HOAD WAS WISE TO TURN PROFESSIONAL

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28436, 16 November 1957, Page 5

HOAD WAS WISE TO TURN PROFESSIONAL

I EWIS Hoad, the last addition to Jack Kramer’s professional tennis troupe, has receiver much attention in the last- three months from tennis writers all over the world. In the first place Jhere was criticism of his decisior I to leave the amateur ranks immediately after winning the Wimbledon title, because he had been reported the day before as saying that he had no intention of changing his status at that time. More recently, his defeats by his fellow-professionals have caused much comment, some of which has inclined towarus an attitude of “it serves him right.” On the subject of his turning professional in the first place, il could be said that he is to be com-

mended for on the grounds that most of the world’s leading players are not amateurs in the strict sense. This is brought out in the recent ruling of the International Olympic Committee, w’hich has decreed thAt any sportsman who spends more than three weeks continuously away from his job. training for or playing sport, shall no longer be deemed an amateur.

i our to his country by winning the - Wimbledon singles twice and the j doubles on three occasions, and l performed with credit in several 1 Davis Cup challenge rounds. 3 Bitter Attitude - In view of this, the bitter attiI tude of the Lawn Tennis Asso- > ciation of Australia when Hoad i finally turned professional ret fleets no credit upon that body, s Another matter which no doubt - influenced Hoad in his decision f was the proposal by the L.T.A.A. II to cut down private tours by Australian players. Like Rosewall. ’| he wished to travel as much as t possible with his wife. This - ] problem will soon be confronting

‘ other leading Australian players. “ Having beaten Ashley Cooper so : easily (6-2, 6-1, 6-2) in the i Wimbledon final. Hoad could be ■ excused for thinking that there ■ was nothing left for him in 1 amateur tennis. ’ Since July, Hoad’s professional career has not been an outstand- • ing success. He suffered nine suc--1 cessive defeats, after a victory ' over Sedgman in his debut. More recently, losses to the older members of the troup, Francisco Segura, Dinny Pails and Kramer i himself, have been hailed as evii dence that Hoad has now reached * “rock-bottom.” Various reasons i have been advanced tor this. > It has been said that his game