[iainmac]

Originally Posted by Declan

And yet she had so much talent and potential. She was 6'2" and a left-hander with a good serve. She had some good wins in her career (McNeil; Zvereva; Sanchez-Vicario; Manuela Maleeva; Linqvist etc) but she had her share of injury, and didn't have the killer instinct-just too damn nice!!

I agree Declan, but try as I might I do not recall wins over Zvereva and Sanchez Vicario. McNeil yes and Lindqvsit at Brighton 3 and 3. I would love to know when she beat the other two. I thought I had followed her career well, but well I was in my teens and late twenties. Maybe being out on the ran dan made my observations slip!!!
Regards

[AdeyC]

Originally Posted by iainmac

I agree Declan, but try as I might I do not recall wins over Zvereva and Sanchez Vicario. McNeil yes and Lindqvsit at Brighton 3 and 3. I would love to know when she beat the other two. I thought I had followed her career well, but well I was in my teens and late twenties. Maybe being out on the ran dan made my observations slip!!!
Regards

She also had match points against Pam Shriver at one match in Wimbledon but lost, and took Graf to a 6-4 final set in 1986/7 in the US.
Always felt that if she'd had one big win that it would have done wonders for her confidence.

And she did beat Sanchez at the Brighton Centre in 87 or 88.

[Declan]

Originally Posted by iainmac

I agree Declan, but try as I might I do not recall wins over Zvereva and Sanchez Vicario. McNeil yes and Lindqvsit at Brighton 3 and 3. I would love to know when she beat the other two. I thought I had followed her career well, but well I was in my teens and late twenties. Maybe being out on the ran dan made my observations slip!!!
Regards

She beat Zvereva 6-2 6-2 in he second round of Key Biscane in 1987. Later in the year she beat Sanchez-Vicario at Brighton 6-4 6-2 in the first round. My abiding memory of Sara was gutsing a tough 2-6 7-6 9-7 win over Gigi Fernandez on an outside court in the first round of Eastbourne back in 1990.She did show uncharacteristic toughness that day.

[iainmac]

Originally Posted by AdeyC

She also had match points against Pam Shriver at one match in Wimbledon but lost, and took Graf to a 6-4 final set in 1986/7 in the US.
Always felt that if she'd had one big win that it would have done wonders for her confidence.

And she did beat Sanchez at the Brighton Centre in 87 or 88.

Thanks for that re the Brighton result.My partner winds me up that she never beat anyone so now I can say she beat Sanchez Vicario!!!
I remember the Shriver match and I was annoyed. Pam wasnt great and went out in the next round to Gretchen Magers. The latter went on to the quarters and if only Sara could have gone that far her whole career would have been better. Yes it was in Miami??? 60 46 64 to Graf if memory serves.

[iainmac]

Originally Posted by Declan

She beat Zvereva 6-2 6-2 in he second round of Key Biscane in 1987. Later in the year she beat Sanchez-Vicario at Brighton 6-4 6-2 in the first round. My abiding memory of Sara was gutsing a tough 2-6 7-6 9-7 win over Gigi Fernandez on an outside court in the first round of Eastbourne back in 1990.She did show uncharacteristic toughness that day.

You know Declan those are tremendous results.Ok Sanchez indoors at that stage of her career but still she was the only Brit to beat her!!
And 2 and 2 over the next years French finalist is terrific. And what a great match that would have been with Fernandez. 97 in the final set.Good for Sara, didnt know she had it in her!!!!!

[newmark401]

An article from the "New York Times" of January 1922 on another attempt to get the Wightman Cup started:

Wightman Cup Up Again

Plan revived for international contests in women's tennis

Another attempt is announced by the United States Lawn Tennis Association to start international lawn tennis competitions among women. The original attempt was made two years, when Mrs Hazel Wightman of Boston, former national champion, offered the Wightman Cup as a trophy to be contested for by players of her sex, the intent being similar to the Davis Cup competitions for men. When the suggestion was first made the nations approved the idea, but encountered various difficulties which prevented the starting of the matches. The association believes the present conditions are more favourable.

