LAWN TENNIS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 18961, 11 March 1936, Page 7

LAWN TENNIS

CHAMPION’S DISPLAY

COCHET AT GISBORNE

A MASTERLY EXHIBITION

Giving a masterly display of the game of lawn tenuis, Henri Cocliet, former world singles champion and one of the few men who ever defeated William 1 dden in championship matches, yesterday thrilled a considerable gathering of Gisborne enthusiasts in his game with his Australian fellow professionals, on the Gisborne Lawn Tennis Club’s courts.

From every point of view the play of Gochet was keenly interesting, bis appearances in singles and doubles matches giving the crowd an opportunity of seeing him in a good variety o. tennis, and his work in both matches being colourful and instructive, as well as thoroughly entertaining.

SINGLES MATCH WITH J. WILLARI

Matched in singles with J. Willard, the more formidable of tlio Australians, Cocliet took time to get into bis stride, and from the outset spent some minutes in warming up. He sent many bullfc into tiie net, and served a double-fault from time to time, and lost the first set 7 9. his Australian opponent making the most of the opportunities that came his way. The second set revealed Cocliet in a more determined mood, and lie held the lead through the later stages of the set, to win 6 —4. Willard made a, good impression ill this set, but observing members of the audience realised that Cocliet was permitting him to force the play, and that the Australian was really beating himself. It was noticeable’that Cocliet did not, take much trouble with his service, and in lacl lost more games from this laxity than for any other reason. He took the third set and the game with a good margin, the set score being 7—9, 6—4, 6 —2. in Cocliet’s favour.

FINE VOLLEYING TUSSLES

The doubles match, in which A. V’il--1 rird partnered Cochet against J. Willard and L. Baker, gave the crowd a much better chance to judge something of the merit of Cochet, for lie seemed to enjoy this match more than the singles, and indulged much more freely in volleying, whereas in his earlier match he had seldom moved in from the ser-vice-line. Repeatedly he took on shots which seemed quite impossible to do anything with, and scored on his returns ; and on occasions lie engaged ’both iiis opponents in volleying tussles, in which his genius for courtcraft and his eye for an empty space usually told decisively. The Willard brother.and Baker played sufficiently well to draw the French champion out, and tin crowd rocked with laughter from time to time at the manner in which Coolie! greeted success and reverse.

GENIUS OF COCHET

A cool customer on the court, Cocliet nevertheless makes his personality telt. and apart from his brilliance in tin game, he had a strong appeal for the crowd. He was expected to product pyrotechnics, and a man who was less a master of the game, would perhaps have indulged himself too much in that direction. If lie threw away any points, and there \vaa a suspicion that lie could have been much more severe, lie concealed the fact from most of thS spectators, and while he had no difficulty in establishing his superiority over his fellow-professionals, there was no hint of an attempt on his part to make, them look cheap. He left with everyone who saw his display the .impression that lie enjoyed the game, especially the doubler match, and wanted the public to enjoy the display.

The Australians, J. and A. Willard. Mid L. Baker, while not approaching the skill and tactical genius of Cochet, gave very satisfying expositions of the game, and boro out the reputations all three had registered in Australian tournaments prior to their entry into the professional ranks. The quartet as a. whole made tennis look easy, but the onlookers realised that few New Zealand players could stay on the courts with the least skilled of the four.