TENNIS PUZZLE

Hawera Star, Volume XLVI, 16 July 1927, Page 12

TENNIS PUZZLE

.FRANCE DOMINATES THE GAME. THE REASON SOUGHT. Why is Prance the foremost tennis nation? What secret have her players got that is not shared with Britain? Why can Borotra win from the net against the world *s best? Why don’t they pass him, or lob over his head? How can Coehet beat Tilden with admittedly weaker strokes? These questions have been puzzling many, and few have any explanation to offer. The theory that it is merely Prance’s turn —that athletic waves pass through a country—is possible, but very unlikely. Prance, considering the small percentage that play tenuis, has too many great players for that. Another explanation is- that good play begets good play, and the presence of Lacoste and Borotra by their example, and the practice gained by playing with or against them, brings, weaker players on. Still another reason advanced for the success of the Freeh players is: That the amateur status is not too closely enquired into in Prance. While each of these explanations had a certain element of truth, yet none are convincing. The best reasons given for the success of Coehet, Borotra and Lacoste, is that of Geoffrey Ollivier, New Zealand champion and keen student of the game.

“The greatness of the Prencli tennis players,” he says, “comes from the faster courts on which they learn their game. Chip courts and indoor wooden floors make for an entirely different style of play than asphalt. A wooden floor is much faster than asphalt. The ball is up from the bounce in a flash, and it is for this reason that anticipation becomes second nature and quick correct footwork is built up. Speedy and correct footwork is the greatest asset in tennis. Anything that allows you to be set in position and be waiting for the ball by even a flash of time sooner, makes just the difference to every stroke.

“In yet another way hard court (not asphalt) tennis has built their standard of play. On a hard court, although the ball conies quicker up from the bounce, yet it has this great compensating quality. It, comes up true. The height it will rise can be judged and will not vary. Thus all the Prencli players and especially Borotra, play the rising ball as a matter of course. This gives not only an added quickness of the return 'by playing it sooner, but the return itself is faster for two reasons. One, from the extra speed of the ball itself and the other from the fact that a rising ball is almost, invariably hit with a flat racket, and having no spin travels faster. “It is by this method that Borotra is enabled to reach the net with impunity. He allows his opponent no time to aim his shots.

“It might, be thought the French, by learning on hard courts, would be penalised on playing on grass courts. This is true till they get used to them, but after that the quicker footwork, that thousandth part of a second by which they are ready earlier to strike the ball, tells in their favour. Also as I said before, they gain the advantage of having learned to play the rising ball. ”