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Show PLAYED TENNIS FOR FUN OF IT Helen Wills Shunned Tedi-ousness Tedi-ousness of Practice. Helen Wills, the twenty-one-year-old women's amateur tennis champion, cham-pion, has re-established herself on the women tennis throne, which she was forced to vacate last year following a major operation. A little over five years ago, when only sixteen years old, this modern Helen from Sunny California gave promise of becoming the greatest figure fig-ure in the game. In 1923, before her successful conqest in the American singles championship, Miss Wills defeated de-feated Kathleen McKane, the champion cham-pion of England. This marked triumph tri-umph extracted favorable comment from the world's leading critics and great possibilities were predicted for the Berkeley girl. They were realized when Mrs. Molla Mallory, the holder of the American crown for the past five years, was routed by Helen in the finals of the American singles in exactly ex-actly 20 minutes. Last winter, following an operation for appendicitis, it was a matter of conjecture whether Miss Wills would again be able to ascend to national heights in netdom. In a small hotel tournament in California in March, the Berkeley girl proved herself strong enough to begin her campaign for lost prestige. Not only did she regain re-gain her American title by defeating the brilliant young Betty Nuthall, bul annexed a score of foreign and domestic do-mestic laqrels which made !ier absolute abso-lute mistress in the sport among amateurs. Heleri Wilis is vitally interested in the development of the game among young women. Concerning the sport, she said that playing "for the fun of It" is sufficient for all young girls to take up tennis. The story of Miss Wills on the court is one of especial encouragement to young players whr dislike the discipline of instruction For, like Topsy, Miss Wills "jus; growed" into a tennis player. "I played for fun. I practiced by engaging in matches and not by bouncing a ball against the barn door I played against those who could show me the simple principle of position posi-tion and strokes." Miss Wills delighted In playing men players in the early stages of her training. They play a stronger and better game and the benefit derived is threefold. The story of her rapid rise in tennis. ten-nis. Miss Wills says, could become the story of any American girl who will combine "fun" with earnestness in playing the sport. Miss Wills especially espe-cially advocates the participation In tournaments by young stars. |