TENNIS FOR WOMEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1922, Page 2

TENNIS FOR WOMEN.

m MME. LEN'GLEX'S ADVICE. "Lawn tennis came to mc at an early age." writes Mme. Suzanne Lenglen in "The Daily Mirror." "I was staying at our country home at Oompiegne when T was eleven and a-half. I played with my father and friends, who came to stay with us, and in three months I played in a tournament in Paris. To become a champion lawn tennis player you must start young. You must start well —that is to say. with good instruction. My father gave mc good instruction. When you start badly you have to begin again. Your grip is -wrong and your stance is wrong. And it is oh so difficult to learn again. "I think the very best practice a young girl can get is to choose a wall for her opponent. 1 learnt more of my back-hand play by hitting a ball against a. wall than against my best opponent. A wall always returns the ball, an opponent frequently misses it. "And do not play silly little games of ■pat ball.' Try hard always. Sii/.1, a beginner should not try to hit the bail too hard. Hit hard when the game c-mes to you. and you are sure of putting the ball where you want it to go. If the young player is not very careful iof this, sho will always play an erratic game. If you can place the ball even when running hard, you will make I your opponent run too. ! "And girls should learn to volley as soon as possible. They must- learn to ■ take tin bail on the full, and not be ! afraid to go up to the net. I think that young English players hava improved a lot in this respect since last ; year. I have si-en of vhem in the ' south of France. They tiro, faster going to the net. Fooiwork is the great thing in lawn tennis. The brain and the foot I must work together. i "When I miss a stroke 1 glance at Imy I'iet. and. if necessiry, change my j position. Tt is generally faulty foot- |*, rk ihat makes one miss. It you i take car,- of your position in your early j (tames it comes to you naturally. I find now that in all my games my feet aft in the right place. 1 rrr-phasise Ihe point. Brain and feet must be Tieht'; feet must be as quick as brain and eye. A young player, too, must lam to watch her opponent. When hitting the ball you want to sen where your opponent is, and then place it ir as difficult a place as you can. Watch the tall until the moment comes for the attack on il to be made. Then lock at your opponent. "When 1 was thir.ocn 1 won mv firs' , international tournament, and when 1 , was liftccn, with m _-,- hair on mv shmil- ! ders. and still ouitr n srrtll orirl, I won my first world's clnmpionship on the j hard courts at M. ( loud."