Evening star., 1953-06-30

Little Mo Advances
After Shaky Start;
Doris Hart Extended
BY the Asseeiofsd Press


WIMBLEDON, England, June
30.-An all-American women's
finals was set up for the eighth
straight year at Wimbledon
when the defending champion,
Maureen Connolly of San Diego,
Calf, and three other Ameri-
cans won semifinal berths today
in the All-England tennis cham
pionships.
Little Mo trouhced Mrs. Erika
Vollmer Of Germany, 6-3, 60.
after victories had been scored
by Doris Hart, Shirley Fry and
Mrs. Dorothy Head Knode.
Miss Fry. Akron, Ohio, ousted
Julie Sampson. Pasadena, Calf,
Ga. 60; Miss Hart, Coral Ga
bles. Fla, edged Mrs. Suzi Koer-
moczi, Hungary, rs, rs, after
fighting off set points in both
sets. and Mrs. Knode. Alameda,
Calf, eliminated Angela Morti-
mer. British Wightman Cup
player. Ga, 6-3.
Top-seeded Maureen will meet
the third-seeded Miss Fry in one
semifinal, and second-ranked
Miss Hart will face the fourth
ranked Mrs. Knode in the other.
Americans have won the Brit
ish title nine straight times and
two Americans have battled it
out in the finals seven years in
a row. There hasn't been q
British winner since Dorothy
Round won in 1887.
Maureen OFF to Poor Start.
The 18-year-old champion got
off to stumbling start and dur
ing the first six games the gall
lery was wondering if a mighty
upset was in the making.
At the end of the third game
of the first set, Maureen took
off her chartreuse sweater and
went to work. But she couldn't
put her game together. She net
ted and overdrove on important
points.
In the eighth game, leading
F3, she found her game and
just about blew the German off
the courts. She manuevered Mrs.
Vollmer out of position and then
left her flat-footed with bullet
like passing shots.
Mrs. Vollmer never knew what
happened to her in the second set
as Maureen pulled off one dazzl-
ing shot after the other.
Doris Gets A Battle.
In the most exciting match to-
day. Mrs. Koermoczi gave heav-
ily-favored Miss Hart a battle all
the way. She missed three set
points in the first set and one in,
the second.
After Doris had come from be-
hind to square the first set at
SIS. she won the first point on
the Hungarian's service in the
llth game when Mrs. Koermoczi
fell running after a drive. While
she wasn't hurt, the fall appeared
to rattle the Hungarian and she
lost her service without scoring a
point. Doris held her service
easily for the set.
The same pattern prevailed in
the second set. Miss Hart came
from behind a 3-5 score to tie
at Sail. Then she swept the
final two games. Mrs. Koer-
moczi, who upset Helen Fletcher
of England in her last match.
had a chance to take the set
in the 10th game when she led
5-4 and 40-3O But she over
drove the baseline and Miss Hart
squared matters with two pass
ing shots.
Miss Fry required only 40 min
utes to beat Miss Sampson, Little
Mos doubles partner from San
Diego, Calf. The Akron girl was
just too steady for Julie. She
scored most of her points by
driving from the baseline and
rarely rushed the net.
Miss Sampson was in the
match only in the first set when
she tied Miss Fry. "A. Then
she double-faulted twice to lose
her service.
The eighth playing day of
the Wimbledon tourney ira
ditionally is Ladies Day, but a
few mems doubles matches are
(Sea XNTNEpT EnMN nooa A1sN