Taking the ground that such a series of matches would prove beneficial to women's tennis throughout the world, President Julian S. Myrick of the US LTA has sent a letter to M. Gallay, Secretary of the International Lawn Tennis Federeation, requesting that the matter be laid before the delegates attending the federation's next annual meeting. Mr Myrick points out that when the matter was first considered it was suggested that the regulations governing the competition parallel more or less closely those for the Davis Cup tournaments. He states now that discusssion with representatives of other national associations has led to the opinion that it may be more desirable to make the rules more elastic. Accordingly, a suggested plan of competition has been drawn up. This is set forth in the following five paragraphs:

1. Representatives of any nation or of any recognized semi-independent section of a nation (such as Canada or Australia, etc.) are eligible to compete.

2. The nation whose representative has won the trophy shall be the champion nation, and shall have possession of the trophy while it is the champion nation

3. Whenever a nation desires to challenge, it shall notify the champion nation on what terms it would be convenient to compete. The minimum shall be two out of three in singles with one representative of each country. But if the challenging nation desires to include more singles players or a doubles match, such terms will be acceptable. (The intention being to make the terms of the competition as elastic as possible, in order better to overcome practical obstacles.)

4. If the challenging nation's terms are acceptable to the champion nation, nothing more shall be necessary. But if no agreement as to terms can be had, then the United States Lawn Tennis Association shall act as final arbiter and fix the terms.

5. The United States Lawn Tennis Association reserves the right to alter the terms of competition at any time when it deems such alteration necessary to stimulate frequent competition for the trophy.

-------------------

[At that stage the likely form of the competition sounded more like the Davis Cup - or the Federation Cup of today - than the Wightman Cup as it came to be known in its one and only form. After this form had been agreed on, Hazel Wightman presented a sterling vase to the USLTA in 1923 and the first competition was held at Forest Hills later that year, when the USA, establishing something of a pattern, beat Great Britain 7-0.]

[newmark401]

Here is a report from "Time" magazine in June 1924 on the second ever Wightman Cup, held at Wimbledon just before the Championships and won 6-1 by Great Britain:

Sport: A Licking

The American Women's Tennis Team contending at Wimbledon, London suburb, for the Wightman Cup, was decisively beaten by its British sisters.

On the first day Mrs. B. C. [Phyllis] Covell (British) defeated Helen Wills 6-2, 6-4; Miss G. McKane (British) defeated Mrs. Molla Mallory 6-3, 6-3; Mrs. B. C. Covell and Mrs. Dorothy Shepherd-Barron (British) defeated Mrs. J. B. [Marion] Jessup and Eleanor Goss, 6-2, 6-2.

The second and last day Miss McKane defeated Miss Wills 6-2, 6-2; Mrs. Covell defeated Mrs. Mallory 6-2, 5-7, 6-2; Mrs. Geraldine Beamish (British) defeated Miss Goss, 6-11, 8-10, 6-3; Mrs. C. W. [Hazel] Wightman and Miss Helen Wills defeated Miss McKane and Miss Evelyn Colyer. Thus of seven events the U. S. ladies won only one event.

Said a spectator: "The soft, woolly British balls were responsible for the defeat of the American team which had always played with hard, high-bouncing American balls!." Another said that Miss Wills' racquet was too highly strung and that she lost most of her points on this account. Whatever was the matter, Helen herself had no excuses. Said she: "I was outplayed. I felt physically fit." The British ladies said that they still remembered their last year's defeat of 7-0 in the U. S., under conditions as strange to them as the English conditions were strange to the Americans.

The critics were seen busy analysing the play of Helen Wills and comparing her to the Frenchwoman, Suzanne Lenglen. The general opinion was that Helen was not as fast as Suzanne but that she was a harder hitter. The American girl was also thought foolish to play in such an important tournament before familiarizing herself with the slower British balls and other strange conditions by playing in several minor tournaments.

