Tennis

In Baltimore. Tennis, as well as golf, has its Municipal champions. Last week some were crowned in Baltimore; quaint names, unfamiliar even to most Baltimorons, crept into the sporting sheets--such, for examples, as the names of Lejeck, Rosenblatt, Sluitor. The former--Charles and Leo Lejeck--'discouraged the united efforts of the latter to become National Municipal Doubles Champions. The agile Ted Drewes of St. Louis defeated obstinate Eddie Jacobs for the singles title in a match which revealed that the gilded upper classes are not the only people who play tennis--but they play it best.

At Forest Hills. Two tournaments were held on the suave turf of the West Side Tennis Club--the annual East vs. West meet, and the tryouts to determine how players shall be ranked and teamed on the Davis Cup combination.

In the East vs. West matches William Johnston, whose defeat on an off-day by the dependable tennis of Dr. George King (TIME, Aug. 10) caused many sport enthusiasts to proclaim him a doddering curmudgeon, went out to contend for a place on the U. S. team with Vincent Richards. Playing with the familiar wizardry that has made him, for many years, the most popular player in tennis, he met Richards' cannonball service with flashing drives, confused his net game with precise lobs, fought through an exhausting match to win, 6-3, 6-4, 3-6, 6-8, 9-7. The West won five matches, the East four.

The Davis Cup doubles tryout promised, at first, to end in an impasse. First Tilden and Johnston defeated Richards and Williams; then Williams and Richards beat Johnston and Tilden. A selection committee admitted that it could find nothing to choose between the two teams. They began a deciding match. Williams drove, volleyed; Richards served, smashed; they won the first set without loss of a game. "Wait till Tilden gets after them," grinned the crowd. But the Champion continued his erratic tennis. It was Johnston who got after them. His forehand drives were so fast they could hardly be seen; his service was as faultless as that which is advertised for summer hotels. With little help from his partner he carried off the match, 0-6, 6-1, 8-6, 6-4.

In Rye, N. Y., the "Big Six" of U. S. women's tennis--Miss Helen Wills, Miss Elizabeth Ryan, Miss Mary K. Browne, Mrs. Molla Bjurstedt Mailory , Miss Eleanor Goss, Mrs. Marion Zinderstein Jessup--entered the Metropolitan Women's Turf Court Championship, strode through to the round before the semi-final without defeat. Then Miss Goss, placed at No. 4 in the National ranking, was the worm that turned against Miss Mary K. Browne, No. 2, brought her down, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. Miss Wills sprang to revenge her doubles partner, handily defeated Miss Goss, 6-1, 6-2. Then occurred another upset. Miss Ryan was sorry--it was the heat or something she had eaten, no doubt--but illness forced her to default to Mrs. Mallory. Thus it came about that in the finals the brown Mrs. Mallory found herself once more opposing that poker-faced, Nordic flibbertigibbet who defeated her last year for the National title (TIME, Aug. 25)--Miss Helen Wills. She lost the first three games, all of which went to deuce, then won six in a row. Miss Wills pounded hard to the baseline, took the next two sets, 6-2, 6-2.

The doubles title went to Miss Wills and Miss Browne, who overcame Miss Ryan and Mrs. May Sutton Bundy, 8-6, 5-7, 6-2.