1941: Tennis

Despite the fact that international competition for the Davis Cup and the Wightman Cup was suspended for another year and the tournament lists were almost devoid of foreign talent, tennis enjoyed a flourishing season in 1941. Interest in the important grass court fixtures and championships showed no let-down and only an occasional event was cancelled. A few players were called up in the draft, but the ranking stars were active almost without exception.

Robert L. Riggs, Jr., of California, Chicago and Clinton, S.C., and Mrs. Sarah Palfrey Cooke of New York and Boston were crowned as national champions at Forest Hills, L.I. Riggs, winner of the title in 1939 and beaten in the fifth set of the 1940 final by Donald McNeill of Oklahoma City, came back to regain the championship by defeating Frank Kovacs of Oakland. Calif., in a four-set final. Kovacs eliminated the defending title holder, McNeill, in the semi finals and was generally favored to beat Riggs in the concluding round but after winning the opening set the lanky, temperamental Californian slumped badly and was never in the running again as Riggs ran out the next three sets.

Mrs. Cooke, after almost fifteen years of striving in the national championship, was finally rewarded for her perseverance. In the final round she defeated Miss Pauline Betz of Los Angeles, who had defeated her in their three previous meetings of the season, and thereby became the first native Eastern player to win the championship since Mrs. Maude Barger-Wallach triumphed in 1908.

Mrs. Cooke succeeded Miss Alice Marble of California as the title holder. Miss Marble entered the professional ranks with Miss Ruth Mary Hardwick of Great Britain after winning the crown in 1940.

Riggs and Kovacs followed the example of Miss Marble. The two finalists signed professional contracts in November, to go on tour with Donald Budge and Fred Perry, opening in New York, Dec. 26.

The national doubles championship was successfully defended by John Kramer and Ted Schroeder, the youthful Californians who became the youngest pair in history to win the title in 1940. Mrs. Cooke and Miss Margaret Osborne of California carried off the women's doubles, succeeding Miss Marble and Mrs. Cooke as the holders, and Mrs. Cooke also annexed the national mixed doubles with Kramer.

Budge Patty of California won the national junior championship. Arthur MacPherson of New York became the new veterans' title holder and Jacques Brugnon, formerly of the French Davis Cup team, and Meade Woodson of California won the veterans' doubles. Mrs. William V. Hester Jr. of Glen Cove, L.I., carried off the women's veterans' crown and Miss Edith Sigourney and Mrs. Hazel Wightman of Boston took the doubles honors.

The national intercollegiate title was won by Joe Hunt of the United States Naval Academy. Midshipman Hunt was unable to take the time off to compete in the men's championships, in which he played a great match against Riggs in 1940. Frank Parker won the clay court title, climaxing a remarkable season on clay. Wayne Sabin, out of competition in 1940, came back to defeat Riggs at Rye in the Eastern championships as one of several fine victories for him.

The most improved player of the year was Schroeder, who carried Riggs to five sets in the championship semi finals. McNeill had the most disappointing season, being unable to regain his 1940 form. Francisco (Pancho) Segura of Ecuador and Ladislav Hecht, formerly of Czecho-Slovakia, distinguished themselves during the season, Segura's match with Bryan Grant furnishing some of the most thrilling moments of the championship, and Hecht defeating McNeill on clay.

Next to Mrs. Cooke, the outstanding women players were Miss Betz, Miss Helen Jacobs, Miss Dorothy Bundy, Miss Helen Bernhard, Miss Osborne, and Miss Hope Knowles.

Three nationally known officials passed away in 1941. They were Joseph W. Wear, Vice President of the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, of Philadelphia; Paul W. Gibbons, a power in national tennis for many years, also of Philadelphia, and Benjamin H. Dwight, of New York, national chairman of the Tennis Umpires Association. Mr. Dwight, who officiated in national championship and Davis Cup matches, passed away during the tournament at Forest Hills after helping to conduct a tennis clinic.

Fred Perry displaced Donald Budge as the top man in professional tennis. The former Briton won the national professional championship and also carried off the honors in the round-robin tournament held at Forest Hills.