Hearing several remarks passed in praise of Miss Wills and the reasons given for her poor performance, Suzanne Lenglen was heard to remark: "That's what I call 'bosh.' I've played on all kinds of courts and with all kinds of balls, and class will always tell!"

[newmark401]

Here is a "Time" article from August 1925 on that year's Wightman Cup, held at Forest Hills and won 4-3 in the deciding rubber by Great Britain:

At Forest Hills. For the second time within a fortnight, a large crowd rose to boo, hiss and deride a national champion. Thus Pugilist William Harrison Dempsey was treated in Los Angeles (TIME, Aug. 17). Thus, last week, a gallery received Miss Helen Wills when she stepped on the courts of the West Side Tennis Club to play with Miss Mary K. Browne against Miss Kathleen McKane and Miss Evelyn Colyer of England in a doubles match that would decide the international women's series for the Wightman Cup. The match score stood at 3-all. Mrs. Mallory, after half an hour of sturdy driving with her leathery right arm, had trounced Miss Joan Fry of England, 6-3, 6-0. Miss Wills had mustered enough reserve on an off day to resist a determined rally of Miss McKane's and run out an exciting singles match, 6-1, 1-6, 9-7.

The gallery gathered for the decisive doubles match — it was a large gallery, excited and perspiring. Three players appeared on the court. Where was Miss Wills? After half an hour she strolled languidly from the clubhouse. A champion's arrogance, decided the gallery. Followed the boohs, the hisses. Play began. Miss Wills, despite her poker face, was unnerved by her reception. The British women won the first set 6-0. The rowdies in the gallery roared their delight. Now thoroughly possessed by mob savagery, they jeered linesmen for unpopular decisions, roared down the umpire who tried to silence them, seemed to feel little aggrieved to see the match, the series, the Wightman Cup, go to the British Women.* [McKane and Coyle won the crucial doubles match 6-0, 6-3]

*The gallery was ignorant of the facts. It was neither champion's pride, nor tennis temperament, nor indifference, nor the desire to create a dramatic entrance, that made Miss Wills late. After her singles match with Miss McKane, Team-Captain Miss Mary K. Browne had ordered her to wait for a massage. Her courtesy in sending the masseuse to attend to Miss McKane first was responsible for the delay.

[newmark401]

A short article from "Time", from June 1928, on that year's Wightman Cup, held at Wimbledon and won 4-3 by Great Britain. For the second time, Helen Wills is part of the doubles team that loses the tie-deciding match for the USA:

Enthusiastic critics have called Miss Helen Wills the greatest female tennis player in the world. Such critics forget to add to their definition two defining terms — "amateur," for Mlle Lenglen, though she takes money for playing, still plays well; and "singles," for no matter what Miss Wills may do when she is by herself on one side of a net she has never been very brilliant when there was anyone to help her. Last week in the Wightman Cup matches at Wimbledon Miss Wills demonstrated once more the need for these defining terms. In the singles she beat Mrs. Watson and Miss Bennett; little Helen Jacobs put out Betty Nuthall, but both Mrs. Phoebe Watson and Miss Eileen Bennett beat skinny, brown-faced Molla Mallory, who was once unbeatable. Everything depended on the doubles. Playing with Penelope Anderson, Miss Wills kept looking around nervously to see if she was expected to take balls that dropped in the middle of the court. Unsure at the net, she stayed in the back court, hit her drives hard, but kept putting them out or in the net with the result that she and her partner were beaten, 6-2, 6—1. This is the first time the Englishwomen have won the Wightman Cup since 1925.

[newmark401]

Another article from "Time", from August 1929, on that year's Wightman Cup, held at Forest Hills and won 4-3 by the US:

Tennis is as tennis does. There was a certain amount of U. S. grumbling last week when the U. S. Wightman cup team permitted five English women, not including able Eileen Bennett, to come within a few aces of keeping the trophy in the matches played at Forest Hills, L. I. But the fact of the matter was that England, strapped though she is for male players, is a major power on the women's courts.

