Tennis Stars' Autographs Were A Rare Commodity

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1948, Page 4

Tennis Stars' Autographs Were A Rare Commodity

“PLEASE, can I have your autograph?” Forty children and' an amazing number of conscienceless adults crowded round (a) world champion Jack Kramer and (b) the rest of the gang. There was not a moment between matches at Whangarei last Monday when the touring professional tennis players were no pressed to affix their signatures to something.

As a rule it was the attractive souvenir booklet (sold at 6d a copy l . Hardly less often, it was a pocketsized autograph book beloved of high school girls. One man even presented a s.xver cigarette case to Kramer, togethei with steel stylus with which the great name might be etched on the metal. Few indeed were lucky. Kramer, whose tall lithe form anu happy smile captured all hearts, was the firmest of all in refusals to sign. THEY LIKED HIS REFUSAL Unquestionably aware that, as world champion, he would be most in demand by the autograph-hunters, he adamantly declined all requests. Did it with a pleasant grin and usually found time to explain just why. For instance when a Very Important Personage in Northland tennis circles sought his pencilled patronage Kramer replied: “I’ve just got to stop some place and it might as well be the first who asks me—and the highest.” Said with a winning smile, his refusal seemed an honour. Kramer is that kind of personality. He captured the imagination of the several score of high school girls who were clustering round him at different stages by simply telling them that he could not give one single autograph.

name —-‘Dinny Pails,” not Dennis - on no more than six or seven souvenir programmes. „ Segura, the popular ‘audience man of the troupe appeared to have escaped from Whangarei without paving given any evidences whatever of his ability to write cheques and sign legal documents. , , , In fact, it was unkindly remarkei afterwards that ‘anyway the blightei never, learnt to write.” Be that as it may, autographs from the professionals will be treasured by their scarce owners. In America, there Us a money value on such things. Perhaps it applies in New Zealand, if you could find the seller. Certain it is that the signatures of Kramer, Riggs Pails and Segura (if any) will be T way up in the market.

RIGGS AND PAILS SPARING World champion for two years until Kramer toppled him from the throne Bobby Riggs was a little more generous with the pen. He gave at least half a dozen autographs. Bobby did it with an automatic grace as if he were no stranger to the horror of being one of the world’s famous people, but managed to convey an impression that he still thought it was a very considerable nuisance. Dinny Pails, of Australia, was also sparing with his penmanship. At one stage, in the pavilion, a group of girls in school uniform surrounded him as effectively as if they had been a Zulu impi. Putting the best face on it and continually glancing over their eager faces to see whether his companions had reached the car, he scribbled his