TENNIS

Southland Times, Issue 21832, 8 October 1932, Page 16

TENNIS

(By

“Chop.”)

B grade matches commence next Saturday. Entries for inter-club matches must be in by to-day. If sufficient entries are forthcoming the Waihopai Club will hold an open tournament on Labour Day. The events will be men’s handicap doubles, ladies’ handicap doubles and mixed handicap doubles. The secretary of the club is anxious to receive by Monday, an indication from outside clubs of the number of players likely to be entering. Winton are holding their usual doubles tourney on Labour Day. The record attendances at club openings last Saturday confirms the impression that the coming season is going to be the most successful in the history of the Southland Association. No doubt the good weather has had something to do with the keenness displayed; another factor is the excellence of nearly all courts, many improvements having been earned out during the off season. At the Gladstone Club there was an attendance of forty, which is not far off one hundred per cent. This club has never begun a season with more promise. Its decision to field a B team was certainly justified. Southland enrolled no fewer than 20 new members at a committee meeting on Tuesday. The Georgetown courts never get a moment’s peace. Even at 6 a.m. they are fully occupied. The Invercargill Club is holding a mixed doubles Yankee tournament this afternoon-'—the first of many which it is hoped to hold. “Tennis is the worst managed sport in New Zealand,” said Mr Geoff Ollivier, recently in an interview in the Christchurch Star. He pointed to the number of promising young players who showed up each year in suburban competitions and in the secondary schools, and asked why they did not progress afterwards. Lack of opportunity was the answer. In most cases they could not afford to belong to big clubs or to get private coaching. Overseas such players would be taken up by clubs as in all other sports, and their natural ability developed, always to the later benefit of the clubs concerned. New Zealand allowed them to struggle along as best they could, and their road to the top, if they ever got there, was a very hard one. Higher grade players found ambition stifled by the narrowness of their field. The players in the majority are at fault in their failure to study the game and their own style of play. They take part in ranking matches, inter-club matches and championship matches, but rarely does one see two leading players having a bout of stroke practice not caring whether, they win or lose. Tactical play, too, is mainly opportunism instead of studied craft. Most evident of all is lack of physical training.

“Chop” must admit that there is a good deal in what Ollivier says. In Southland there is far too little stroke practice. Most players are too keen to win even in quite friendly hit-ups. It would be much better if they forgot all about the score and paid more attention to correct stroke production. Worrying about the winning of a point, a game and a set is a sure way to cramp your style. Let us, in this southern part of the Dominion, be a little more carefree in our tennis, a little bit more ready to hit out and take risks. Safety first can be greatly overdone.

As for the lack of coaching, it is certainly one of the worst features of the game in New Zealand; but it is not easy to find a remedy. There are several of the better players in Invercargill who try to help in this direction, but their time and opportunity are greatly limited. Yet it is essential that beginners should be taught correct stroke production from the outset. _ Perhaps when we weather the depression a better system of professional coaching will be introduced in the Dominion.

It is unlikely that the American team, Vines, Allison, van Ryn and Gledhill, will play any matches here this year on their way from America, (states the Christchurch Star). They will probably head first for Australia to take part in the Victorian championships, returning to New Zealand in February after the Australasian tourney. It is to be hoped they do, for they would then arrive here in February, when the season would be well under way. The Australian team Auckland is inviting should be here about the same time. Much depends on the announcement of the American itinerary. In any case, there is no time to be lost if New Zealand is to make a good showing. Individually the players should make it their object to be right on top of form for the start of the season and to make it a year of real advancement. But the provincial associations should go further. It would be to their interest, and the interest of tennis generally, if from the start of the season each suspended the six most promising players from the ranking lists and put them into strict training. This would mean a considerable sacrifice to the players, but it would be one well worth while. There is no reason why any one of, say, Angas, Barnett, Sturt. Don France, Wilson, Stedman and Court should not be able to give any of the visitors a hard battle, and they will if they are ready for the struggle. The new season may show New Zealand as a coming tennis nation well worthy of an annual contest with Australia’s best and of participation in the Davis Cup contests if the new Pacific Zone is declared. On the other hand, it may mean the realiz-

