The Washington times., 1938-05-17

/ j
! Columbia, at lS
/! Chevy Chase, Lillian Rixey
! aU Army and Navy, and on the
public courts.
First women's tournament Is
scheduled for this weekend
when the city Of washington
Women's championship is to be
played at Army, Navy. That
> will serve as a warmer-up for
the District of Columbia tourna-
ment to be held July 6 at
Columbia. Next city-wide tour
ney will be the Women's League
championship on August Q.
In the past was shington
women also had q chance to
play for a Middle Atlantic cham
pionship, but nowadays the Mid
die Atlantic is for men only. II
enough enthusiasm could be
worked up between now and
July % when the mems tourna-
ment is played off, perhaps the
authorities could be persuaded
to give the female tennis stars
another chance.
The two top women, tennis
players of the District are a
long way from home, leaving the
field wide open for a stiff battle
among the lesser local lights.
Ranked No. I
Miss Edith clarke, tail,
swarthy blonde with a terrific
line drive, is in California. She
is ranked No. among Washing
ton women. Mary Cootes, dark,
curly-haired daughter Of Col.
Harry N. Cootes, Of Alexandria,
Is in Berlin. Although she was
not listed last year among rank
ing District players because she
participated in so few local
tournaments, she is a good
match for Miss Clarke.
When last heard from Miss
CooteS had just won the cham
pionShip Of Cairo and was doing
very well in the tournament at
Alexandria, Egypt-not Virginia.
Her job as interpreter with the
State Department then took her
on to Berlin where she is con-
tinuing to play in continental
tournaments. ..
With Miss Clarke and Miss
Cootes in various parts Of the
world, Mrs. Stanley K. Robinson
and Miss Sara Moore take top
honors. Mrs. RobinSon'S huS-
band is q tennis player Of note
also. They both play from Army
and Navy. Mrs. Robinson is
curly-haired, husky and dogged
on the court. Her form Is not
spectacular, but effective.
Style UnorthOdOx
Miss Moore, ranked No. 2 in
the District, is a blonde with
an unorthodox style Of play.
The strength of her game lies
in her determination to return
every possible stroke and her
ability to make impossible gets.
She has plenty Of steam on the
ball, too.
Anne Ellis is a comparative
youngster, ranked No. 4. She
is slender and tall, with sweep
ing true-to-form strokes remi-
niscent Of a mans game. At
her very best she can lick most
contenders but her game Is apt
/ to be erratic.
No. S is q veteran whose
stamina and persistence have
wrecked the hopes of many Of
the flaShy, spectacular young
sters-MrS. Dorette Miller. She
is at her best as a doubles
player, but has a great deal Of
Sara Moore'S determination and
is hard to beat at singles.
| Playground Champion
Willie O'Steen is a dark.
Stocky youngster who was form
erly District playground cham
pion and is now No. 6 ranking
player. Several years more OF
tournament play will have q
Steadying and improving influ-
ence on her game.
Plugging along in league play
throughout the summer and
having a whale Of a good time
doing it are some 80 other wo-
men. League play among the
10 teams started on May l and
will continue until the league
championship on August 9.
Each member Of q team.
whether she ranks first, seventh
or ninth, plays nine other wo-
men of the same ranking on all
the opposing teams. The team.
of course, which wins the most
matches is then league cham
pion.
Many of the good local
players are league members.
Mrs. Robinson is No. / on the
Army.Navy team; Anne Ellis on
the Chevy Chase team; Marg-
aret Graham on Clumbia; Mrs.
Miller on the Nationals, and
Willie O'Steen on Wardman
Park.
With Miss Clarke away, the
game is spelling for a new wo-
nAn.nIr cham r,inr In Washin nknHn