Women's National

Uppermost in the minds of spectators at the Women's National Tennis Tournament at Forest Hills, L. I., last week was the question: Who will be the other finalist? Perhaps sure-finalist Helen Wills herself thought she knew when she said, "Sarah Palfrey ... is the best young prospect in the tournament."

Indeed, Boston's 16-year-old Miss Palfrey started off like a good prospect. She quickly disposed of early-round opponents. She easily disposed of England's brilliant Mrs. D. C. Shepherd-Barron. Then she met Mary Greef from Kansas City, with whom she takes turns winning and losing. Last week it was Miss Greef's turn to win and the Palfrey prospects faded. Then Miss Greef had her turn at losing, bowed to California's little Helen Jacobs.

Meantime, in the other bracket, came an upsetter in the person of brown, brawny Mrs. Molla Bjurstedt Mallory, eight times National Champion. Seeming to forget her years, but not her craft, Mrs. Mallory stepped briskly to the court, flashed her teeth, stamped her feet, theatrically eliminated England's No. 1 player, bouncing Betty Nuthall, 6-3, 6-3. Thus she flouted a Wills-Nuthall semifinal, long anticipated. Thus she herself gained the privilege of playing Champion Wills. That privilege, however, lasted only 20 minutes, with the grim Californian giving her not a game.

Remaining was still the usual possibility: an All-California final between Miss Wills and Miss Jacobs. But all unexpectedly, it became international, for England's gaunt Mrs. Phoebe Watson in her semi-final match against Helen Jacobs, drove deep low arcs, came seldom to the net, won 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.

International the final was, but unequivocal. Though Mrs. Watson took the first game, led 3-2 at the end of the fifth, she finally succumbed to fresher youth, greater strength. The score: 6-4, 6-2. Double was Miss Wills' victory, for it gave her permanent possession of the cup.