LAWN TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 75, Issue 258, 1 November 1932, Page 4

LAWN TENNIS

BACK TO WELLINGTON MALFROY RETURNING NEW ZEALAND APPOINTAIENT Cabled advice has been received in Wellington that C. E. Alalfroy, the well-known Wellington tennis player, who has been in England for two auu a-half years, is returning to the Dominion by the Rangitata, leaving London on November 17 and due at Auckland ou December 21. lie has been appointed to the staS or Messrs. A. H. Alii os and Company, Ltd., agents for the Dunlop Rubber Company (•Sports Division), London. Before leaving for England. Alalfroy, whose home is in Wellington, had built up a reputation as a young tennis player of outstanding promise; in fact, he had made his mark in important competition in New Zealand. His progress iu England has been followed with considerable interest, and in

what he has achieved from time to time the critics have found cause for much praiseworthy comment. He was soon awarded his blue at Cambridge University, and there he held the position of secretary before taking over the captaincy for two years, a capacity in which he also acted for Oxford and Cambridge against Harvard and Yale. Valuable experience and not « little success came his way in his first season abroad. At Wimbledon he defeated Gaslini, the Italian Davis Cup player, before losing to Cochet. In the 1 same season he had a win over F. J. Perry, the English Davis Cup player. 4—6, 7—5, in the final of the Norwich singles, and was beaten in the North of England tournament final by Dr. J. C. Gregory, another Davis Cup representative. At a tournament in Germany he scored a win over the /Australian, Willard. In the past two seasons he has participated in numerous tournaments. At Wimbledon last year he played magnificently to gain a place in tho final sixteen, and then he made a brave showing against tho ultimate winner, 8. B. Wood, in a long five-set match. In the second round of this year’s tournament at Wimbledon Alalfroy was eliminated by H. Hopman (Australia). Among other performances to his credit are the winning of two events at Frinton-on-Sen and the taking of al! three titles a + Hastings. A further distinction is in leading Cambridge this year to an unbeaten record.

Malfroy’s New Zealand record includes the winning of the double? championship of New Zealand in com pany with I). G. Franco three seasons ago. Alalfroy has also won the North Island and South Island singles championships, and has reached the final of the New Zealand singles championship. He represented Wellington against the last Australian men’s team to visit this country, and played well against C. Sproule. subsequently an Australian Davis Cup representative. Tt is reported that Alalfroy will be playing in the New Zealand championships, to he hold in Wellington in Januarv.

TIMELY WORD OF ADVICE “KEEP THE EYE ON THE BALL." IMPORTANCE TO PLAYERS. One of the most common errors of lawn tennis is the tendency to get too near the ball, and a few hints in this direction by a Christchurch writer could well be taken to heart by Wanganui enthusiasts. Hero they are:— If tire game wore played with the hands and not with racquets, everyouo would instinctively striae tho ball at. arm's length, because the action gives a greater sweep and better direction lo hit with the hand close in would mean lack of power. The same applies when the racquet is used, but few can instinctively gauge the extension thereby gained, and the result is that the arm is too frequently bent. Ollivier advocates a slight bend in the arm, but some of our best drivers hit with a straight arm. However, it can bo taken for granted that tho straighter the arm the better the player. Ana pot only must tho.player keep tho ball at arm's length, but he must reach for it oven then. This means that iu the act of striking he must be leaning towards the bail. The weight must be on one foot and tho tendency after the ball is hit is the feeling to follow the other foot towards tho flight to preserve the balance.

There are some players in Chrisr. church who have so developed this reaching for a stroke that they are never so dangerous as when they are running hard for the ball. RhodesWilliams, when being sent from corner to corner, will swop drives with any one, aud shrewd opponents when playing him send tho ball straight to him. Greenwood was another dangerous man when reaching for the ball. Tho hardest drives are all made this way. It is difficult to get the weight into the ball unless tho body is thrown into the stroke.

All the great players have said that tho first rule in tennis is: Keep you: eyo on the ball. Don Prance said that to play well one needed to be able to count tho stitches on the ball. A well known local coach advocates hitting the ball on the side furthest from the player. Both are impossible feats, but they emphasise tho importance of a player attempting not only to see tho position of the ball, but also to examine it closely. Tilden advocates something else. He suggests that the ball should be treated as a thing of life and the player should mentally address U something like this: “I am going to drive you down tho sideline”; “I am going to hit you hard with top spin.’-' This not only gives advantages in correctly timing tho ball on to tho racquet but serves to keep tho distraction of your opponent’s position or play from entering into your thoughts. As Ollivier says: “To play good tennis you must consider one thing alone—got the ball back over the net whore you want it. Your opponent has nothing to do with your shot. It is a matter of you and tho ball.”