HISSED OFF COURT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 3, 5 January 1938, Page 15

HISSED OFF COURT.

TENNIS CHAMPION.

ESCAPADE IN SYDNEY. POOR EXHIBITION GAME. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, December 30. On Monday afternoon last one of the largest and most enthusiastic crowds ever seen at a tennis tournament here gathered at the Rush-cutters' Bay courts to watch the match specially arranged between G. von Cramm (he prefers by the way to be called simply Cramm while he is out here), the great German player and the American, Donald Budge, the acknowledged champion of the world at the preeent time. This particular meeting had been arranged only after a long and acrimonious dispute between the New South Wales tennis authorities and the Australian Lawn Tennis Association, and in view of the high reputation of the players it was greeted with great public enthusiasm. Though the entrance fees ranged as high as 30/ for single seats at the best points, over 10,000 people packed the stands at the White City courts, and as they paid collectively about £2400 for admission, they were justified in expecting "a good run for their money." Unfortunately it was ordained otherwise.

At the appointed hour the two gladiators appeared on the arena—Budge bearing a huge newspaper portrait of himself pinned to his coat. He divested himself of this adornment before play began, but it remained a highly significant indication of the casual and frivolous spirit in which he approached the game. Though von ('varum displayed great energy and a thoroughly sportsmanlike desire to treat the match seriously, Budge simply refused to make any effort.

Sauntered About Court. He sauntered about the court, declined to chase balls at any distance, hit feebly, occasionally missed the ball altogether, and served for the, most part at only halt speed. The result was that the great crowd of onlookers passed speedily from stupified amazement to outspoken indignation. Many addressed strong comments and remonstrances to Budge during the game, and when the American champion walked off the court beaten by 6—l. 6—3, portion of the crowd expressed its feelings by hissing and hooting in a manner quite unprecedented in the post history of the game in Australia. Naturally everybody interested in tennis here waited eagerly for the newspaper reports on the match, and they found plenty to read. Mr. Henry Marsh, who is general secretary of the local lawn tennis association and one of the most experienced of all our veterans, led the outcry against Budge in unmistakable language. He sympathised entirely with the strongly critical remarks made by the spectators to Budge. "I have never heard before more universal or sweeping condemnation ot a tennis player. Had it been a football crowd he would have been hooted on all sides," he said. I could easily fill a column with comments of the same kind and quality, which appeared in the local Press. "Shameful Display." Mr. Ron Storey, one of our leading hard-court men, writes: "Never before was an Australian gallery forced to watch such a shameful display, and it will do a great deal of harm in future to international tennis here."

All this and much more to the same effect appearing in all our newspapers demonstrated that the Australian public had been aroused to a most unusual degree of indignation by Budge's escapade; but apparently that young man at first failed entirely to realise the true nature of the situation.

However, he was to be undeceived speedily enough. On Monday evening a representative of the "Daily Telegraph" waited on Budge and asked him if he had anything to say about the match. Budge thus explained himself: "I never win an exhibition match at home or abroad. In America the public is not at all concerned if I am beaten in an exhibition game." This, unfortunately, was quite inconsistent with the explanation that Budge had offered to another reporter after the match: "I'm very disappointed

with my form—l could not hit a ball." But later in the evening Budge had even more to eay: "I know I can play when I want to," he protested. "1 feel I should keep my keenness for when the big day comes along. I don't want to be keyed up when there is nothing hanging to it." This remark had already been answered by Henry Mansh's question: "Why did Budge agree to play at all if he did not mean to play as well as he could?" But unfortunately Budge proceeded to elaborate this explanation by a reference to his future movements, which must surely have caused the Australian L.T.A. grave concern: '".I'll be going to Melbourne to play in exhibitions, and will probably lose to everyone."

More criticism followed, and finally Budge realised the enormity of his offence, for he manfully tried to make amends. He requested the president of the New South Wales Lawn Tennis Association to express over the loudspeaker his regret at the mistake he had made and to offer his apologies to the association and the general public, and he respectfully suggested to the lawn tennis association that, by way of reparation, he might be allowed to play an exhibition match with Crawlord. who was willing to play. The association, feeling that Budge was now doing his best under difficult circumstances, agreed, and the match was duly played. Budge, who was as he terms it, "flat-out" to restore his reputation, performed very creditably, giving the spectators on the third day of the international match some idea of the form that a world's champion must attain. The crowd, generous like all Australian crowds, applauded him loudly, and to a large extent the breach between him and them was healed. • More Trouble Develops. But unfortunately Badge gave another interview to the "Daily Telegraph" which involved him in more trouble. He said j that he was sorry that he had not taken j the exhibition game more seriously—such j tames not being regarded as important in Iris own country. He deprecated the suggestion that he had deliberately pretended to have lost form completely so .is to minimise the importance of Broinwich's victory over him the week before, lie added, however, '.hat his chief reason for adopting a negligent or frivolous attitude in his exhibition game was that the secretary of the Australian Lawn Tennis Association had told him before the match he need not tako it seriously. This last excuse I need hardly point out

is by no means wawtwt with other explanation* that Budge had offered for his bad form, but it was promptly contradicted by the secretary of the lawn tennis association, Mr. Barraclough himself. Still on the whole the newspapers and the tennis people agreed to welcome Budge back into the fold. The "Sun"' and the "Telegraph" generously admitted that he had made what reparation was possible, and Crawford, who stood up valiantly to lie thrashed in three straight seis in his exhibition match, along with Quist and von Cranun. reminded the geneial public that Budge is a very nice fellow after all. So that this extraordinary incident is now officially regarded as "Vlosed" —though the memory of it is certain to linger here for a long time to come.