1939-07-08 — Page 20

PLAYERS still in their 'teens help-

ed to brighten a quiet and rather dull opening to the lawn tennis cham- pionships at Wimbledon.

One was an Englishman, 19-year- old Anthony J. Mottram, of Coventry, who beat E. J. Filby in a two-hour five-set match. Another was J. As- both, a Hungarian; aged 18, who took H. W. Austin, favourite for the men's singles, to 22 games in a hectic third set before losing; and a third was R. Abdesselam, of France, a 19-year-old, who beat the German, G. von Metaxa, in four sets. All were making their first Wimbledon appearances.

for

Queen Mary watched the play three hours.

to

Yesterday was devoted entirely the first round of the men's singles, and the only big surprises were the scratchings of C. E. Hare, the British Davis Cup player; Kho Sin Kie, the Hard Chinese holder of the British

THE CHINA-MAIL, JULY 8, 1939,

SNIPPETS FROM

WIMBLEDON

hand pace beautifully, to make open- inga, and going to a 6-5, lead. ›

There was an extraordinary sequence of losing services after this, with As- both winning the thirteenth, Afteenth, being and seventeenth games, after well down on points. He kept the odd game in front up to 10-9, and look- ed like taking the set at any moment. Austin just held him off; led at 11-10, and clinched the match in the twenty- second game,

Courts Championship; and R. J. Rit- M"

.

chic. Hare and Kho Sin Kie both had pulled back muscles.

Quite a number of L.T.A. council-6-3, 6-2.

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A

him take

for

•*ge.

Thus did Britain's newest and young- est. lawn tennis “star maké a disap. It must pointing first round exit. have been a trying moment for Miss Nicoll. She has done so well up to i now that everyone expected her to get through quite a number of rounds. little The occasion, however, was a too much, even for this extraordinary ily calm young girl. She was beaten simply by a malady, well known many Wimbledon competitors "Cen- tre Court-itis,"

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to

The defeat may prove a blessing to her and those who are shaping her career. She is, after all, only a girl, and there is ample time for her win championships, and she showed quite plainly that she knows how to take defeat gracefully."

to

"I was beaten by a better 'player," she replied to the many questions match. showered on her after the "Miss Huntbach deserved every point that she took from me. Of course, I felt a little excited playing on the Centre Court."

MERICAN challengers in the men's singles provided the sur prises on the third day of the Wim- bledon Championships. Donald M'Neill seeded No. 8, and holder of the French title, lost to F. Kukuljevic (Yugosla- via) 6-4, 7-5, 6-1, and Eugene Smith, Californian schoolmaster, elim- inated the giant Roderick Menzel, a German "seed," 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5

The defeat of M'Neill was; perhaps, not altogether unexpected. Kukuljevic, a left-hander, recently beat H. W. Aus- tin in the London Championships, and his powerful hitting has placed among those who are likely to the Wimbledon trophy abroad.

Few excuses can be offered M'Neill's defeat. He certainly found the slippery court troublesome,

TISS Huntbach, an experienced jevic, whose masterly forehand play had much to do with the result. Ku- she was more surprised than anyone kuljevic was struggling against a 8-4 at her success.

Miss Nicoll has not played so badly and 040 deficit in the first set, but his lightning-like service enabled him all the season as she did during the ......

All her shots to level. There were many protracted second and third sets. games, and a delay through rain; be seemed to go astray, and long before the the end she looked thoroughly tired fore Kukuljevic took the set in

and beaten. Miss Huntbach, after a tenth game.

mediocre opening, began to dominate the match near the end of the second set, manoeuvring Misa Nicoll out of drives to the corners, position with and passing her easily at the net. She in finding Miss Nicoll so out of touch.

but

TISS Alice Marble, American cham- pion, and favourite for the sin- gles, outplayed Mrs. J. S. Kirk to win Mrs. S. P. Fabyan, lors and selectors were watching Mot-American Wightman Cup representa conditions were the same for Kukul- V tournament player, admitted that

Miss M. G. Norman, tram, who shows distinct promise. One tive, defeated

and Miss K. Stammers selector, Mr. F. T. Stowe, British Da- 6–2, 6–2, vis Cup captain, was very impressed. won from Miss E. A. Middleton, 6-0, Mottram has all the strokes, especial- | 6-2. ly à beautifully-moulded backhand,

The most impressive form of all was and all he seems to need is experience. He is able to play only at week-ends that of Miss Marble, who demonstrat- in Birmingham, but has already played every conceivable stroko. She was the ed for Warwickshire. His inexperience always in the right position at

the four games she robbed him of a chance of winning the right time, and first set against Filby, after leading lost were mainly on her own errors in 5-2 and 10-15, but he showed lots overhitting. of fight afterwards, and won 6-8, 08, 4-6, 6—1, 7—5.

