Slants on Sports

The forty-seventh National Women’s Tennis Championships of the United States in singles and doubles will swing into action this afternoon at the West Side Tennis Club, Forest Hills, N. Y.

Of the sixty-four entries that have been accepted for this event, including the leading players from all parts of America and a contingent of Wightman cup players from Great Britain, only one contestant is Jewish.

Miss Millicent Hirsch, national indoor girl’s champion, number four in national ranking and number one in eastern lawn tennis ranking for 1932 and 1933, is the lone Jewish tennis ace who will vie with the court stars of the world for the United States Championship. Miss Hirsch, born on December 16, 1916, is pitted against Miss Eliza Cox. This pair will fight it out in the first round at Forest Hills this afternoon at four-thirty.

Miss Hirsch, to our mind, is not the best of the sixty-four players entered in the championship tilts this week. However, we claim that there is not a woman on the courts who can embody more the true spirit of sportsmanship and fair play than this young eighteen-year old girl.

Six of the seeded players will make their singles debut on the Stadium courts this afternoon. Miss Helen Jacobs, defending champion, Miss Sarah Palfrey, Carolin Babcock, Betty Nuthall, Freda James, and Katherine Stammers are all scheduled for the opening tilt.

BOXING BITS

Art Lasky, the up and coming Jewish youngster from Minneapolis, who trimmed the whiskers of King Levinsky’s chin, in the second of their scheduled matches at Los Angeles, has been signed to meet Steve Hamas, Penn State’s boxing idol.

It’s very funny about Art Lasky being known as a home town boy who made good. Out in Minneapolis, the fans were very much surprised by Lasky’s sudden rise in the pugilistic world.

Despite the fact that the West Coast is talking about the fistic prowess of this Jewish heavyweight slugger the home town is the hardest place to convince that he’s a comer in ring circles. Ever since Lasky started strewing victims behind him in California, Minneapolis fight fans have scratched heads over his doings.

Now comes gossip that Lasky, whose latest exploit was the taming of the Chicago Assassin, "Leaping Lena’s" keed brudder, may get into a "heavyweight tournament" leading to a fight with Max Baer. So Minnie—still the unbeliever, is puzzled.

CAN’T WIN AT HOME

King Levinsky was a pretty good fighter, as they say, but he never could peddle his wares in New York. Despite the number of victories and kayoes he might have amassed in a tour of the hinterland and the Chicago stables, he never even approached the semblance of a win when he landed in New York.

Thus it is with Art Lasky. At present Art is picking up cash and carrying forward a string of triumphs on the coast. He is trying to banish the memory of two defeats which marred a favorable record at home.

Twin Cities fight crowds bought tickets to see Lasky lose. . . . Twice they witnessed this—once to Charley Retzalf, Fargo, N. D. mauler, and the other time to Dick Daniels, of Minneapolis, both now weatherbeaten from many ring storms.

Some claim that Lasky’s strategy was at fault, others that the big fellow skipped training orders at times.

Whatever it was, the wagging tongues asserted he lacked something. So Art ups and moves to California with intentions to prove otherwise.

A smart left hand helped Lasky quickly to a new reputation and the greenbacks. But the home towners, instead of priding themselves, remain skeptical, even while Lasky keeps winning.

‘SLAPSIE MAXIE’

Maxie Rosenbloom, the Harlem killer of yore, earned the title of "The Slapper" when he was in his prime. However, a couple of hectic sessions both in season and out in the better and dizzier night clubs and hot spots of the city merited him the moniker of "Slapsie." But Maxie now is the counterpart of the man who gets slapped. He has been pasted out of more rings than he can remember; slapped around from New Orleans to Dallas; and kayoed by every new cocktail in the land.

He was scheduled to sign for a proposed bout with Bob Olin but the match evaporated on Jimmy Johnston’s doorsteps at Madison Square Garden. Well, Maxie may be champ, but his services are no longer required — at least so it would seem.

Then again, Maxie has netted over 200,000 simoleons from the fight game and he hasn’t got two greenbacks to show for the dough. It was recently rumored that George Raft, the Bolerian bad wolf of the movies, smacked down ten grand for a half interest in "the Slapper"—and if it is true— Raft got a piece of nutted toast for his change. No matter, how much longer this Jewish light heavy fights he will probably wind up broke. But, for that matter, how about many other fighters, who invested, and came out high and dry and broke. Well, my friends, "azeh get das."

THE SPORTING CALENDAR

Fort Hamilton Wrestling Club

Tomorrow night, Gino Garibaldi, fast moving Italian wrestler, meets the Masked Marvel in the feature finish attraction. Abe Kashey, another bone-bender of the Pier 6 variety, tackles Ernie Stevens, American Apollo in the forty-five minute semi-final.

Eli Fischer, one of the outstanding Jewish matmen on the canvas today comes to grips with Bull Komar, the man who beat Abie Coleman before the latter made his spectacular disappearing act.

Likewise Sid Westrich, another sensational Jewish wrestler, takes on Floyd Marshall.

BOXING TOMORROW NIGHT

Much interest centers in Kid Fratini’s fight against Bobby Pache, Mexican welterweight champ, who trade blows tomorrow night at the Coney Island Velodrome in the eight round feature fight. Frattini has beaten every opponent encountered in an American ring and many sharp critics believe that he will be Barney Ross’ new nemesis before long.

The main event tops an all-star card, consisting of two more eights, two six rounders, and an opening four rounder. Ray Napolitano vs. Kenny La Salle. Bruno takes on Ed Duarry. In the six rounders, Izzy Jannzao meets Danny Levine, new Ghetto flash.