Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1926-01-30

Helen Wills, Americas woman ten
mis- ace, is making good in her inva-
sion of France, and has worked her
way up to a meeting with the re-
doubtable L'Englen, by defeating Eu-
ropes ranking player, Vlasto.
This entities her to 60 with prob
ably the worlds greatest woman ten
mis- player, L'Englen, and competent
judges are ready to give the Ameri-
can slim chance against the little
French lady.
Wills and L'Englen represent ex-
actly opposite types. The former is o
quiet, imperturable, strong, consist
emit and logged player; the latter is
emotional, temperamental, flashy, in
consistent, speedy, and generally bril-
liant. Miss Wills represents power,
Miss L,Englen, speed; and she has
won over all her opponents by that
quality
Reports have given it out that Miss
Wills is practicing some psychological
tricks, by which she thinks it possible
to defeat Miss L'Englen, as the slang
has it, "by getting her goat" The
Frenchwoman has, apparently sought
to influence her opponent by playing
always in o sweater, creating the i'm
preston that she does not have to ex-
ert herself enough to keep herself
warm. Miss Wills has adopted this
little plan, and it Is said that the
French champion has been visibly at
fected by It.
Again, Miss Wills has always ad-
hered to rather subdued costumes,
while L'Englen has worn q profusion
Of glittering colors. On this trip Miss
Wills has appeared in a strikingly
brilliant head gear and sweater, in
which red was the predominant shade.
Writers intimate that If she keeps
this up she will, by matching Miss
L,Englen in the allied features Of the
game, come near to impressing the
highly strung European that Ameri-
ca has q champion equal to her in
actual playing qualities.
Whenever the two meet, it will be
q contest worth crossing the big ditch
to see. It is possible for Miss Wills |
TO wear her opponent down by sheer
staying powers II she can come any
where matching her in speed. All
America is looking and hoping that
the pluclSy California girl may come |
back crwned as the worlds greatest.
AS stated heretofore in these col |
umns, either the 1926 Washington
College basket ball team is not Of |
equal caliber to that of last year or
her opponents have improved mater
ially. The Eastern Shore institution |
lost two games last week by the small
plurality Of points,-one to Mary
land University-30 to 20; the other,
10 Georgetown University-27 to 20.
However, it would seem that in the
ease Of two teams equally matched,
the advantage Of the home floor
should be worth moro than four
points. Basket ball prominently is q |
home-foor game. There is no con-
sistency in the size Of courts; the
building in every locality regulates
that. The rules prescribe maximum
and minimum, and while the former
Is never exceeded, the latter, even, is |
not at times available.
Daily practice is on the home floor,
Of course, and the team becomes thor
oughly familiar with its dimensions.
Lnstinctively they know how many
steps between baskets and how many
between side lines. Travelling up and
down the boor becomes an automatic
process, and this contributes to ease
and confidence. Then suddenly trans
Fer them to one they are not accus-
TONED to and the effect is TO knock off
1t least 20 per cent of their efficiency.