ation of all the gloom of the first part of this article. Should net-cord strokes be regarded as “lets” and replayed or should the present rule remain? The International Federation has asked the opinion of the Lawn Tennis-Association and has invited alternative proposals, (states the Sydney Sun). It is also seeking opinions of British international players and the Professionals' Association in support of the proposed rule that the Davis Cup be limited to players who have never adandoned amateurism. Opinions regarding tne net-cord among Sydney players and officials are practically unanimous. Here are some:—Frank Peach (President, N.S.W.L.T.A.).—There would be too much interruption if the present rule was altered as suggested. It would be best to leave it as it is. .M.. Henry Marsh (secretary, N.S.W.L.T.A.), —I think the net-cord shot should be replayed to bring it into line with the service rule. Dr G. H. McElhone (president, Umpires’ Association). —The subject is a very old one, and while a player may occasionally be penalized, the advantage usually breaks even throughout a match. It would slow up the game to change the present rule. The French lawn tennis world look on Jean Borotra as a national hero for the part he played in enabling France to resist the challenge of the United States and retain the Davis Cup for the sixth year. He was reluctant to play at all, and only did so because others were unable to do so. His success against Vines was a surprise, and equally great was his victory against Allison, a very critical match. It gave France the Cup and this after the American looked like winning (states an exchange). That Borotra managed to prevail, after losing the first and second sets, was a great testimony to his nervous energy. He “squared” matters by winning the third and fourth sets and outstayed his rival in the fifth and deciding set, after Allison had twice been within a single point of game. Not having played much of late, Borotra rubbed a sore place on his foot, and it was raw and bleeding when he finished. In addition he burst his shoe open and was handicapped by this until he was given time to change. He felt the strain at the finish and almost collapsed when he got into his dressing room. Borotra said “never again,” as at thirty-four years of age a man is too old for the demands of such an important event as the Davis Cup. Picturesque Boy Star.

Frankie Parker, America’s latest lawn tennis discovery, who will be seen at Wimbledon next year, is the most picturesque boy star ever thrown up by municipal courts, says the New York correspondent of an English paper. His story reads like fiction. He is a Pole of humble birth—an orphan. His real name is Pinjakowski _ (pronounced Pienyakoffsky). He is sixteen and ahalf years of age, stands sft. 7in., and weighs 1351 b. When Frankie was a year old his father was killed while driving a Detroit dump cart, and his mother worked bravely to keep the family in bare necessities. Two brothers are now out of work, and the third is a worker in a small eating house. Before reaching . his ’teens, Frankie found an old tennis racket in a dustbin. Somehow he came by an uncovered rubber ball, and there nas near by an accommodating wall. That is how this new lawn tennis sensation began. From backyard wall to the public parks court was the next step. Frankie Parker had genius, a marvellous eye, and soon began to compete in the boys’ tournament in the parks. The family moved to Milwaukee. Frankie sold newspapers on the streets and caddied at the golf club, but he continued to find evening hours for his beloved game. Then came the dramatic stroke which transformed Frankie into the fortunate youth. Mercer Beasley, the famous lawn tennis coach, who had taught Ellsworth Vines and Sutter and Wilmer Allison, saw young Pinjakowski. Beasley was enthusiastic. He found a wealthy town burgher to adopt the boy. Frankie was put to a boarding school, set to work on building-up exercises, fortified by a carefully-planned diet, while Beasley, mapped out his lawn tennis schedule. Four years ago Frankie competed in the national junior tournament. For three years he got further each time. Last summer he became junior champion. This year he is sure of a place amongst America’s first ten.” “He is already in the first five of the top flight," writes Fritz Mercur. “His controlled speed is the amazing thing about Frankie,” says Beasley. “He is still growing. His reach will improve, but for his weight he already has a first service amazingly fast and deftly placed.” He is the talkless wonder of the midwest courts. No fireworks or hysterics; just brilliant tennis. His concentration and anticipation go hand-in-hand; that is the secret of Frankie’s iron-man control. Beasley has nicknamed him the “little strong silent man.”