The Growth of National Women's Tennis, 1904-1940
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The Growth of National Women's Tennis, 1904-1940 ANGELA LUMPKIN When Mary Outerbridge brought perfecting of styles of play, affirm- the implements of the new British ing that the baseline game, the lawn sport of tennis to Staten Is- serve-and-volley game, as well as land in 1874, little did she realize the all-court game were alternative that in just over a quarter of a approaches to victory. In these and century this sport would attract other ways, this Californian sextet women enthusiasts from coast to greatly enhanced the popularity coast. Prior to this national devel- and stature of tennis nationally. opment, however, Victorian fash- Californians did not just start ion and leisurely styles of play mass production of tennis players prevailed as predominately Eastern at the dawn of the twentieth cen- society women embraced the game. tury. While clubs were formed as These Eastern players preferred a early as the 188O's, the ladies were not-too-vigorous, though nonethe- reluctant to play the sport competi- less competitive approach to ten- tively until the late 189O's when nis, hosting their first national numerous women vigorously championship in 1887. This domi- adopted the game (Yates, 1890). nation by Easterners continued un- Tennis in southern California was til 1899 when the first non-East- dominated in the early years of erner won the national champion- the twentieth century by the four ship. Then between 1904-1940, six Sutton sisters, Ethel, Violet, Flor- California ladies (May Sutton, Mrs. ence, and May. Capturing between Hazel Hotchkiss Wightman, Mary them eighteen Southern California K. Browne, Mrs. Helen Wills Tennis Championships, frequently Moody, Helen Jacobs, and Alice the quip emerged that it took a Marble) reigned atop the national Sutton to beat a Sutton. A passion- tennis scene capturing twenty- ate and all-consuming devotion to three national titles in singles. In tennis prodded the Suttons to con- addition to their championship per- struct their own court and to formances, these six led in the teach themselves how to play, even with balls minus covers and with borrowed racquets (Hoffman, About the Author 1953). Angela Lumpkin is an Assistant Pro- May Sutton emerged as the best fessor of Physical Education at the Uni- of the quartet and following her versity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. domination of tennis throughout 47 Quest California, she travelled to Phila- ratically bounce from the gravel delphia for the national champion- "court," Miss Hotchkiss learned ships in 1904. Although reports of the game that would start a revolu- the higher standards of play in the tion in women's tennis. Also, prac- East had reached the West coast, ticing solo against the wall of the she did not find the competition Hotchkiss house, she learned to too difficult and brought back with carefully control the ball to pre- her the singles and doubles cham- vent a wild stroke from cracking pionships (Sutton, 1912). one of the bay windows on either May Sutton's vigorous game, in- side of her "bandboard" (Wight- cluding strong forehands, an over- man, personal interview, 1973). head, mannish serve, and great Six months after taking up ten- footwork, first signaled a transition nis, Hotchkiss entered her first in the caliber and style of women's tournament, the Bay Counties tennis (Potter, 1963). Sutton car- Women's Doubles Championship. ried her winning style of play to She and her partner won without England in 1905. By defeating Eng- losing a set as Hotchkiss made his- land's best, Dorothea Douglas, in tory with the revolutionary tactics the singles finals, she became the she employed. first American man or woman champion at Wimbledon. Two Standing a yard and a half from years later she again captured the the net when her partner served, she All-England title at Wimbledon intercepted the majority of her op- giving her vigorous, though pre- ponents' returns and volleyed them for winners. She rushed forward to dominately baseline game three the net during rallies whenever a major singles championships. short return provided an opening, During the 1902 Pacific Coast and stayed there instead of retreating Championships a new disciple em- to the backcourt. She followed in braced tennis. Hazel Hotchkiss fell after her betters serves ... to vol- in love with the sport at her first ley the return. These measures thor- oughly demoralized her opponents, sight of championship tennis, such who had been brought up to think as exhibited by Ethel and May that woman's place was the baseline. Sutton and especially by the dou- The emancipation of woman from the bles play of Sam and Sumner backcourt was definitely under way. Hardy. The Hardy brothers' preci- (Wind, 1952, p. 39) sion in volleying and smashing, their