Evening star., 1942-08-02
7ond City Net Final Due Willie Herbert Mrs. David Gray uss Today
Win in Straight Sets
Over Ena De||inger
And Sara Moore
Keen Fights Are Woged
In Stor's Tourney by
Losing SemifinoIists
BY LEWIS F. ATCHISON.


Smothering their opponents un-
der = blanket of the hottest shots
of the season, Mrs. Willie O'Steen
Herbert and Mrs David Gray yester-
day squelched the title hopes of Ena
Dellinger and Sara Moore. respec-
lively, as they trudged into the
championship round of The Stars
City OF Washington women's net
tourney on the Reservoir courts.
Mrs. Herbert, seeking crown
that has eluded her during her en-
tire career. found herself for the
fourth time mere racket's length
from the cherished trophy as re-
suit OF her 60, 60 triumph over
Miss Dellinger. Mrs. Gray, pressed
enly slightly harder, eliminated the
veteran Sara Moore, 6-3, 6-1, and
although both engagements pro-
duced hard and at times brilliant
tennis, there never was much doubt
rs to the final outcome
Thus. a week of sizzling prelimi-
naries, interrupted by near-record
fall OF rain, boils down to a session
between a comely brunette and
pretty blond. The championship
will be decided at 2:45 this after
noon on the Reservoir courts at
Sixteenth and Kennedy streets
NV, and if yesterdays exhibitions
were a preview of what to expect
today the temperature will go up
several degrees.
Mrx. Herbert at Peak of Game
In eliminating Miss Dellinger,
Mrs. Herbert played game op-
ponent who went into the match
intent on producing one of the sea-
sons major upsets. She did her
best, but it wasn't good enough, for
the victor was at the peak of her
game. Midway the opening set,
Willie discovered that Ena had
made the woeful mistake of leaving
her backhand at home and promptly
began to pour a barrage of beauti-
fully placed shots at this weakness
with telling effect.
Miss Dellinger, however. didn't COL
lapse like a punctured penny balloon,
but subsidized gently and only after
stirring up the best tennis Of the
afternoon. She had Willie on her
horse in the early stages of play,
passing her several times with
whistling shots to the corner and re-
turning many of her opponents Sun
day punches. But in the long run
1t was the deep shots authored by
Mrs. Herbert to Ena's backhand and
some that swished by without a re-
turn that decided the issue.
Mrs, Gray found herself involved
IN numerous rallies with Miss Moore
that prolonged their match and her
superior speed afoot was a major
factor in her victory.
Sara Moore Is Stubborn Foe.
The numerous returns of the chal-
lenger, an Army wife originally from
New York via West Point, would
have discouraged a faint-hearted op-
ponent. but Miss Moore refused to
surrender, fighting all the way down
to the final shot in a desperate ef-
fort to stave off defeat.
The loser made Mrs. Gray travel
far and wide throughout the match,
but failed to wear down her energy.
Mrs. Gray still was getting them
back at the finish. The victor like
wise decided on a running brand of
strategy as her modus operandi,
swinging her rival from side to side
In pendulum fashion, and where Miss
Moore failed she succeeded.
Mrs. Gray's service was not up to
par, an item that led many GAL
]eryites to predict her defeat today,
but she managed to mix her shots
well. frequently driving Miss Moore
to the baseline with hammer like
blows and following up with perfect
" executed drop shots. Miss Moore
wisely saved herself many steps by
refusing to try for borderline shots
she might have reached but which
would have killed her of much
sooner.