Althea Gibson, American tennis player, with fans, Surbiton

Jan. 09 Althea Gibson First Black Contestant for Wimbledon Leagues Semi-Finals At Surbiton: 28-year-old black tennis star, Althea Gibson is a player to watch at this year's Wimbledon. She has already won the Rome and Paris tennis championships and should she win at Wimbledon, she will be the first black player to do so. Althea was first discovered 14 years ago, by a play street director while playing paddle tennis in a Harlem Street, New York. He introduced her to the Cosmopolitan Tennis Club, she won some championships and was offered an atheltics scholarship in Florida and became a bachelor of science and Agriculture and Mechanics. Yesterday Althea Gibson smashed her way into the semi-finals of the Survey tennis championships at Surbiton after a harrassing day during which worried by several close line decisions she asked the umpire if he could have the assistance of linesmen. Play was held up before the umpire announced that linesmen were not available. Her white American opponent, Mrs. Rosenquest Pratt told her afterwards That stoppage was gamesmanship - unconscious perhaps, but still gamesmanship. One step further towards the Wimbledon crown, Althea Gibson is beseiged by young autograph hunters after she had reached the semi-finals at Surbiton

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28-year-old Afterwards Althea Announced Asked Assistance Autographs Available Bachelor Beseiged Contestant Cosmopolitan Decisions Discovered Further Harlem Hunters Introduced Leagues Linesmen Mechanics Offered Opponent Paddle Perhaps Pratt Reached Scholarship Semi-finals Smashed Stoppage Surbiton Survey Told Troubling Umpire Unconscious

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