split-second maneuvers which From this somewhat spectacular drew opponents out of position, beginning, she developed into an and their quickness at the net kin- artist in doubles play, although in dled a desire in Hotchkiss to play singles she was somewhat less for- similarly (Wind, 1972). midable. A soft serve and less than The graveled backyard of their overpowering drives left her little home in Berkeley encouraged Hazel choice but to move to the net. Hotchkiss and two of her brothers. When she played her volleying Homer and Marius, to adopt the game against opponents who were Hardy brothers' forte. Playing over not hard and accurate hitters, she a rope strung across the yard, was practically unbeatable. dodging rosebrushes, and trying In 1909 Hotchkiss travelled to to hit the ball before it would er- Philadelphia and swept the singles. 48 The Growth of National Women's Tennis, 1904-1940 doubles, and mixed doubles crowns the forecourt. She also moved with her serve-and-volley game. eagerly to the net for volleying She repeated this the next two duels or anywhere on the court years becoming the first person to for smashes. Browne's game was win a triple-triple. based on sound principles of play Following her marriage in 1912 and the court craft to plan her to Bostonian George Wightman, game. Hawthorne (1917) expressed she semi-retired from tennis for it this way, "There is no woman in seven years to rear a family. Dur- the world with a more comprehen- ing these years and those following sive command of strokes and a she befriended numerous Califor- fuller understanding of court tech- nia players who came to play in the nique" (p. 62). eastern tournaments, thereby help- This shift in tennis power from ing bridge the gap between the the East to the West drew many East and the West. During her speculations about the transition. competitive career spanning twen- One contributor to the expertise ty-nine years, she won a total of these California racquet wielders forty-five national titles, including displayed was the all-the-year- four American singles champion- round practice made possible by ships. In addition to competing, the climate. More importantly, Mrs. Wightman taught tennis to however, practice on hard surfaces numerous potential stars and .as- with its resultant development of sisted with the development of speed and accuracy aided perform- others, such as fellow Californians ances. That is, accuracy of strokes Helen Wills and Helen Jacobs. This while reacting to a faster pace grand lady, born only twelve years of play provided the excellent after the first tennis ball was hit laboratory setting in which to de- in this country reigned as the velop the game of the day, which "Queen Mother" of national wom- stressed fast hitting, fast moving, en's tennis for over half a century. and fast thinking. So, instead of In 1912,1913, and 1914 Mary K. the hesitation prompted by turf, Browne repeated Hotchkiss' triple- asphalt demanded anticipation and triple sweep in the national singles, quicker movement (Freeman, 1914). doubles, and mixed doubles cham- Helen Wills entered the sport- pionships. Browne had learned her ing scene of the 192O's when as a tennis on the fast, hard California schoolgirl-looking prodigy with courts at the hands of Tom Bundy long, braided hair, she competed in and her brother, Nat Browne. Mary her first national tournament in K. Browne displayed a distinct net 1922. While losing in the finals. game which she combined with a Wills gleaned a lesson that she re- brilliant, severe overhead game and applied throughout her long and with the ability to force openings brilliant career—"that simplicity of with cunning changes of pace. technique added to directness of With seemingly no weakness, she attack are far more effective than operated her game most effectively fancy spins and exaggerated from just inside the service court strokes" (Davidson & Jones, 1971, line. From this position, she exe- p. 23). She did not favor the use cuted sharp overhead shots and of brute strength, but for her, low volleys at acute angles across power could be obtained through 49 Quest changes in the grip of the racket Helen Jacobs played an "all- and at the same time be less de- court" game of tennis combining manding. She relied on anticipa- backcourt drives with volleys and tion, not speed of foot. A reverse overheads at the net. She lacked or a slice adequately replaced any some power and top spin on her need for a kicking, overpowering drives, yet substituted sliced fore- serve as used by men. Even with hands and backhands which be- hard-hitting baseline drives, her came devastating weapons against play was essentially feminine as most of her opponents. Jacobs to women players at all levels of abil- date has remained the only woman ity identified with her style of play champion to win the American sin- (Metzler, 1970).