“Once Your Opponent Hesitates, He’s Gone."

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18188, 22 June 1927, Page 3

“Once Your Opponent Hesitates, He’s Gone."

GEOFF OLLIVIER GIVES A HINT OR TWO TO YOUNG PLAYERS

ROUND THE TENNIS COURTS.

IT cannot be too often emphasised that Geoffrey Ollivier puls something into his tennis that no other player in New Zealand lias ever done previously. Undoubtedly he has practised and perfected each stroke in the game, and goes on the court well equipped for each attack and parry of the fight, but, watching his game closely, one can perceive something more than stroke perfection. There is a method in his attack as surely skilful and varying as that of any chess player. Could Ollivier give Andrews nearly twenty years and beat him on better strokes? No. That Wilding Shield game was played from the baseline, and Andrews's drives were equal or better on either hand than O.llivicr's. Where, then, was the difference?

“ Tha aim in a game of tennis, Ollivier said when asked to give advice to young players, “ is not so much to

The Championship is held in precisely the same manner as if England and England's players were factors in the winning of the title. There is no lamentation over the decadence of the Mother Country; no cries for the days when England was the champion nation, its players the exponents of transcendent skill in the wielding of the racquet. Instead a sporting view of the matter is taken. The crowds at Wimbledon—still the keenest critics of the game and possessed of the greatest knowledge regarding it—want most of all to see the best man win. They' gather to watch the finest pla>* the world affords to-day . The player matters most; his nationality is secondar\ r . “No finer manifestation of love for the game and admiration of its players could be imagined.” i Wimbledon Winners Last Year. Men's singles: Won by Jean Borotra, of France, with Howard Kinsey, of United States, runner-up. The 1925 champion, Rene Lacoste, entered but did not compete. Men’s doubles: Won by Henri Cochet and Jacques Brugnon, of France; runners-up, Vincent Richards and Howard Kinsey, United States. The 1925 champions were Jean Borotra and Rene Lacoste, of France. Ladies’_singles: Won by Mrs Kathleen M’Kane Godfree, of England; runner-up. Senorita Lili de Alvarez, of Spain. The 1925 champion was Mile. Suzanne Lenglen, of France, who entered and played part way through and then withdrew, owing to illness. Ladies’ doubles: Won by Miss Elizabeth Ryan and Miss Alary Browne, of Lnited States; runners-up, Airs Godfree and Miss Evelyn Colyer, of England. The 1925 champions were Allle. Lenglen and Miss Ryan. Mixed doubles: Won by AH and Airs Leslie A. Godfree, of England; run-ners-up, Miss Browne and Kinsev. Mile. Lenglen and Borotra, the playingthrough champions, survived one round and then withdrew, owing to Allle Lenglen’s indisposition. Country Hospitality. Alention was made last week of the Hororata tennis courts, and their pretty domain. Another feature of this club (and it applies to all country clubs) is the hospitality shown visiting teams. In town, biscuits and tea are quite a common form of afternoon : tea, but in the country afternoon tea

make an opponent run as to make him hesitate or stop. To make Greenwood run from one corner to the other would be right into his hands. He is never j so dangerous a s i when running at i top speed. T h e j same to a much I lesser degree applies to most players. After playing a ball in one corner they run back to take the centre position and the continuation of the run to the other corner is easy. They are in stride for it and ready. But if instead of the ball being returned to the opposite corner it is returned to the same one. then the situation is different. The player has to stop, and though the subsequent run may be less than if the other corner had been tried for, the fact that a stop has to be made makes all the difference to the next stroke—there are many chances that it will have to be plaj-ed off the wrong foot. While tactics should never become stereotj'ped, }-ct as a general rule the ball should be returned at least twice to the same place as the first one. Your opponent is forced to cover the open corner. He must make a move back to the open court, so the fact that he can be made to stop and return is sufficient justification for the same shot again and even again. A similar position will arise when you try for the winner down the open court, lie will be found hesitating whether to return or not. It is this stopping and hesitating that loses matches. Two deep balls to one corner and then a short one to the other, or two or three short ones and a deep one, or any combination of these is the game.” An American Appreciation. From “American Lawn Tennis”:— “Since 1909, therefore, no Englishman has won The Championship at Wimbledon. For many years players of all nations have flocked • to the Mecca of the game, there to display their skill and strive for supreme honours. “Here is a condition to test the soul of the premier lawn tennis nation, yet

