Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-08-22
BARONESS SCORES
AT FOREST HILLS
inexperienced, Unorthodox
Racketer Battles Way
to Semi-FinaIS.
BY LORENA A. HICKOK,
Associated Press stan Writer.

FOREST HILLS, N. Y, August
r. 22.-BaronesS Georgia Gia-
como Levi of Italy, who
never took a tennis lesson
In her life until this Summer, was
today just two matches away
from the woman'S championship
OF the United States.
BY sheer grit and some Of the most
unorthodoX, but colorful, tennis seen at
Forest Hills in many season, she bat
tied her way yesterday into the semi
xinals Of the women's national cham
pionship tournament, defeating Miss
Penelope Anderson Of Richmond, Va,
one Of Americas most experienced tour
nament players, As, 60, rs.
Today she meets Mrs. l.. A. Harper OF
San Francisco, fifth ranking woman
player In the United States, the win
land or Miss Marjorie Morrill, Of Ded-
ham, Mass, for the championship to-
morrow.
Mrs. Harper will beat me-she's too
smart for me-" the baroness said cheer
fully. But the tennis experts were Civ
ing her an even chance, even though
they did think she had no business
getting this far in the tournament.
The baroness does just about every
She simply has, in the tennis sense, no
style at all. They grin every time they
watch her Serve-and then gasp. She
places her feet wrong, she swings her
arm incorrectly and sometimes 1t al
most looks as though she hit the ball
with the frame of her racket. With
Incredible speed the ball goes Ringing
low across the net and right after 1t,
with q sort Of kangaroo leap, goes the
&c has had chance to bounce. The
baroness never lets ball bounce If she
can help it.
A PIucky Player.
All over the court Is the baroness
1eaptng. racing, gesticulating, her white
teeth flashing in her bronzed face. Her
courage Is magnificent. One Of her IA
vor1te dishes Is three-Set match. At
the end OF the second set she viii ap-
pear completely exhausted A
short rest, and back she comes to the
third set, as fresh and lively as q brand
new bali. That's what happened yes
terday.
Slim and brown, with shining black
hair. the baroness does not go in for
eyeshades, colored bandeaux or gay
sweaters. Those things bother her, she
says-interfere with her game. She
wears spiked shoes because, she ex-
planned today, she had never played on
o grass court until she almost won the
Eastern turf court championship at
Rye last week.
When she comes or the court she
wears o brown tweed coat with fur
q little tin box filled with gold-tipped
foreign cigarettes. Pufing contentedly,
she saunters back to the inn. The
thought that It might be unusual for
an athlete. presumably In training, to
smoke cigarettes apparently has never
crossed her mind.
A Chicago Girl
Before her marriage Baroness Levi
was Miss Maude Rosenhaum Of Chi
cago. Her father, e. r. Rosenbaun, Is
Q retired grain broker, and the family
now lives at Rye, N. Y. When the
baroness was Is years old she spent a
Summer at Highland Park, NJ, and
there she started playing tennis.
There was O man there who liked TO
play, but who had no one to play with"
she said today. $50 he used to practice
serving and get me to return the balls
after them himself"
She liked the game and kept on play
nd. After her marriage she began
playtng tournament tennis tn Rome.
She has been woman champion Of
Bone four times and is now the second
ranking woman player In Italy.
But outside Of Italy I've never gone
20 WELL" she said today. "Once about
i've years ago played season on the
Riviera, but never got anywhere at all.
Once at the Paris internationals I did
manage to stay through until the semi
finals In the doubles, but we got licked
then.
81 don't play much any more, and
I've never taken it very seriously.
get to play only about three months
out Of every year now, and I've never
had any lessons until this Summer. I've
learned q lot these last few weeks, but
know my game is still funny"
The baron doesn't play tennis. Polo
Is his game. But he has q 2-year-od
daughter named Nina, at present visit
ing her grandparents In Rye, whose
favor1te toy Is q miniature tennis
racquet.