covell, the British star, furnish
ed the first real contest of the day
by running their match into three
sets. Miss Goss won the first set,
81, and Mrs. Covell took the second
o.. The British star came back
strong in the second set and out
played the American. Miss Goss
slipped twice and fell to the courts
and had to take short rest.
Miss Goss and Mrs. Covell play
ed superb and spectacular tennis in
the third set, which the American
won, Sc. Costly errors made by the
British woman in the last games of
the set caused her defeat.
Miss Wills Plays
The crowd had increased several
hundred when Miss Helen Wills
and Miss McKane took the courts
for the third and feature match of
the day.
With her game full of errors, Miss
Helen Wills lost the first set 90
The California girl started serving
and lost the first five points and
the first three games.
Miss Wills drove in the net and
out of the court time after time.
Miss McKane played steadily.
Coming with sharp aggressive
game, Miss Wills won the second
set 60.
She won the first three games
with speedy attack that broke the
British girl's game to pieces. The
Californian carried such an often
sive to her opponent that Miss Me-
Kane was forced into many errors
and unreturnable volleys.
Still playing most Brilliant tennis
Miss Wills won the third set at 7-5
and took the match.
The British girl made most
valiant last stand in the final set.
Down ID in six games, she fought
desperately and with four straight
games ran the set into deuce at D
all. Miss Wills increased her pace
and forced the British girl into
errors with the drive in her vol
levs. The match point for Miss
Wills was scored on Il service ace.
FOREST HILLS, n. Y, August
l6.-Without having produced any
thing that could approach an up
set, the national women s tennis
championship went into the round
before the semi-finals today with
three British and five American
stars surviving.
Four matches on today's card in
the singles will produce four losers
after what should be the best and
most exciting tennis of the week.
Miss Helen Wills, the II year old
California girl who has had the
crowd completely behind her since
she started play, is booked for the
feature match of the day with Miss
Kathleen McKane, the former tea
room maid of London, and the best
player in England.
The California girl defeated Miss
McKane in one of the singles
matches of the Wightman cup tour
nament and since then Miss Wills
has bee. playing superb tennis.
Victory today will put her in the
semi-final round with the chances
good that she will meet Mrs. Molla
Mallory, the American champion, in
the final round for the champion
ship.
So far in the championship match
YES the most absorbing topic of
discussion has been about the Cali
fornia girl IS chances of becoming
the next champion, and if public
wishes could crown her she would
be a cinch for the title.
Mrs. Mallory plays against Miss
Helen Hooker, the Greenwich girl,
who advanced through the fourth
round when Mrs. Geraldine Beamish
one of the best British players,
was forced through illness to de-
fault. Miss Hooker is the tenth
ranking player among the Amer
cans, and she can hardly hope to
do much against the American
champion.
Miss Leslie Bancroft, the left
handed star from Boston and the
second ranking player, will meet
Mrs. r. c. Clayton, the English COW
cred court champion, and she may
have the battle of her life to sur