Helen ("Big Helen") Wills, in crisp white linen, crisply set down Mrs. Phoebe Watson [6-1. 6-4].

Helen ("Little Helen") Jacobs, pulled two deuce sets out of the fire of Betty Nuthall's drives and service [7-5, 8-6].

Then up rose Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Leo R. C. Mitchell to meet Big Helen Wills and Edith Cross. Never was there a clearer demonstration that doubles play is a different game from singles, a game about which Big Helen Wills still has a lot to learn. The English ladies won 6–4, 6–1.

Fog and rain descended the second day. Mrs. Watson took Little Helen Jacobs out to the centre court and gave her a baseline trimming, 6–3, 6–2. Mrs. Mitchell took Edith Cross out and almost gave her a trimming but Miss Cross finally found the chalk-lines and won, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3. Mrs. B. C. Covell and Mrs. Dorothy Shepherd-Barron, runners-up at Wimbledon, continued the visitors' lessons in doubles play for Little Helen's benefit. The latter's partner, Mrs. Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, 25 times a champion, needed no such instruction, but the final score was 6–2, 6–1 in favour of England.

Came the climax, bouncing Betty Nuthall v. Big Helen Wills. At Wimbledon the English girl had won only three games in a similar two-set match. Now she won twelve, with a whamming overhead serve, a flashing forehand drive that made her look at least twice the Betty Nuthall that played in the U. S. two years ago. Twelve games against Big Helen Wills takes good tennis, even if Big Helen Wills takes 16 games from you meantime and wins match and cup 8–6. 8–6. "The modern forehand drive . . . means Helen Wills," laughed sporting Betty Nuthall.

Californians all were the three youngest members of the U. S. team, and California-born was the fourth member, their coach and leader, donor of the Wightman cup, patriarch of U. S. tennis for women. As Hazel Hotchkiss she first won the U. S. championship in 1909 before Betty Nuthall and Helen Jacobs were born and when Helen Wills was a tot. She kept the title until 1912 and then, though "they never come back," rewon it in 1919. Her score of other national titles were amassed in doubles courts and indoors. She gave the Wightman cup six years ago. The next year her husband, George W. Wightman, an able player himself, was elected President of the U. S. Lawn Tennis Association. Mother of four, brown, firm, skilful, she it was who coached Helen Wills to win the singles title from Molla Bjurstedt Mallory in 1923. "Calm, quiet, generous and sporting," as Helen Wills calls her, she it is who deserves credit for the Wills-Wightman doubles championships of 1924 and 1928. Playing together, wise Mrs. Wightman and Big Helen Wills have never been beaten.

[newmark401]

This "Time" magazine article on the Wightman Cup is from August 1933. That year, the US beat Great Britain 4-3 at Forest Hills:

When Mrs. Helen Wills Moody fell ill last week of what her doctors called "sub-acute unstable fifth lumbar vertebrae symptoms" and what sports columnist Westbrook Pegler called "a crick in her back," it looked alarming for the U. S. Wightman Cup team. The ablest substitute in sight was slim, brown Sarah Palfrey, a girl who has played the most graceful tennis in the U. S. for the last four years but who has always, out of some childish nervousness, failed to do her best in important matches. Last fortnight Sarah Palfrey beat U. S. Champion Helen Jacobs in the final of a tournament at Seabright, N. J. This made it look as though her game had finally grown up.

Mrs. Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, who put up the trophy for a series between U. S. and British teams because she felt that women's tennis needed something to correspond with the Davis Cup and who has ably coached Sarah Palfrey and her tennis playing sisters at Longwood. Mass., told her before the matches started that she would probably have to play. Incredulous, Sarah Palfrey said, "That's fine." Before she had time to grow really alarmed about her responsibilities, she found herself on the stadium court at Forest Hills, serving against saucy, snub-nosed, left-handed Peggy Scriven. After the match was over, 6-3, 6-1 for Sarah Palfrey, she explained how she had done it. "I stopped thinking about how I was going to hit the ball and thought about where I was going to hit it."

