Evening star., 1938-06-05
SHOWS S0LD PUNCH
IN STROK|NG BALL
Whether She Can Move Fast
Afoot Is Pre-Wightman
Cup Match Topic.
BY JAMES B. RESTON.

Correspondence of the Associated Press.
WIMBLEDON, England, June A.
Helen Wills Moody, just little wiser
and. perhaps, trif1e slower than she
was here three years ago. will lead
the United States team against
Britain in the 18th Wightman Cup
match Friday and Saturday.
1t will take miracle to keep the
Americans from winning their eighth
straight victory, and nothing less
than that will keep England from
storming Wimbledon to see Helens
comeback.
Mrs. Moody has been playing in the
minor tournaments here for three
weeks and has been beaten only once.
She has been analyzed. criticized and
idolized ever since she arrived. The
Wimbledon title is her goal, but the
Wightman Cup matches will serve as
the first real test of her ability to stay
out of world tennis for three years and
then come back
From her play in the early tourna-
mentS, deceptive test, three things
seem obvious: She is running and
talking less if that is possible) than
ever before; she is hitting the ball,
forehand and backhand, with all the
power of 1880. and her accuracy and
her sense of where to be seem to have
improved.
Can She Run?
1t may be that the critics simply
have forgotten how good she was. 1t
may be they have forgotten how much
faster tennis ball travels when hit
with the fiat racket. 1t may be they
merely are overjoyed to see the IA
miliar eyeshade and the little scarlet
wool jacket.
But anyway, they all are agreed
she has all the strokes to win again
and that she seems more thoughtful
and determined.
But the question is: Can she run?"
Snap judgment on this would be
that definitely she cannot In all these
preliminary tournaments she stayed
at the baseline as much as possible.
When she did go in, there was some
thing inelastic about her, and she was
not usually successful.
But snap judgment on her in EARL,
tournaments is dangerous. Long be-
fore she reached her present age of
81, she wrote a book and admitted
that good tennis player had to run
sometimes. She explained it was her
method to hit the ball so hard and
so accurately that all the running
was done on the other side of the
net.
Undoubtedly it is possible to beat
her by slicing the ball into the FORE
court, but the question is whether
there is a player in the game today
good enough to place her blazing
drives.
Hasn't Lost Since 1924.
Helen Jacobs or Anita Lizana NAV
be able to do it. But Mrs. Moody
won't have to face them until later
In the month. 1t is doubtful if either
Mary Hardwick or Peggy Scriven.
Brltaln's two probables for the singles
IN the Wightman Cup matches, can
live against Mrs. Moody's drives.
Mrs. Moody has not lost a Wight
man Cup singles match since 1924.
She has not even lost set in the
competition since that time.
She will probably play in the singles
Friday with Miss Jacobs and Alice
Marble. Sarah Palfrey Fabyan will
probably be used only in the doubles.
and Dorothy Bundy may get chance
to play singles if the Americans do
not need the concluding singles point.
Here's Mrs. Moody's Wightman Cup
record:
1928 tat Forest Hnls)-Beat x. Nc
s s8 2 WITH nela 9eft Ma MsiIoSy Glay5en be5f
Mrs Beamish and Mrs. Clayton. Ga.
!924rctat Wimbledon)-Lost to X. Nc
81. S. with MIS-. Wightman " RrS o0Seil Seat
MSS McKane and Miss E. colyer. 2-6
1925, Forest Hills)-Beat Miss McKane.
rs vii with ma MarE peat MIS- Rsoxns j. Fry ost 60 o
1899 tWimbledonl Did not play.
With Mrs, wishtman, beat Mrs GoSfree
and on Mss 1E E H Harvey, o., 4-6. Ga.
nett, 6--3. s.: beat Mrs Wafson AI,fs e. pen
Hmr,2 HSm2 w. With Miss P. Anderson lost to
MRS oSo WatSSn tsS1l and Miss Bennett. 2-6. Is.
81 6m4: beat Betty Nuthsl. s@s
'1iIi iS3a imisi anG Mrsi Watson, Id. Ia.
watson 70. 6-1; beat Miss iJOieFgy' ! Fpy
Mrs Mrs ws,lor SMI With Helen JACOBS. lost to 70
81 eaS9h and Mrs. L. A. Godfree,
,ord 1881 (Forestt Hills)-Beat Miss p Mind
81 @ % 0Wf; with haat beat Betty Nuthan.
setty Nuthall and Mrs. Whittin@sstaIlii @ iOsl s1 70
stall, 6No Nwolmssledon) n).-Beat Mrs. Whiting
Mrs VII With Sarah PaIfreyy, hotna, foNt =, |
3ws 3s SWnifftingstalI Sf and Betty NntbaTio NtHJs 10 |
Has not played since.