TENNIS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 1 October 1927, Page 8

TENNIS

(By

“Back-Hand”)

NOTES AND COMMENTS. PARS FROM HERE AND THERE. The most wonderful thing about lawn tennis to-day is the enormous progress which the fair sex have made in the last few years- This has been most noticeable in England where the general standard of women's play is distinctly high; it is in fact a good deal higher, in comparison, than that of the men; From the many thousands of girls in all stations of life who are now playing the game, there are few who do not know something of its finer points, and have not some idea of how to produce the various strokes. Every girl seems imbued with the spirit to excel at this fascinating game, and the tournaments are full of these young players determined to improve and to come to the front.

In this feminine movement lies the secret of the ever increasing popularity of our favourite game. No other game makes such a wide appeal to both women and men. The reason for the growth of women’s tennis is not far to seek. For some years past the girls’ schools in England have taken the game very seriously, the girls have been given excellent coaching and plenty of opportunity lor practice, the natural result of this has been a steady increase of promising players each year. At most of the tournaments throughout England, the number of women players are beginning to exceed the men. Another noticeable feature is the splendid physique of these young players, who seem able to stand the most searching tests of endurance. Women's lawn tennis is fast becoming the greatest attraction of the game especially so in England.

Tennis has undergone a great speeding up since pre-war days in all its aspects. To-day the player has to fight for every point from beginning to end, and there is no hope for the man or woman who waits for the ball to bounce and rise on its journey towards him and then drop in his racquet.

Immediately the ball bounces the best players move towards it and hit it while it is travelling upwards. Players like Cochet hit it is soon as it is high enough to suit them, and they gain three or four yards by not waiting for it to drop, a lot of time, and a great deal of added speed and pace-

It has been decided to form a British lawn tennis professionals’ association. The idea, if properly worked out, should be beneficial to the game in England. It is to give amateurs and professionals a chance to cooperate as in cricket.

England and tennis, seen through English eyes: There are some experts who consider that we have not a tennis player in the first ten. Form and past results confirm that pessimistic view, but there is the comforting reflection that with us the game is not the end but the means, and that lawn tennis will continue to thrive amazingly because it has caught on with the multitude who are not concerned with championships, but find in the pastime a means of enjoyment and an instrument to get and keep physically fit.

“To the average English-speaking person, sitting in the umpire’s chair and announcing to nearly 15,000 people massed around the Centro Court. “Senorita Lili de Alvarez—or even without the ‘Lili,’ is something of a mouthful.” says "American Lawn Tennis.” The man in the chair on No. 1 court one day had such difficulty in negotiating the name and title that the lady herself was almost convulsed, while the gallery chortled with glee. Thereafter the umpire found discretion the better part of valour, limiting himself to “Senorita” or referring to "server” or “receiv-

“Even on the Centre Court, when the battle or the ladies’ championship was on, no less august a personage than Commander George AV. Hillyard balked at the stile. Most of his announcements required only the name of Miss Wills, but it eventually became necessary to refer to the Spanish girl. There was a moment's hesitation, and then: “Advantage striker,” he boomed while the gallery tittered and Senorita de Alvarez shot him an arch glance, expressive of deep appreciation-”