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Men Are Better. But against topflight men tennists, Pauline, like all women players, is far behind. The 700-year-old French game of tennis, traditionally as much a lady's as a man's game, was introduced to the U.S. in 1874 by a woman, Mary E. Outerbridge. For 62 years women have played championship tennis at Wimbledon, at first in ankle-length gowns and long sleeves, yet no woman has ever done better than to beat the best men juniors. On the subject of male v. female in tennis, Pauline says: "It's ridiculous to compare them." Her reasons: a man anticipates the play better, runs faster, hits harder, lasts longer.
Pauline has had a succession of boy friends, but says with a grin: "I can't find anyone who wants to be married one month out of the year." But she admits a fear of turning 30 without getting married. This spring she passed California's exam for real-estate saleswomen, and this winter will sell for a Beverly Hills firm which specializes in expensive homes with tennis courts and swimming pools. The firm, Lawrence Block, Inc., likes to dazzle prospective buyers with celebrity salesmen like onetime film star Rod La Rocque and Charles Christie, of early-day Christie Comedies' fame. Betz expects to be good at it.
Egg on Her Face. Last fall, after three years as national champion, Pauline Betz had her first major setback, from 33-year-old Sarah Palfrey Cooke, who came out of retirement to tournament play. Sarah took the crown away from Pauline at Forest Hills.
Pauline marched home to California, beaten and burned up—at herself. She sought out Eleanor Tennant, an old tennis teacher, who coached Champions Bobby Riggs and Alice Marble, once charged the movies' Marion Davies $1,000 a month for lessons. Teacher Tennant decided to buck Pauline up first. Says Eleanor: "When a gal has egg on her face, the first thing to do is let her know she is the world's greatest player."
Then came the details. Tennant, a believer in "easy does it" tennis, decided that Pauline's strength was in her killer instinct ("She has the quality of a stevedore"). So she strengthened Pauline's weak forehand by cutting two-thirds off the backswing and adding it to the follow-through. Her service was none too robust, so Eleanor Tennant concentrated on placement. When Pauline took her revamped tennis game on tour this summer, the egg was off her face. Teacher Tennant, who has taught them both, glowingly rated Betz above Alice Marble. Most tennis experts are content to call Pauline the best in a year which has no greats, and wait for the rest of the returns to come in before saying more.
1980's Verdict. Halfway through last week's doubles championships at Brookline, Pauline ran into trouble. Her big toe became infected, swelled up to twice its normal size. In the semifinals, teamed with Doris Hart, Pauline discarded sneakers, played in heavy woolen socks. They lost. (Osborne and Brough won their fifth doubles championship beating Mary Arnold Prentiss and Pat Todd.)