Because Alice Marble, a muscular California girl who had tired herself out with a 108-game match a few days before, also dropped off the U. S. team, Miss Palfrey had another match on her hands an hour later. She and Helen Jacobs beat Dorothy Round and Mary Heeley, who was wearing a glove on her racket hand, 6-4. 6-2. With husky Helen Jacobs' 6-4, 6-2 singles victory over demure Miss Round — whose tennis manners suggest where she learned the game, on the lawn of her father's vicarage at Dudley, England — it gave the U. S. a lead of 3 matches to o, with four to play. Needing one more match, it looked the next day as though the U. S. team could not fail to win — until Miss Round, who took a set from Mrs. Moody at Wimbledon, had taken a brilliant match from Sarah Palfrey - 6-4, 10-8, and Betty Nuthall had beaten Miss Marble's single's substitute, Carolin Babcock, 1-6, 6-1. 6-3.


U.S. women's doubles teams seldom live up to their potentialities and there was small chance of a U. S. pair beating Betty Nuthall and Freda James, even though Mrs. Moody felt sufficiently recovered from her crick to put on her tennis skirt intending to play in case the doubles turned out to be the deciding match. It turned out not to be. With the score 5-7, 6-2, 3-5 against her in her match with Peggy Scriven, Helen Jacobs let the English girl get as far as 30-all. Then, playing pat-ball tennis to match her opponent's, she won four games in a row for set, match and series — 4 matches to 3 after Alice Marble and Marjone Gladman Van Ryn lost the doubles, 5-7, 2-6.

[iainmac]

Originally Posted by newmark401

An article from the "New York Times" of January 1922 on another attempt to get the Wightman Cup started:

Wightman Cup Up Again

Plan revived for international contests in women's tennis

Another attempt is announced by the United States Lawn Tennis Association to start international lawn tennis competitions among women. The original attempt was made two years, when Mrs Hazel Wightman of Boston, former national champion, offered the Wightman Cup as a trophy to be contested for by players of her sex, the intent being similar to the Davis Cup competitions for men. When the suggestion was first made the nations approved the idea, but encountered various difficulties which prevented the starting of the matches. The association believes the present conditions are more favourable.

Taking the ground that such a series of matches would prove beneficial to women's tennis throughout the world, President Julian S. Myrick of the US LTA has sent a letter to M. Gallay, Secretary of the International Lawn Tennis Federeation, requesting that the matter be laid before the delegates attending the federation's next annual meeting. Mr Myrick points out that when the matter was first considered it was suggested that the regulations governing the competition parallel more or less closely those for the Davis Cup tournaments. He states now that discusssion with representatives of other national associations has led to the opinion that it may be more desirable to make the rules more elastic. Accordingly, a suggested plan of competition has been drawn up. This is set forth in the following five paragraphs:

1. Representatives of any nation or of any recognized semi-independent section of a nation (such as Canada or Australia, etc.) are eligible to compete.

2. The nation whose representative has won the trophy shall be the champion nation, and shall have possession of the trophy while it is the champion nation

3. Whenever a nation desires to challenge, it shall notify the champion nation on what terms it would be convenient to compete. The minimum shall be two out of three in singles with one representative of each country. But if the challenging nation desires to include more singles players or a doubles match, such terms will be acceptable. (The intention being to make the terms of the competition as elastic as possible, in order better to overcome practical obstacles.)

4. If the challenging nation's terms are acceptable to the champion nation, nothing more shall be necessary. But if no agreement as to terms can be had, then the United States Lawn Tennis Association shall act as final arbiter and fix the terms.