is suOh a meal that dyspeptics had \ best keep away. The table is heaped ; with all manner of cakes. Those fond of their food in suburban tennis regret that they have to play many matches at Wilding Park, instead of paying visits to Rangiora, Paparoa, Kaiapoi. etc., where the cream cakes | have real cream. Sumner’s Enterprise. Sumner is one of the best clubs in Canterbury, and this is chiefly due to that pioneer in court construction, Dr Slater. An asphalt court has not an ideal surface. It is tiring to the feet, it discolours the balls, and wears them out. It is too hot in summer, is vastly different to that of grass, and as Canterbury and New Zealand championships are played on grass, asphalt court players develop a game that is useless to them on a turf surface. At Sumner, however, they have two j courts in addition to the asphalt courts, i and these have all the advantages of ! the tarred surface without any of its defects. There is a clay court and a | brick dust court, and both are a pleasure to play on. The surface is pleasant to the feet, the balls remain white, and the bounce of the ball is similar to that of grass. A further advantage is that after a light rain (and with the brickdust one, after heavy rain) the dampness is soon gone. It is along the lines of the Sumner Club's courts that future courts must lie laid down, and the club and Dr Slater are to be congratulated on their progressive spirit. In yet another way the club has shown its enterprise. It has the first electrically lit court in Canterbury. k « Next. Canterbury Championships. At a meeting of the Alatch Committee yesterday the date of the next Canterbury championship meeting was fixed. January 26, 27, 28 are to be the dates. The adopted ball for the tournament has not been decided on. *: The N.Z. Association Adopts a Ball. The New Zealand Association has given the next national championships to Christchurch. This is good. It has adopted the Ayres C.S. ball and this requires some explanation. Doubtless the ball is a good one, but how does the association arrive at its decision? It looks as though the name of the firm appeals most. Now that all makes of ball are to be seamless it should be possible to accurately test the balls and adopt the best irrespective of what firm makes them. The tests and standards are simple. The following conditions are laid down. “ The outer surface of the ball shall be smooth and without stitches. The ball shall be more than 2i inches in diameter, and less than 2J inches in diameter, and more than 2 ounces and less than 2 1-16 ounces in weight. It shall have a bound of more than 53 inches and less than 58 inches when dropped 100 inches at a temperature approximating to 68 degrees Fahreheit upon a concrete base, and a deformation of more than .290 of an inch and less than .315 of an inch when subjected to a pressure of 181 b applied to each end of any diameter at a temperature approximating to 68 degrees Fahrenheit.” Why should not the association give each, make of ball a fair try-out? Is the present metood of picking the adopted ball fair to other manufacturers, to warehousemen, or to the rank and file of the players? Notes. Rain on two Saturdays. When they have the weather controlled by wireless no rain will be allowed to fall from Friday night to Monday morning. The trouble is that we are a century too soon. And after all, too much exercise i*s bad for one. A few pounds of extra fat distributed round the anatomy helps to keep the cold out. And the Canada v. Canterbury Soc- , ser match was worth seeing anyhow. Suburban's annual dance and presentation of shields takes place to-morrow night. At Avonside in the championship singles Glanville beat Boddv 6-2, 6-2, and meets Field in the semi-final. In the bottom half of the draw Denton beat Eaton 6-1, 6-4 and meets B. B. Loughnan. Daly beat Willis 3-6, 6-3, 6-1, and meets Alorrison. :: « The surviving nations in the Davis Cup are South Africa, Denmark, France and Czech o-Slovakia. South Africa meets France and Denmark meets Slovakia. Although South Africa is tin- ■ likely to get much further, the Springboks have a good team. Raymond and Spence will figure a lot at Wimbledon. They only just miss greatness. The cabled news that Mile. Suzanne Lenglen is to play a man is very unlikely, in spite of the “draw” such a match would be. The objection will come from Mile. Lenglen herself. Many years ago she played an exhibition match against a very medium player, and that temperamental lady left the court when the score was 5-0 against | her. Last Saturday, although the afternoon remained fine yet, the courts were ■ too wet to allow the second round of 1 the senior inter-club competition to be played. These games will be played at Wilding Park next Saturday. In section I. Opawa play Lin wood No. 1 on courts 1,2 and 3; Avonside No. 2 a'. Fendalton on courts 4, 5. 6; Canterbury College v. Suburban No. 2, on courts 7, S and 9. In No. 11. section, Linwood No. 2 play St Albans on courts 10, 11 and 12; Suburban No. 1 play New Brighton on courts 13, 14, and 15; Avonside No. 1 play Addington on courts 16, IS and 19. :: De Alorpurgo’s win against' Cochet 7-5, 5-7. 6-1, 6-3, in the France-Italy Davis Cup match, and his great five set game against Lacoste. when the Italian took the first set 6-2, and the fourth 6-0, stamp him as a fine player. Still, the score reads strangely. Lacoste won 2-6, 6-0, 6-2, 0-6, 6-1. A score like this is a series of waves. There comes to champions, alike with lesser men, a wave of inaccuracy that until the set is over holds him in a spell. The call, 6-0, breaks the bonds. Tilden met R. N. Williams once in the final of a state championship and in the first set Tilden won but five strokes. In the fourth set nearly the same thing happened. The score read 0-6, 6-2, 6-4, 1-6, 6-4. Tilden won. These fourth set walkovers, while they are genuine enough, would not take place if the match depended on i't. De Alorpurgo was expected to go to England after the France-Italy match, which took place in Rome, so his name should figure for a round or two in the Wimbledon championships. His first win of any importance was the French championship at Auteuil five years ago when he beat both Brugnort and Gobert, and he has been champion of Ttalv over a long period. With de Stefani,’ he beat Cochet and I Brugnon in the Davis Cup doubles, 1 and the French pair had but recently won the doubles championship at St Cloud Where they beat Lacoste and Borotra It looks as though the Latins, now thev have taJi** 1 011 s P ort - are So . insjto rule it.