WOW!

After Anne White defied Wimbledon convention by wearing a bodysuit, her sexy attire was banned. But White had joined the pantheon of pioneers

Women's tennis was saved the other day at Wimbledon from Christinalova burnout. Forget Chris and Martina. And forget Pam Shriver, who described Anne White's dazzling, curves-embracing, fortnight-stopping alabaster body stocking as "stupid," "bizarre" and "this thing." Thing? Off with Shriver's tongue. Tennis has seen the future and it is wow.

White, of Newport Beach, Calif., is tall, blonde and a free spirit who is ranked No. 93. But: "Go for it, Whitey," friends encouraged her.

It was just one more miserable wet evening at Wimbledon when White suddenly appeared on Court 2: white on White from plunging neckline to twinkling toes. Men gasped. Buoyed by the suit and the crowd support, White won a second-set tiebreaker against Shriver after having dropped the first set 3-6. But then night fell, and Wimbledon banned White's whites—"not traditional tennis attire"—for the next day's final set, which she lost.

"I didn't want to cause anybody to spill their strawberries and cream," said the latter-day Gussy Moran. "But I think I showed a lot of guts." Not to mention some dynamite something elses.

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DAVID WALBERG

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SPORT & GENERAL

Frumpy in 1910 (above), fashions were sportier with Suzanne Lenglen (below, left, with Helen Wills). But glamorous Gussy Moran (right) was a bombshell.

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UPI/BETTMANN NEWSPHOTOS

[See caption above.]

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UPI

[See caption above.]