Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-27
GALLERY SENSED
DEFEAT OF HELEN
Little Poker Face Denies
5000 Thrill of Seeing a
Champ Deposed.
BY LAWRENCE PERRY.

Il
thusiasm of the crowd Of some
VI 5000 lawn tennis fans rose to
4 its highest pitch in the final
match of the woman's national
singles championship at Forest Hills
when 1t seemed there was at least q
fair chance of Helen Wills being de-
feated. Not that the crowd had any
thing in particular against the fair and
Unconditional Helen. or that her oppo-
nent. Mrs. Phoebe Watson Of England,
had gained for herself any special pop
ularity. 1t was merely the feeling
which you encounter among spectators
at any sporting event in which indi-
viduals are competing and champion
ship is at stake.
The unwonted thrill of seeing
champion deposed, Of being in at the
death Of the ruler, sways the attitude
Of the crowd beyond reason, and it
is gathered around prize ring or .
tennis court.
But then, so far as Miss Wills Is con-
cerned, it may be said that no cham
pion the writer ever saw in action
seemed to care less what the gallery
thought or how it felt. The crowd at
Forest Hills might have been painted
backdrop so far as any indication Of
recognition which the champion gave.
an athlete betrays the fact, uncon-
cerned though he may try to be, that
he Is being observed. But not Miss
Wills. She had as well have been
playing in a segment Of the tenantless
Cobb Desert.
Enthuses Not at All.
So far as that went. she did nothing
to suggest that the attractive woman
playing against her was anything more
than an automaton. So far as could
be seen. she never voiced any Of these
little intersections by which one PLAYER
recognizes that he or she Is playing
against a fellow human being-"good
shot" You hear that in every big
time tennis game. But not in a game
in which Helen Wills plays. She en-
thuses neither over her opponents shots
nor, as it seems, over her own. Her
face never changes expression. Watch
ing her unvarying sang froid, students
of human nature among the gallery
are puzzled to determine whether she
feels the play of emotions, suppressing
them with iron will, or whether her
emotions are not easily involved.
And so it was Mrs. Watson, who
slashed and banged and took every
chance in the world, that experienced
the greater warmth of the gallery last
odtuluoys 11dO cAiC Aldu q AidAACA cCANC,
bit more endurance, the chances are
that she might have beaten the cham
pion on Saturday.
Strong With Forehand.
Her forehand drive was delivered with
a ferocity and an accuracy which had
Helen Wills hurrying from one side Of
the court to the other merely to keep
the ball in play. That drive had more
pace than most Of Helen's forehand
shots, was better placed, and had it not
been for the blazing service Of the
American girl and the greater percent
age of errors which game Of the gam
bling sort Mrs. Watson was playing was
almost certain to produce, there might
be new worlds woman lawn tennis
champion today. AS 1t Is, 1t Is clear
that when the present champion Is
driven from her misunderstanding she
does not voluntarily relinquish her
scepter, and it is intimated she will
shortly do this-she will fall before q
girl who, having Mrs. Watson's drive.
Is sturdier and endowed with an ability
to deal up lightning fash serves.
AS to Miss Wills game, the writer,
who has seen her in play since she hfst
came East as a child, Is convinced that
she has made q marvellous improvement
in footwork, not only in the way u
graceful movement, but in covering q
court. She retrived shots on Saturday
that she never would have got q few
years ago.