The Washington times., 1929-08-19
BRITISH
PLAYER As
BARRIER
By MALCOLM ROY

NEW YORK, Aug. Is
Helen Wills, queen Of the
world s lawn tennis courts,
sets forth today in quest OF
her sixth American lawn ten
mis- championship.
Heavy rains during the night and
a drizzle this morning brought
possibility of postponement OF the
matches until tomorrow.
Only one other woman player
Mrs. Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, has
ever won the American title more
often than Queen Helen. 1t will
Ntake victory this year and in two
years more before Miss Wills ties
Z the amazing record which was COM
piled by the Norsewoman, begin
ming before the war and continuing
right down until she was dethroned
by Queen Helen herself.
But as it stands today Miss
wills has a record which out
shines even those of such luml-
naries Of bygOne years as Hazel
HOtchLiss Wightman. A four
tima victor, Mrs. May Sutton
Bundy. Mrs. Barger Wallach
and Miss Mary X. Browne.
Seemingly the only obstacle in
the path of Queen Helen and clean
sweep in the 1929 championships Is
the person of Betty Nuthall, who
forced Miss Wills to the hardest.
match she has played in upwards
of three years when they met IN
the Wightman Cup matches week
ago. Not in that time has Miss
Wills lost match and what is the
more remarkable she has not lost
even a set in that long period.
Not in two years even was she
forced to deuce sets until Miss Nut
hall unexpectedly did the seemingly
impossible at Forest Hills. If the
English girl can come. through with
a similar performance in the cham
pionships it is not at all inconceive'
able that. she will be seni-finalist
against Miss Wills and will give the
American champion a real battle.
According to the draw both Miss
Wills and Miss Nuthall are in the
ton half, one seeded in the topmost
bracket and the other in the bottom
tier. Should they move through the
early rounds triumphantly they will
be brought together in the semf-ft-
nails. Likewise the bottom Bracket
should see Helen Jacobs also OF
Berkeley, California, runner-up at
Wimbledon last month and at For
est Hills in the American champion
ships last year. matched against
Mrs. Michael Watson the most
scientific and careful of the half
dozen British women who will fight
for the American crown.
Due to the careful draw none
of the tOpliners will be brought
together In the first round or
two. In fact Miss Wills will not
be called upon to exert herself
until the third round or the
quarter finals are reached.
The same Is not true of the other
4 stars for there are one or two girls
in the lists who may be bearers OF
surprise packages. One Of these is
Sarah Palfrey, OF Boston, who has
victories over Mrs. May Sutton
Bundy and Mrs. Lawrence A. Har-
per, both formidable players. Others
of the youngsters who may spring
llpsets are Ethel Burkhardt, OF San
Francisco and Josephine Cruikshank
of Santa Ana.
Old-timers in the list include Mrs.
Bundy both American and Wimble-
don champion in 1904 and Mrs.
Mallory.
For the first time in several lawn
tennis generations Mrs. Wightman
will not play for the singles title
although she is once more entered
for the doubles crown which she
won last! year paired with Miss
Wills. f'&
The starred matches in, today's
play which will be staged on the
Htadium courts follow:
2:3O--Miss Ethel Burkhardt, San
Francisco, WI. Miss Marjorie Merrill,
s:SS@his. A': Hsl.n y.OObs Berkeley,
EalIf.. y. Miss Penelope Anderson,
s;sO-Mrs PhOsbO Watson. England,
vs.. Mis-. Jossphins cruikshank. Santa
4:sO~Miss Helen wills. Berkeley,
calif.. vs. Miss Katherine LSmarcIs
S:OO-Miss Betty NuthaIl England,
vs.. Miss Cecilia Riegel, Philadelphia.