TENNIS TOPICS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 122, 5 March 1936, Page 3

TENNIS TOPICS

PLAY FOR AUCKLAND TITLES. E. D. ANDREW'S SUCCESSES. (By "Forehand"). The feature of the Auckland Lawn Tennis Association's jubilee meeting, which concluded on February 10. was the success achieved by players from outside provinces. Just how strong the challenge was can be gauged from the fact that, with the exception of N. G. Sturt's win of the doubles in partnership with E. D. Andrews, every senior event was carried off by the visiting players. Auckland's defence to outside challengers is developing, however, and in the near future the province may not prove such a happy hunting ground for visiting players as it does at present.

In a summer which has been notaide for its number of wet days tbe jubilee tournament enjoyed almost exceptional good fortune and the good management of the association's officials enabled them to conclude all events on time and play the finals on Anniversary Day. ■E. D. Andrews was outstanding and he was at no time in any. real, danger of missing the title. N. G. Sturt enhanced bis reputation by tha standard of his play in theiirst.set of the final. as it has seldom been surpassed in tournament play in Auckland, fc'turt fought hard in the next three sets, but the attack on the other side was always too intensive.

A. D. Brown played magnificently, and, when he has cultivated in all his matches tbe indifference of Andrews to passing disaster and also approached nearer to the- hitter's perfect court demeanour, he will meet with still greater success.

The Influence of Perry. Fred Perry's frequent appearances in Australia should have a marked beneficial influence en Australian tennis, declares Harry Hopmau. His speed, fitness and concentrated energy will be a foil to the slower style of Crawford's supremacy has iwiuenced. His gamo will teach the younger generation that physical fitness and an all court game arc preferable to the genius of stroke production. Perhaps we may find one some day with the speed of a Perry and tbe genius of a Crawford. What more could one wish for P

Perry vis born in 1909 and in 1920 was still unknown as a tennis player.

My first glimpse of Perry was of an athletic young man giving the "run around" to an old Davis Cup opponent of Australia's—Baron do Morpurgo (says an Auckland tennis critic). It was at Wimbledon in 1930, and only a week earlier the Baron had been the leading attar in our Davis Cup defeat by Italy iii .Milan. Unaccustomed to grass courts and an opponent who moved so quickly as did Perry, Morpurgo was badly and surprisingly beaten. But Perry did not remain in the singles championship of the world of that year much longer. Two years later Jack Crawford was to meet Perry in tbe Wimbledon championship. I made inquiries concerning Perry's improvement and was assured that although he had made rapid progress our man had nothing to fear, for Perry was not a lighter. The Statement Disproved.

This statement was entirely disproved, for although Crawford then was a class above Perry, ho was forced to a lengthy fourth set by a Perry who hung tenaciously to every point. I gathered later that my informant, like many others, disapproved of Perry's confident bearing. There is no doubt that in the early stages of the champion's -career he possessed several mannerisms that were annoying to his tennis brothers. An abundance of confidence displayed everywhere was one of them. It was perhaps his worst enemy, but on his way to the top rung he has shed it and many other of his faults to robe himself with traits that make him a champion to be admired in every respect. Fred Perry now is a great champion, greater than many of his contemporaries give him credit for. He possesses all the attributes of an athlete and a champion; great strength and stamina, wonderful speed of both mind and feet. He is the quickest man 1 have seen on a tennis court. At the moment, too, Perry has the confidence of genius which allows him to do the right thing at the right time, to pull out his best shots when things look their darkest, and when some shot appears to have him hopelessly beaten. Came Less Spectacular.

The Perry of two years ago vied with Jean Porotra for the honour of the "world's most spectacular player." Now Perry's game is less spectacular, lor his judgment is more controlled, and we do not see him dashing to the net on some hopeless mission, just because it looked well. Not" that he has forsaken the net game, far from it; for he is the best net player, with his uncanny volleying and wonderfully severe and accurate smashing, in the world. But now he can win most points from the baseline, reserving his net attacks for an opponent who is perhaps usurping the privilege of attack, or is showing too much accuracy in a baseline duel.

Perry is the outstanding player today. Who, in five years, has won the championships he has won? Crawford and Cramm are his nearest rivals, but Cramm has yet to win his world championship colours, and Crawford can stop Perry only in Australia. Perry's'tennis life refutes the argument that Australia's Davis Cup team is suffering from want of winters. Perry has Jieen travelling since 1930, and has not had a winter in that time.

in the life of normal man, marriage means "settling down" hut this will not he the case with Perry, who was recently wed to Miss Helen Vinson. Mrs Perry will continue her career in filmland, while Fred carries on his globe trotting.