LAWN TENNIS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 2 December 1927, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS

AND HOW TO PLAY IT MATCH HAY fxixy (Specially Written for (By Reno Lacoste —World’s Champion) (This series of articles by the champion tennis player, Reno Lacoste, describes thoroughly each step in mastering the game and will bo of great interest and practical assistance to tennis players.) Something more even than a combination of good strokes and sound tactics in needed Tor winning tournaments: a calmness, a lack of nerves, the quality of rising to. an occasion. Learning good strokes requires n goed eye, a quick foot, n strong arm and hard work. Learning sound tactics requires a clever, alert mind. Success requires fhe. calmness of Brooks, Tilden’s fighting spirit, Johnston's power ol concentration, Borotra’s tiudaeify. I should call calmness ilnd nerve control tlm first qualities of a champion. Without them, your mind will not he clear enough in selecting openings, studying your opponent’s strokes and tactics, adapting your play to your opponent’s game; and when your mind loses alertness, your body muscles, your eye, your speed will all suffer ton. Whatever happens, yon must remain calm on the court. Perhaps concentration comes next. Running ball boys, the umpire’s sometimes unexpected decisions, people moving in the stands, encouragement given to your opponent, the, rain, the sun,, the" wind : all these, can worry you d you do not concentrate. You must not let them. You must neither he depressed nor over-confident. If the crowd cheers your opponent, you may he sure it is because. they think he has need of encouragement against you. If you are winning easily, that is the time to be extra careful. You must play with the fighting spirit. Playing well is more important than victory, but if you keep before you a keen determination to win, your play will automatically be better. Whatever happens, go out to win. Brugnon, after beating .Cochet for the first time this winter at Lyons, told me that when he had won the first two sets, he allowed himself a rest, because he was tired and, knowing that Cochet was bettor than he, he thought lie must save his strength. As it- happened, he won, in spite c-f that rest. But how many other matches, against Anderson, against Kinsey, against Raymond, has he lost through allowing himself to rest, through- thinking his opponent the better man, through admitting his fatigue. Now he is overcoming that weakness, and when he has done so he will be even greater than he is. Look at the Ollier picture. I remember that at the end of a match which he won with Gobert against Tilden and Jones, Laurentz fell unconscious on the court. I remember Borotra being hurt by one of Patterson’s smashes, and still going on- playing at the net like a devil. That is the fighting spirit, and it is also the winning spirit. . , Borotra may be tired out and seem discouraged: but he never gives up. Nor does he slacken when he is winning. That is true also of Vincent Richards and of Tilden, who is galvanised by threatening defeat and has many a time turned what seemed certain defeat into victory. So you will learn to win. 1 You must also learn to lose. V hen vou havfe lost, you do not need to excuse yourself: it is because vour opponent was the better man. Give him the credit for it When you have won you have been lucky: there is luck in Never' discuss points: the linesmen are in a better position for seeing it the ball is good or out than you-are. Borotra says that when he thinks the umpire has unduly called a P all,t V 1 favour, lie cannot remain happy in tne game until he has thrown away the next point to his opponent: but he throws it away skilfully, that no one and least of all his opponent—may know that he has done it on purpose. What matters before all in a match is your play, and next the vie toy. The gallery do not matter at all. If y™ play to them your play will suffer, fm the most brilliant shot is seldom the most effective. Do not lmrry your opponent Do ot serve before he is ready. On the, other hand, you must not purposely dawdle for the sake of getting a rest. Do not arrive late for a match. You owe much to your opponent, to the tournament committee and also to the spectators, and they are entitled to be treated with sportsmanship. (Next article—The Pleasure of the Game)