Evening star., 1926-02-16

Duke of Connaught. former King
Emanuel of Portugal and the Rajah
of Puduvota.
The most elegant gowns on the Ri
veria were displayed in the overflow
' ing stands and even on the roof of IA
neighboring garage and on top of
limousines.
Early trains brought hundreds from
nearby resorts who hoped to get into
additional stands which We're erected
overnight.
Half a dozen movie operators and
score of newspaper photographers
were present. Helen wore her famous
visor, simple duck dress and her
more famous old red knitted sweater.
Suzanne appeared to be elated and
distrubted smiles everywhere. She
looked elegant in 4 peach -colored
sweater and a turban.
Sends Rival to Limit.
Helen's white face did not betray
the slightest emotion except to show
81 friendly smile when she was greet
ed by others.
Miss Wills astoniShed the gallery
with the accuracy of her placing, her
mastery strategy and. above all, her
cool nerve.
Suzannes invincibility was gone
The strokes which strike terror to all
other adversaries We're returned cas-
lily by Helen. who was on the defens-
i've by no means half the time. She
pushed Lenglen to the last ounce of
energy and kept the famous French
wizard working like electricity to de-
wise an effective comeback.
Point for point they We're almost
equal. The match was Won by a
shade of superiority in Suzannes mas
terlly placing.
Today nobody can predict what will
happen when-and if-they meet
again.
Helen's generalship was perhaps the
most unexpected feature of the match.
The simple schoolgirl revealed n power
of consistent planning which had not
been observed in previous games. She
did not give Suzanne a single chance
TO use her famous up-to-the-net leap.
while she was perhaps better than the
French girl in guessing.
Both Are Cautious.
The match started slowly, neither
player taking chances. Helen is slow
er in warming up, hence she was un-
willing to risk speed and her returns
were frequently faulty.
Then Suzanne commenced her IA
nous tiring tactics, placing the ball
in the distant corners. so Helen would
exhaust herself in repeated violent
efforts to make a return. This
aroused Helen's fighting spirit. In
the second and third games she COM
pletely outplayed Suzanne. These
tactics kept Suzanne dashing to the
most extreme ends of the court and
left her breathless, Helen winning
both games.
The famous hypnotic power was
broken. Helen could not be bullied.
Henceforth it was straight tennis. Su-
zanne began concentrating on line
shots, using her marvellous power to
the utmost to place the ball precisely
on a chosen square inch. She won
two love games, the last except one,
in the whole match.
On the sixth game, with the score
to in Suzanne's favor, Helen
opened up her speedy serve. This,
however, is not yet perfected; it wor-
ried Suzanne, but it was not suffi-
GENTLY accurate to win alone, while
the Freenchwoman's perfect returns
caught Helen at her weaker point.
Suzanne won the last two games
of the first set with comparative
ease. The second set was as fine an
exhibition of all-around tennis as the
world has seen in a long time. Both
had proved that they could not win
by any one tactic. Thereafter both
produced their whole bag of tricks,
alternating swift drives with high
Iobs, spinning balls. tricky place
lnents and unexpected changes of
strategy until the spectators heads
swan.
Tension Is Terrific.
Helen won the first game at love
and three out of the first four. The
tension was terrific as visions of an
unexpected miracle began to appear.
Suzanne's worried face revealed
her chagrin and puzzlement. If
Helen could win the set her mag
nificent youth and iron staying pow.
er might wear down the impress OF
tennis. Little Poker Face" was
calmer than ever and she did not
move a muscle except to open her
Inns in expectation Of Il serve.
Then impossible things began to
happen. Shots which it was teen
nically impossible to return were
caught in the last tenth of d second.
Terrific volleys in the forecourt We're
picked up and accurately returned 10
the most unexpected point
Helen sped up her game, doupllnS
the velocity of her ball. BY TINS
time she was placing the ball with
almost impeccable perfection. Then
she weakened mysteriously, giving
Suzanne two games, Helen winning
only one point. Was Helen weary?
1t appeared so.
But the spectators mad underesti-
rrateu the tremendous reserve power
which the California girl had stored
in her 1.-the. little body. She returned
TO her task, sturdy as steel, and won
q magnificent game. which went to
deuce twice. producing the cleverest
spins and sleeping balls, which she
has been perfecting.
Suzanne Annoyed.
Suzanne's annoyance now was un-
concealed Her play showed signs
of erraticism and her nerve was less
perfect She placed repeatedly exact
ly on the line, some times occasion
ing disputes between the spectators
and umpire.
Helen repeatedly retrieved games
which seemed hopelessly lost. Su-
zanne had ceased to be the technically
perfect machine and she committed
the only fault of the whole match.
But vfrtuousity won by a hair.
After the set went to deuce, Suzanne,
painting and trembling, produced mas.
ter shots which demanded her last
pinch of energy-but won.
Then the spectators surged down
into the courts to acclaim the cham
piOn. Enormous baskets of flowers
appeared beside the huge silver cup
trophy.
Suzanne, still gasping but with a
smile fixed on her face extended her