Evening star., 1941-09-08
Graft Of Riggs
Gains Him us.
Tennis Title
Coach Bemouns Lack
Of Opportunity to
Correct Kovucs
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

NEW YORK, Sept. 8.-On no less
an authority than the coach of the
player he out-thought and humiliat-
ed in the final match for the ma
tional tennis championship yester-
day, Bobby Riggs is the smartest
tennis player who ever stayed up
nights inventing new ways of con-
fusing an opponent.
George Hudson. who has been
coaching Frank Kovacs for eight
years, made no effort to conceal his
admiration for Riggs after the little
guy had given Kovacs the undiluted
works in the big match before 10000
fans at Forest Hills. The scores
were 81, 6-1, 6-3, 6-3.
I'll swear" swore Hudson, 'I've
been playing and coaching tennis
for IS years and that Bobby is the
smartest player I ever saw. There
have been greater players, but not
smarter He had no right in the
world to lick Frank like that. but he
did it, and you've got to give him
credit. What a brain that little
rascal has"
No Chance to Advise Pupil.
Which adds up to quite a COM
pliment for the 23-year-old Riggs,
who captured the title in 1889 with
what then was classified as an
ordinary tennis game, lost it last
year to Don McNeill. and came back
yesterday to win it again over a
player who would have been a 2-to-1
favorite if there had been a book
maker within the sacred precincts
of the West Side Tennis Club.
You got to admire the little guy, y
Hudson pursued. He lost that first
set to Kovacs on its merits. But he
realized when the next set started
that Frank was pressing-trying to
win 1t quick. So he sat back and
began waiting for Frank to miss.
He won II straight points, and from
then on it was too bad.
The smartest thing the rascal did
though, was when he talked Kovacs
into playing the fourth set without
an intermission. He knew If they
stopped to rest I would get hold of
Frank and make him ease up
make him use his slow. high
bounding service and get into the
net. But Kovacs fell for it, and
lost my only chance to get out there
and put him wise
Riggs told me later he expected
| to see me come running out there
and tell Kovacs what was happening
to him. But you can't do that in
the championships, and Bobby
| knew it."
Riggs Service Improved.
Because Hudson couldn't get to
his bewildered pupil and inform him
he was being out-smarted, the final
/ three sets were among the dullest
within memory of old Forest Killers
Riggs simply skinned his befuddled
young rival alive Bobby's service
was far better than in previous
years, among other things. The last
l3 times he served he lost only lC
points, and that is a record that
! belongs in the books.
But, apart from that, Riggs was
far too good. He couldn't miss
His returns were solid" whereas
his gifted young opponent pounded
them into the net and outside the
lines.
The new women's champion is
Mrs. Sarah Palfrey Cooke, and it is
about time She trimmed Paulin,
Betz of Los Angeles and Florida ir
thei- final match, IS, Ga. Mrs
Cooke has been co-holder of the
National Doubles crown on eight
! occasions. The women's field pos.
sibly is not what it has been, but
still, it is something to win the
championship.