TENNIS TNTRUMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 305, 26 December 1931, Page 8

TENNIS TNTRUMS.

CRITICISM OF ILL-MANNERi

PLAYERS' OPDQOHg.

"NERVES OVERSTRAINED."

Tennis players in Engla*! are disco* ing with animation the crftici by the chairman of the Lawn 53 Association, Mr. R. A. C. Griffiths, on ttl behaviour of younger players in'Bri£ tournaments. a

Mr. Griffiths said that there *wm» frequent displays of iU-m*Rnere, temper and unsportsmanlike conduct. which he attributed partly to the ceit induced by immoderate prS Women, he said, were the wo* offenders.

Mrs. Beamish, who was formerly on» of England's star players, agrees with Mr. Griffiths. She says that the tendency to give exhibitions of; tantruoi on the court is increasing and reebm mends that the association should T suii. pend players for ungentlemanlT or unladylike conduct in the same the Football Association.' BlMpendjd players. ' -' [ \,;-

English players, both men -ind women, are becoming as temperamental as foreigners, says Mrs. Beamish. Th» result is that England is fast-losing her reputation for sportsmanship.. 'The trouble is due to too much playing .-at an early age. Boys and girls who fek playing.tournament tennis at IS arein. duced by adulation to believe they, art all Tildens and Lenglens. Their nerve* are overstrained by continuous playing. Many girls burst into tears in the dress-ing-room after losing a match. In Defence. '' > .* The -women players 'have/tonnd'a champion in Miss Elizabeth>Ryan, who says that women are sporting and hidi their emotions regarding bad decieioM wonderfully, although some of the men deserve criticism. , Mrs. Satterthwaite considers that: ths manners of Miss Betty Nuthall and Mrs. Whittingstall "(formerly Miss- Mm Bennett) are perfect. "It is the highly, handicapped players who are ptf unpunctual," she said. : An anonymous woman player protests that the good players treat the "rabbits" like dirt and do not even worry to b&bw their names. . - ; .?' A well-known tennis player, whose father was a contemporary .of J&. Griffiths; complains that members of-the council of the Lawn Tennis Association are too old to remember' : their ■>•:own idiosyncrasies. "My father tells mrthat the youngsters of to-day are behaved than in his time," ; .he says. "K the council provided younger and better umpires it would prevent glaring;: by players who feel that the 'oldsters'are treating, them like naughty children.* Untrained Umpires., -/■. ~; Tennis', enthusiasts in Australia are pleased at Mr. Griffiths outspoken criticism of ill-manners and/unsportsmanlika conduct on the part of. some of the younger players when on ; the courts. There have been several' instances? m important tournaments overseas where such behaviour has been very noticeable and lias caused a good deal of criticism, but fortunately for the game hi Atbtralia such an occurrence is very lire (says the "Melbourne Herald"). .

Championships in Australia are always contested in the best spirit by * the players, although in Victoria especially, there is often cause for annoyance to the players because of the lack of any organised umpiring, and the fact that untrained umpires are often, placed in the box and are sometimes more of a nuisance than a help to the players.

Mr. Harry Hopman, who was abroad in 1928 and 1930 as a member of Ausbilian Davis Cup teams, said that the standard of sportsmanship on the court* in Australia was as high as'in any other country in the world.. ; At Wimbledon, regrettable incidents sometimes occurred. In 1928, Austin's, behaviour in a_ match with Lacoste caused a storm of criticism, Hopman said. Austin, to conserve his energy, appeared to waste a lot of time on the court, despite two adjournments because of rain. He walked slorly, and by the longest possible route when changing ends, and seemed to. take mpje than a reasonable amount of time between points. . . ,-•'' :

Hopman said that the young American players were good sportsmen, bat .were so keen always to win that semetunes they forgot themselves.