TENNIS

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10508, 11 February 1928, Page 6

TENNIS

5 Till-: “BOUNDING BASQUE.” Ait insight .into the stylo and metlTuds W. Joan Lorotra, whoso pciying Jacques Jlrugnon and Clmsbiait liOitssus, the \ is.ittng I'Vencti team, das boon ine centre of lonn.s interest in New Aon la ml is given ny a writer m xtie" "New .Zoalami Beiereo.” - * •Joan iiorosra. is probably the"fastest: 'limit who has over been seen on aity tennis court suite the game m teuins .was invented. tie sets iiimseir a pace and keeps it. through .the inaten such as no Nevv* Zealander vomit ever dream of setting lor tne game,, even if tne mutch ilcjiemu u u)Hm it. ’ . Although tljere is no, ostentations waving ot arms and legs as lie runs and leaps through the air, IJorotra line a wnirlwinu in lus'rushes' and mi lticlia-rubuer. hall in Jus bounding-., tie lias solved the problem that me quickest way to get through space is to leap through it; \\ itlt ground strokes reliable, but not brilliant and a service' that is fast and sliced well out ot court, lie concentrates ml Ins energies on getting to the net. And he goes rtgnt tip to it. No hanging near the. service line for him. -The hardest drives from the net he deals with.with the greatest of ease, ng, is along, linnet from one side ot the court to the other in ,a hash to .get any drive puv cross-court, and these lie hits hang straight down the line. He is hounding across to* intercept the shot almost before the opponent has, piayed it. • A lob no sooner leaves the. racquet when he senses the fact tlkit n is going to he deep. Nvithout hesitation, lie runs back, and if the ball falls in front of him he hurls himself through the air at.it, gets m front of it, and drives it hack hard, usually lor a. clear winner. To sec Borotra retrieve a loh is ‘to see a remarkable feat performed. He goes hack lor, and gets lobs that most New Zealanders would not < von attempt' to go for. ■

JUTS TO JvlLl. - , Inside the service line or .behind it., (the position is jinmateria:), ji he tan once get his racquet- on the bail. Even to kill, lie does not defend, Even ins ground strokes are lut ln.ru tor atfacK ami not - detente. Both backhand and forehand he iiits lor the side lim-, and not, as ue'do, lor inside it. There is' nothing pretty about his ground strokes. . They are a sort of punch, and the backhand is played close in to his body! He is one of the greatest half volleve'rs in the world, and he even attacks with his low volleys, which jus: clear the net and.no more. ; When he is firmly implanted cn the net-, all drives of the opponent that are just- clearing the net are hit down and so sharply angled as almost to suggest that they, are sent living parallel with the net, and they are impossible of being returned. FUOTEAULTS. Borotra is a very bad footfaulter. and some amusement was caused by the fact that he was only footfatilted by the umpire when the ball was itself an actual fault, While some players get no great advantage from a footfault, for Borotra it is a tremendous asset, because of the speed with which lie rushes the net. In serving, he has a stiff action. He keeps his arm stiff as he brings it up behind his body and drags the toe of his right foot along the ground somestimes, in an endeavour -to prevent the foot'going over the line before the hall is hit.

NO MYSTERY. There is no mystery, about his play. Hit everything you can in the air is his motto and right loyally does lie carry it out. Even his hat volleys in his charge to the net arc made practically in his stride. Sometimes they are made when he has both'feet off the ground. < /ie frequently: volleys arid smashes when well off the ground. - A srOHTSMAN. He is a wonderful j sporting player. Even the generally reprehensible habit of throwing points becomes in Jus way of doing it- very fascinating. He does it mostly after a vain appeal to the umpire to do justice, to- his opponent., lie is more concerned about appreciating good shots by his opponent’than in blaming himself, for his'own had ones. .One cannot imagine’ a • more captivating personality’ that the ‘.‘Bounding- Basque” with his famous beret.cap and his unrivhlled agility and gracefulness. .Jt should bo mentioned that any shot from an opponent that allowed Borotra'"to get inside the backline • was usually -fatal to the . opponent , for Borotra then dashed right in. to the net. : :