TENNIS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 10 November 1928, Page 13

TENNIS

I IMPETUS FROM HOME. j The tour of a representative lawn , tennis to am from Home through New Zealand should give a great impetus to a game already deservedly popular throughout the Dominion (says the Auckland “Star”). Tiie reputation of i our distinguished guests has preceded them and we knew before they came that they stand in the front rank of the players of to-day, measured _ by either the European or the American standard. Now that we have seen them in action, tennis enthusiasts can i easily understand the successes that they have won elsewhere. All the essential requirements of the game—speed and agility, strength' and dexterity and grace of style—-are admirably represented in different ways by the various members of the team ; and their visit should do much to enhance the popularity of the game and to raise the standard of play in New Zealand. Where our players are likely to be inferior is not so much in strokes or tactics as in general knowledge, and experience of many types and varieties of opponents. It is a well-established fact that the world’s l champions at tennis have attained the highest pinnacle of success only after a prolonged course of public matches and tournaments played under* all conceivable conditions and circumstances. The rapid advance made by colonial players who have had opportunities of going abroad is familiar to all who know the history of the game, and the achievements of Wilding, Parker, Fisher, and more recently of Andrews. show that all that our young athletes have ever needed to reach the highest level of proficiency in this branch of sport is the kind of practice and experience- which our visitors have enioyed; and which their visit will I heln our players to appreciate. < The rnm'd growth of lawn tennis in all countries recently is perhaps the most remarkable phenomenon in modern athletic history. The game com- ! bines in a most delightful wav openair exercise, the excitement and interest. of keen personal antagonism, and facilities for attaining a degree of skill and dexterity such as few forms of athletics can surnass. No doubt also the social possibilities of the' game have played their part in promoting its widespread growth. So strong a hold has lawn tennis taken on . the public imagination that in Britain and America there is already a movement- on foot to make the game one. of the staple forms of athletic i training for hoys and girls. THE DAVIS CUP. The question in America at present is now long will it take tne United States to win back the Davis Cup and ( -National Tennis Championship from the conquering Gauis (.says a critic), j Experts duier, but some contend that ■ it is only a matter or two years. : they are hoping that in two years Ea- ] cost© and cocliet will be approaching* tne sere and yellow leaf stage 01 ! approximately 26, -and American youths in the shape of Lott, Van Ryn, Alinson, Snieids, and Uoen will not be denied. What a mighty warhorse William Tilden must have been, and still is, if tne Ereuch cnampions are to Lie done at 26 years of age. One American put- it this way: “it is not altogether a matter ox regret that the last defence against the f rench invadeis snould have been waged by none or these youngsters, but uy a slippered pantaloon of 3-x named Erancis nunter. Detter in the long run then cue sudden emergence ox another i line il out or the raniis of the youngsters is it to have tne whole pnalaiix ot tneiiL move up on a iairiy even level ox improvement. It means waiting until 11)31, perhaps, but wuen victory does come 1 r will be guaranteed! by a solid- body of reserves.” After what Tnden and Hunter have done lor American tennis one would have thought that they deserved better than the above. If all the “youngsters move up on that fairly even level of improvement” it will be found that none of them are Tildens or even Hunters. Only now that the United States lias lost the. Davis Cup are the older players being blamed, and the advice given is to have none of them. Tli older players, provided they can beat the younger players in match play for representative honours, should not be dropped just to allow the eolt 1 to- be- selected. The colt should earn his place as those before him had to do, but if the Davis Cup- competition is- to be made a. business competition rather than a- sports competition, then the sooner it is dropped the better. There appears to be too much value placed upon winning, no matter how it is done. The following appeal has been- broadcasted by a writer in America who seemingly considered that Tilden and Hunter had remained in the game too long: “Maintenance ■ of consistent supremacy in. interna- i ti-onal tennis would seem to involve the ] gradual but steady recruiting of new talent, even if it means the premature -displacement of old. A certain amount ( of self-sacrifice on the part of- our . older players three years ago might - •bv this time have supplied one or two , of the younger men with the experience in international competition which it is generally admitted they . still lack.” Yet the same writer ! would have declared that Tilden was ■ throwing his country over had- that - player wanted to retire even last year. ’