5. The United States Lawn Tennis Association reserves the right to alter the terms of competition at any time when it deems such alteration necessary to stimulate frequent competition for the trophy.

-------------------

[At that stage the likely form of the competition sounded more like the Davis Cup - or the Federation Cup of today - than the Wightman Cup as it came to be known in its one and only form. After this form had been agreed on, Hazel Wightman presented a sterling vase to the USLTA in 1923 and the first competition was held at Forest Hills later that year, when the USA, establishing something of a pattern, beat Great Britain 7-0.]

Interesting article and good to know a bit more of the history of the formation of the Wightman Cup. I suppose there was an inevitability that it would have become Great Britain v the United States in those days. Apart from France there was not I think any nation who would have had any great deal of depth to their national games. Maybe Australia? It is a shame re the war as well, as due to that the British womens game really fell behind for a generation. I guess it regained some momentum in the 50s and 60s but never completely.

[iainmac]

Originally Posted by newmark401

Here is a report from "Time" magazine in June 1924 on the second ever Wightman Cup, held at Wimbldeon just before the Championships and won 6-1 by Great Britain:

Sport: A Licking

The American Women's Tennis Team contending at Wimbledon, London suburb, for the Wightman Cup, was decisively beaten by its British sisters.

On the first day Mrs. B. C. [Phyllis] Covell (British) defeated Helen Wills 6-2, 6-4; Miss G. McKane (British) defeated Mrs. Molla Mallory 6-3, 6-3; Mrs. B. C. Covell and Mrs. Dorothy Shepherd-Barron (British) defeated Mrs. J. B. [Marion] Jessup and Eleanor Goss, 6-2, 6-2.

The second and last day Miss McKane defeated Miss Wills 6-2, 6-2; Mrs. Covell defeated Mrs. Mallory 6-2, 5-7, 6-2; Mrs. Geraldine Beamish (British) defeated Miss Goss, 6-11, 8-10, 6-3; Mrs. C. W. [Hazel] Wightman and Miss Helen Wills defeated Miss McKane and Miss Evelyn Colyer. Thus of seven events the U. S. ladies won only one event.

Said a spectator: "The soft, woolly British balls were responsible for the defeat of the American team which had always played with hard, high-bouncing American balls!." Another said that Miss Wills' racquet was too highly strung and that she lost most of her points on this account. Whatever was the matter, Helen herself had no excuses. Said she: "I was outplayed. I felt physically fit." The British ladies said that they still remembered their last year's defeat of 7-0 in the U. S., under conditions as strange to them as the English conditions were strange to the Americans.

The critics were seen busy analysing the play of Helen Wills and comparing her to the Frenchwoman, Suzanne Lenglen. The general opinion was that Helen was not as fast as Suzanne but that she was a harder hitter. The American girl was also thought foolish to play in such an important tournament before familiarizing herself with the slower British balls and other strange conditions by playing in several minor tournaments.

Hearing several remarks passed in praise of Miss Wills and the reasons given for her poor performance, Suzanne Lenglen was heard to remark: "That's what I call 'bosh.' I've played on all kinds of courts and with all kinds of balls, and class will always tell!"

Great review and post- what a hammering Wills got from Covell and McKane- quite amazing in retrospect.And you have to laugh at Lenglen. Having thought that Bill Tilden had topped it for cattiness the great Lenglen waids in and sees him off. I kind of know what she is saying, but she forgot maybe that not everyone would have her natural genius and ability with the ball. I am pleased you post so many great articles Mark- they are all great.

