Evening star., 1923-08-19


largest i'll the history OF womens tit
Concrete stadium.
Tit'e honorS in the national doubles
championship went overseas for the
first time in American women'S tennis
annals when the British pair. Miss
Kathleen Mckane and Mrs. Nancy
Covell vanquiShed Miss Eleanor Cos.
of New York and Miss Hazel Hotch-
kiss Wightman of Boston in a three
set struggle 2-6. g. 6-l. Beaten in
The first set by the Sunerior strategy of
their rivals. the En"1iSh women Sv-a"t
the American nair off thew feet with \
brilliantly sustained @ttack IN the lost
TWO sets. The losers tired under he
swift nace and were comparative
easy victims in the deciding set.
Something New for MnIln.
Miss Wills. in dethroninm Mrs.
Ma llorv. administered the first SET
pack the NorSewornan ever Sustained
IN the final round of the title quest and
the second defeat the latter has suf-
Tered IN nine years of tournament his
tory in this country. Back in 1919 Mrs
Mallory. Their Miss Bjurstedt was off
form through illness and fen before
Miss Marion ZinderStain of WHINING
ton. Del. now Mrs. John B. JeSSup in
an early round. Mrs Wightman was
the eventual winner of the tournament.
the only one since 1916 until this sea-
son in which the Norsewoman has
failed to emerge victorious.
II was one of the most decisive de-
feats. too. that Mrs. Mallory has r."
ceived In her long and brilliant career
Last year. in the final round of the
world championship at Wimbledon.
Mile Len@len overwhelmed the Ameri-
ran champion, g., 60. but the vic
tory Of Miss Wills today. while she
allowed her rival one more game than
did the French woman. was none the
less crushing in its finalty.
The deciSiHeness of the triumph by
the coast girl. who never before had
been able To extend Mrs. Mallory.
came as distinct surprise to critics.
even those who held out the highest
hope for Miss Wills as a result of
her sensational march TO victory
through the international field that
started tournament play last Monday.
Picture of Confidence.
There was no question that she had
reached the topmost heights of her
game all week. hut few expected
Mrs Mallory. who also had been
showing her best form. to be swept
aside so easily. But where she had
see med nervous. uncertain in oppoS-
Ing the veteran titleholder previously
Miss Wills today was the picture of
confidence. Except for a few moments
of inaccuracy at the start. she played
with superb skill and cool general
ship.
IL was TINS reSourcefulneSS. this
fmperturbab bility under the hottest of
the clH Hmpfon'S fire. coupled with the
all-rounds perfection of her strokinE
that cost the verdict in the young
sters favor. Facing one of the hard
est-hitting players the game has ever
known. Miss Wills matched drive for
drive. putting. if anything, more pace
into her shots than Mrs. Mallory
could muster, while time after time
she whipped across placement shots
that the champion could barely get
her racket on.
Mrs. Mallory fought her hardest.
bringing off many remarkable re-
turns and prolonging many brilliant
rallies from the base line. but in
evitably she was forced To the de-
fensive. giving Miss Wills chance
for a smashing cross court ace or
beinS forced into errors by the sheer
power OF her young rivals strokes.
Tide Turns Suddenly.
Neither was able to make her
service effective in the first four
games Of the opening set. Mrs. Nal
lorH breaking through at love in the
third game. while Miss Wills re-
taliated in similar manner on the
champions delivery in the fourth. At
this stage of the match. the tide
turned with spectacular suddenness
IN the coast girls favor. Flickins the
iines with her drives. chasing the
forehand and backhand shots that
Whistled across the net. Miss Wills
won four straight games with the
loss of but one point. Mrs Mallory
placements, forced, the final game of
the set to deuce twice hut then
tossed away her chances with rwc
errors.
Starting the second set with the
same relentless attack Miss Wills
ran through three straight games.
giving her total OF eight in sue
ccSsion before she was momentarily
checked But though Mrs Mallory
won the fourth. after il had gore 20
only the final courageous stand of =
fallen champion. Miss Wills quickly
took the offensive to win the NEXT
three games and clinch the m3tch
Mrs: Mallory forced the sixth gam.
to deuce three times before Welding
and in the last game nettad three
shots. while. pretty pla, ,.ment down
the side lines gave Miss Wills her
other winning point
The new champion, who takes rank
with Mrs. May Sutton Bundy as the
youngest player to win the national
women's title. has ~isen to highest
American honorS in but three years
OF national title competition. She
first attracted attention in 1921. when
she captured the national girls cham
pionship. repeating her victory last
year. when she also entered the
"Omen's title events for the first
time, winning the national doubles
with Mrs. Marion Zinderstein Jessup
as her partner and reaching the final
round against Mrs. Mallory who won
by 6-3, 6--1
Beaten Twice This Year.
Though her game showed vast i'm
provement.' she had been beaten twice
this year. first by Miss Eleanor Goss
in an invitation tourney at Seabright,
n. j.. and two weeks ago by Mrs.
Mallory In the final of the New York
state women's tournament at Rye.
N. Y. Almost overnight, however, she
reached new heights, defeating Miss
McKane and Mrs. r. c. Clayton of
England in the international matches
last Saturday and Monday and then
starting national tournament play
at the same dazzling pace. She lost
but one set all week in her triumph
ant march, and that to Miss McKane
In the fourth round Thursday.
Mrs. Mallory made her first appear
ance In American tournament play in
1918, coming to this country from
Christiania, Norway. Her first vic