Douglas daily dispatch., 1927-08-13
FRENCH TENNIS
HITS
AMERICAN NAC

EL
SOUTHAMPTON, N. T., Aug. 12CH0
"A wiry American boyof 20, George
Lott, Jr., Of Chicago, today scored an
astounding victory over Rene LaCoste
Eof France, the conqueror of big Bill"
t'Tilden twice in year Scores were
GA, 6-3, 61.
Ictts's remarkable achievement in
the semi-finals of the Meadow clubs
invitation tennis tournament here was
worthy climax to day which saw
Tilden himself sweep through to an
easy victory over Jacques Brugnon, an
/ ether member of the French Davis cup
team, 6-2, 6-1, CLIO.
Tilden thus will meet Lott in an
American final tomorrow, and the
Davis cup preliminary which both
Tilden and LaCoste sought to avoid,
| even to the extent of defaulting, has
! been spared.
| In overcoming the redoubtable La
Coste, Lott rose to the topmost heights
CT game that on occasions bore the
mark of genius. His service was twist
! ing and tricky, his smashing vicious,
his trap shots marvels of deceit. Even
Lofts choppy ground strokes, often
times unreliable, tipped over the net
| like pistol bullets.
| LaCoste, on the other hand, was
minus his usual steadiness and missed
the chalk lines time after time, some
times by two or three feet.
| Both Tilden and Lott were playing
! the world beating game of which they
are capable when at their best. A
constantly rising crescendo of perfect
| tennis wore down their French oppon-
! entS.
Tilden and Hunter, candidates for
the Davis cup doubles designation, to-
! day won semi-final match from
| Cranston Holman, San Francisco, and
Dr. George King, New York, at 6-1,
6-1, 7-5. In the other doubles semi
final Lewis N. White and Louis Thai
heimer of Texas, defeated Lott and
gray-haired New Yorker, Frey Baggs,
7-5, 6-2, Ga.
FOREST HILLS, N. Y, Aug. II (P
An unexpected as well as decisive
triumph by Mrs. Molla Bjurstedt NAL
| lory, veteran American champion, over
the British tennis ace, Mrs. Kitty Nc
Kane Godfree, helped the United
States establish a lead of two matches
to one over England today in the COM
petition for the Wightman cup, inter-
national women'S team trophy.
Miss Helen Wills, 81 year old Cali
fornian and Wimbledon champion,
scored Americas other victory with
consummate ease over Miss Joan Fry
! 0f q n fol 1u
| minutes to make the match a rout.
But where this match had been vir-
tually, conceded to America before
hand it came as a, distinct surprise
when Mrs. Mallory, flashing the old
time power that lifted her to national
! title heights dozen years ago, swept
aside Mrs. Godfree with almost equal
ease by scores of GA, 6-2.
The British team prevented shut
out for the day when their doubles
Hpair, the youthful Miss Gwynnetn
Steery and experienced Mrs. John Hill,
rallied to pull out an uphill victory
over Mrs. Charlotte Hosmer Chaplin
and Miss Eleanor Goss, the American
combination, in long drawn out and
closely contested tussle, ST, 7-5, 5-5.
On the strength of the singles
prowess exhibited today the Americans
will be strong favorites successfully to
I defend the Wightman cup in tomor-
rows final play. To do it, the home
forces need take only two of the four
fconteSts scheduled, the features of
(which will find Miss Wills arrayed
against Mrs. Godfree, Mrs. Mallory
against Miss Fry and Miss Helen
Jacobs, 18 year old California girl,
meeting the 16 year old British star,
Miss Betty Nuthall.
Mrs. Mallory's play was the SenSa-
ton today. The indomitable spirited
Norse-woman had more limited as
sortment of strokes, but she employed
them to better advantage than the
versatile Mrs. Godfree, who, except
for occasional sorties to the net was
kept on the defensive at the base line
by the terrific power of Mrs MalIory's
game. In vain Mrs. Godfree attacked
the Americans back hand, only to find
returns off it as forceful as the latter's
fliStering forehand drives. Under such
consistent pressure Mrs. Godfree'S
softer game faltered. She fell into a
streak of error making and dropped
, five straight games in the second set
before rallying to check for few
moments Molla's victorious attack.
Analysis of the match revealed that as
result of her rivals forcing tactics,
, Mrs Godfree committed almost twice
as many errors as Mrs. Mallory
! Miss Wills, returning to competition
at Forest Hills for the first time since
the 1925 national championships, made
; short work of Miss Fry with an ex-
} hibition of stroking that left no doubt
of the Californian's successful come
back. Cool, resourceful and with
} tremendous punch" in her strokes,
Miss Wills outclassed the English girl
J who appeared nervous and grew more
} uncertain as the match progressed.