Women's Tennis Championship

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 91, 8 July 1927, Page 10

Women's Tennis Championship

UNLUCKY SENORITA WIMBLEDON SIDELIGHTS Picking the winner of the ladies’ lawn tennis championship this year cost a few headaches among the tennis critics. But in the actual play in the final Senorita D’Alvarez was never in the picture with the Juno of lawn tennis, Helen Wills, as the 6—l 6 2 win testifies. Miss Wills :is built on large, majestic lines,, but sometimes she suffers from lethargy and goes down to sleepy sickness while the game is in progress. That was evidently not the case when she played the Spanish champion, who has been inlueky in this way. Last year Mrs. Godfi'ee beat her for the title by playing “inspired tripe,” to which Senorita D’Alvarez succumbed. It was far from slow bowling this time, Helen Wills banging them down with Amazon vigour. Rumour some time ago promised some dark horses from the German stables, and rumour was not far wrong. Aussem was considered in England to have a chance in the championship, judging on form displayed in Paris. This girl has modelled her game on Suzanne’s, and so that accounts for her perfect footwork. She is only 18 years of age, but her strokes are perfect, and she is happy in any part of the court.

Betty Nuthall, the 16-year-old prodigy, went down rather more easily than was expected by those who pinned their faith to the little English girl. In passing, it may be mentioned that the terms offered Miss Nuthall by the enterprising Mr. Cochran, doyen of English sports promoters, were a good deal short of the fabulous amount that was at first reported. But they were not to be sneezed at, by any means. According to “London Sporting Life,” Comrade Cochran offered the 16-year-old star £SOO for each of three games against the inimitable Suzanne this July, £250 for each of 12 games in 1928, and £3OO for each of 24 games in 1929’ or a total of £11,700 for three years.