[iainmac]

Originally Posted by newmark401

A short article from "Time", from June 1928, on that year's Wightman Cup, held at Wimbledon and won 4-3 by Great Britain. For the second time, Helen Wills is part of the doubles team that loses the tie-deciding match for the USA:

Enthusiastic critics have called Miss Helen Wills the greatest female tennis player in the world. Such critics forget to add to their definition two defining terms — "amateur," for Mlle Lenglen, though she takes money for playing, still plays well; and "singles," for no matter what Miss Wills may do when she is by herself on one side of a net she has never been very brilliant when there was anyone to help her. Last week in the Wightman Cup matches at Wimbledon Miss Wills demonstrated once more the need for these defining terms. In the singles she beat Mrs. Watson and Miss Bennett; little Helen Jacobs put out Betty Nuthall, but both Mrs. Phoebe Watson and Miss Eileen Bennett beat skinny, brown-faced Molla Mallory, who was once unbeatable. Everything depended on the doubles. Playing with Penelope Anderson, Miss Wills kept looking around nervously to see if she was expected to take balls that dropped in the middle of the court. Unsure at the net, she stayed in the back court, hit her drives hard, but kept putting them out or in the net with the result that she and her partner were beaten, 6-2, 6—1. This is the first time the Englishwomen have won the Wightman Cup since 1925.

Well done Great Britain!!!!lol

[iainmac]

Originally Posted by newmark401

This "Time" magazine article on the Wightman Cup is from August 1933. That year, the US beat Great Britain 4-3 at Forest Hills:

When Mrs. Helen Wills Moody fell ill last week of what her doctors called "sub-acute unstable fifth lumbar vertebrae symptoms" and what sports columnist Westbrook Pegler called "a crick in her back," it looked alarming for the U. S. Wightman Cup team. The ablest substitute in sight was slim, brown Sarah Palfrey, a girl who has played the most graceful tennis in the U. S. for the last four years but who has always, out of some childish nervousness, failed to do her best in important matches. Last fortnight Sarah Palfrey beat U. S. Champion Helen Jacobs in the final of a tournament at Seabright, N. J. This made it look as though her game had finally grown up.

Mrs. Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, who put up the trophy for a series between U. S. and British teams because she felt that women's tennis needed something to correspond with the Davis Cup and who has ably coached Sarah Palfrey and her tennis playing sisters at Longwood. Mass., told her before the matches started that she would probably have to play. Incredulous, Sarah Palfrey said, "That's fine." Before she had time to grow really alarmed about her responsibilities, she found herself on the stadium court at Forest Hills, serving against saucy, snub-nosed, left-handed Peggy Scriven. After the match was over, 6-3, 6-1 for Sarah Palfrey, she explained how she had done it. "I stopped thinking about how I was going to hit the ball and thought about where I was going to hit it."

Because Alice Marble, a muscular California girl who had tired herself out with a 108-game match a few days before, also dropped off the U. S. team, Miss Palfrey had another match on her hands an hour later. She and Helen Jacobs beat Dorothy Round and Mary Heeley, who was wearing a glove on her racket hand, 6-4. 6-2. With husky Helen Jacobs' 6-4, 6-2 singles victory over demure Miss Round — whose tennis manners suggest where she learned the game, on the lawn of her father's vicarage at Dudley, England — it gave the U. S. a lead of 3 matches to o, with four to play. Needing one more match, it looked the next day as though the U. S. team could not fail to win — until Miss Round, who took a set from Mrs. Moody at Wimbledon, had taken a brilliant match from Sarah Palfrey - 6-4, 10-8, and Betty Nuthall had beaten Miss Marble's single's substitute, Carolin Babcock, 1-6, 6-1. 6-3.
U. S. women's doubles teams seldom live up to their potentialities and there was small chance of a U. S. pair beating Betty Nuthall and Freda James, even though Mrs. Moody felt sufficiently recovered from her crick to put on her tennis skirt intending to play in case the doubles turned out to be the deciding match. It turned out not to be. With the score 5-7, 6-2, 3-5 against her in her match with Peggy Scriven, Helen Jacobs let the English girl get as far as 30-all. Then, playing pat-ball tennis to match her opponent's, she won four games in a row for set, match and series — 4 matches to 3 after Alice Marble and Marjone Gladman Van Ryn lost the doubles, 5-7, 2-6.

Great posts - would be good to hear more about Betty Nuthall