LAWN TENNIS IN ENGLAND.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19107, 28 February 1924, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS IN ENGLAND.

MR DDUST’S REFLECTIONS. Looking back at the results of the past season, there is no doubt that Great Britain, the mother country of lawn tennis, lags far behind her rivals (writes Mr S. N. Doust in the Daily Mail). She was hr,Men at Manchester in the Davis Cup tie by Spain, a comparatively new entrant fog this event; the teams that were sent to B rilnnd and Copenhagen met with a like fate; while in the international championship tournaments not one single was won by any man from. Great Britain I am referring to men only. Apparently there is not a young homeborn man with the semblance of a chance of winning next year’s singles at Wimbledon for Great Britain. Why, out of all the thousands that play Lawn tennis, cannot someone lie found worthily to uphold our prestige on the lawn tennis courts? In Great Britain we must reconcile ourselves to the fact that our champions must be older than those of other countries, men between 25 and 30 years of age, because overseas boys at school are allowed their choice of games and lawn tennis is looked upon with favour, while here in Britain it is laid down what games a boy shall play, whether the games ordered are suited to the boy or not At the moment, in Britain, lawn tennis for various reasons is not in the curriculum of games at the big public schools, so that while it is laid down that cricket, football, and other games must come before lawn tennis, it will not be possible for boys who do prefer lawn tennis (and there are many who dot to become proficient at the game till after they leave school. Therefore, as a champion has to be evolved through all the ups and downs from the raw material, and, however good ho may be naturally, it will’ take that youth at least six_ years before iie can ever hope to attain the hi-'hest honours. But when a promising boy leaves school, what is done for him by the powers (hat he in the wav of help and encouragement? Very little, I fear. He has to roly solely on his own genius. What happens is that these boys join some club, and there they remain unknown, unless they are fortunate enough to have the leisure and the means to take part" in public tournaments. There are thousands of dubs in the country, and it is to Ibis hitherto untapped source that wo must look for our future champions.