Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-06-11
GERMAN GIRL SHY
EXPERIENCE ONLY
tBlg Bill" Believes Trip to
America Would Be Big
Aid to Her Game.
By WILLIAM t. TILDEN, I'd.

I was one beautiful May after
noon In 1927 when the French
championships at the Stade
Francois, in st. Cloud, were
Dust beginning that 1 first saw
Eelie AuSSem as a tennis player.
had hardly heard Of her at that
time.
Mile. Contostavlos was one of the
great French stars of the day, whom
many hailed as a successor to the in
comparable Lenglen. Mile. ContoStavlos
was to play her first match of the tour
nament on the center court against
some unknown, so I decided to watch.
I wandered into the stand and idly
watched few games, all Of which were
bitterly contested and most of which
Mile. Contostavlos lost. Her opponent
was a chubby little miss who looked
nothing but a child, but she could GER
tainly play tennis. Her remarkable re-
coverieS of Mile. Contostavlos' best
shots had the big gallery in continuous
applause. No one took her really Seri-
ously, but were cheering her brave eff
fort.
Name Meant Little.
''Who is she?" I asked one of the
Aficials.
"Celie Aussem, the German" was the
Teply. That meant little to me beyond
a name at that time. I had heard quite
@ good deal about Celie Aussem-how
good she was, what remarkable player
she would become-during my visit to
Berlin earlier that same year and now
recognized in the flashing little figure
on the court a shy, charming little lady
I had met casually in Berlin. why, of
course" I said, stupidity, lit is Miss
AuSsem."
The result of that match which Miss
AusSem won and went on to take her
place among the great stars of the
game is now tennis history. That was
almost four seasons ago. and from that
period Celie has changed from a prom
Using youngSter to a great star. All
has not been easy for this girl. She has
had her setbacks as we'll as her prog
ress. There have been times when she
seemed to be going backward instead of
forward. but behind all the superficial
variations of her game her talent
g1owed clearly and rose above any tenn
porary encouragement.
Is Fond of Game.
When first saw Celie, her game was
noteworthy primarily for its steadiness
and her remarkable ability to cover
court. 1t was a case of get the ball back
until her opponent missed. 1t was not
a game that showed all the necessary
requirements of great champion. She
lacked attack. She lacked confidence
and at times she lacked concentration.
She had two great assets. She had a
great love for the game that kept her
always keen and willing to work to i'm
prove and she had youth with its eager
. exuberance and speed. On these two
assets, was sure great game could be
built, but was at times doubtful if it
would be.
The season of 1928 found distinct
step forward in Celie's game. I found
definite signs of a growing attacking
power in her style. No longer did she rely
on her opponents errors alone to give
her points. She hit out for her own
and often won them. True in so doing
she lost a little of her steadiness, but
at the same time she gave evidence OF
becoming a really great player.
Unfortunately like so many girls who
are approaching the top in tennis,
Celie's game was taken almost too Seri-
ously by her closest friends. They were
so anxious for her to win that they be-
gan to make her fear defeat. Celie be-
gan to grow nervous and Self-conScious
, in her matches. She was so anxious to
make good for her well wishers that she
overtried. She grew stroke conscious
and began to think more of how to play
than where to play. Due partially to
this added strain and partially to an ac-
tual physical effect on her eyes of too
great continuous concentration, she be-
gan to develop the eye strain which in
the following year threatened to put an
end TO this charming players career.
Eyes Cause Trouble.
The season Of 1929 was disastrous
one for Celie. She was so troubled by
her eyes that her timing went off anc
her game seriously deteriorated. She
met many defeats that were the direct
result of her eye trouble The terrific
strain on her nervous system took it,
toll, and, following Wimbledon, Celie, fol
the second time in a year, was ordered
off the courts, and none too soon, fol
she was both physically and nervously
IN very rundown condition.
Care and her long lay-off did won.
ders. and a complete cure brought hel
back to the courts this Winter in per
feet condition. Somewhere and some