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tin won the first two sets rather com-

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QUITE the most brilliant, tennis of sufficient to prevent Kukuljevic - from played really well but she was lucky

the second day was played by Ro- massive German. derick Menzel, the

the

ASBOTH'S promise has already been

noted by Continental experts. Aus- He toyed with E C. Peters in fortably, 6-1, 6-4, but when As first match of the day on the Centre Court, winning 6-1, 6-2, 6-2: Men- both had got over the effects of ap-zel, who makes the racket in his hand pearing on the Centre Court he pro- ook grotesquely small and inadequate, duced some brilliant shots, and had

a disdainful swept the ball about in Austin on the run.

and wholly efficient manner, and made winners at will.

The Englishman plugged away at Asboth's backhand, but could not find a weakness, and it was only occasion- ally that the Hungarian broke down on the forehand. Austin led 4-1

and 53 in the third set, but then Asboth set about him varying his fore-"

It was the Yugoslavian's forehand against M'Neill's backhand, and each took honours in turn for 4-all in the second set. M'Neill earned applause with great retrieving, but it was in- taking the set after twelve games.

Kukuljevic made no mistake in the following set, for M'Neill failed veral times to return the service, and without having to over-exert himself. the tall Yugoslavian won the set easily for the match. ** *

60-

SM

MITH owed his success over Men- zel mainly through "warming up" more rapidly than his rival. The Cali- Peters has never been beaten · so indisputably in his life, and, if Men-fornian, with a pleasing style and pos- this superlative sessing a wide variety of strokes. al- zel can command form for a fortnight, he might go most overwhelmed Menzel at the start. Menzel could not pick up ground shots, very near to winning the title.

and Smith reeled off games with com- parative ease.

DARE-DEVIL "DOUG" IN ACTION! AMAZING! EXCITING! DRAMATIC!

You'll like him for what he IS even more than for what he DID!

He's everyman's wish foradventure« come-true!..Every. woman's ideal of a son to cherishi.... Everygirl's dream of a romantic hero) .. Meet the boy who twisted the tall of Fate and livedtolaugh,

DOUGLAS (Wrong Way) CORRIGAN The FLYING IRISHMAN

with

PAUL KELLY

ROBERT

DO

MSTRONG

BEYNOLDS

TABRIDE

LAN

TO-MORROW QUEEN'S

They Say--

Vines is one of the longest hitters 1 have ever seen. He is out of practice at the moment, but I have seen enough to know that one day he will be a very great golfer.Tom Webster.

The Englishmen seem to have gone. with Rumania, adapting themselves to boldly and vigorously into the game the queer ideas about tackling and such things which are observed in Continen- tal football. There is much less likely to be trouble that way than by follow- ing the custom of turning the other check. Roland Allen.

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Smith nearly won the second set with a fast service, and cleverly angled cross-court strokes, but Menzel just got the better of him, by employing

***** * fierce drives, and occasionally getting

Every contribution to cricket's great his man on the wrong foot. For the greater part of the next two sets the wicket "controversy must be welcomed pair gave a magnificent display. and, by followers active and passive. Sur- indeed, it was some of the best tennis rey gave instructions to their grounds seen so far in the championships. men to make the Oval wickets fas- Smith held on doggedly, and even when ter, and faster they have been-fas- Menzel attacked on both wings heter at any rate than for the past two stayed coolly on the baseline, generally managing to overcome the onslaught.

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or three years. I gather that the authorities at Kennington feel that the move they made has been justified by results in the interesting cricket pro- other vided in games against Somerset, AUSTIN, unlike most of the

players, took the precaution of Worcestershire, and the West Indies. bringing into court an extra pair of The fact is that much more has been shoes to play O. Anderson of America, seen of that pleasing forward play whom he had little difficulty in beat that faster wickets force from bats- ing in straight sets 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 men, and more of that cover driving delightful excellent which used to be such a revealed

· Austin again form. He pressed home his skill ear feature of English cricket.-A writer ly in each set, and although thẻ Ameri- | in the London "Evening News." can did manage to square at three-all in each of the first two sets, he could not always match Austin's superb

strokes.

Helen Jacob beat Mrs. Little at

Edgbaston, but I do not think that this form is altogether, a reliable guide for Wimbledon. The two are old opponents and

MAKING her first appearance in the in the Wightman Cup games,

championships, sixteen-year-old should have shown a better knowledge

Jean Nicoll went smilingly on to the Centre Court at Wimbledon in front of Queen Mary and thousands of other spectators, to meet Miss Denise Hunt hach, a 28-year-old Cheshire County player. Just over an hour later she walked off, still smiling, beaten 6-8,

•

As a matter, of each other's play.

put each of fact, they were trying other for new tricks, and neither of them seemed to have any. Of the pair Helen was the more subtle, and I shall be surprised if Dorothy does not make rapid improvement in the next three weeks-Fred Stowe.

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