BRITISH TENNIS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 252, 23 October 1937, Page 4

BRITISH TENNIS

BRIGHTER VIEW HELD GENERAL STANDARD HIGH The claim that the general standard of lawn tennis in England is higher than any other country in the world was made by Sir Samuel Hoare, president of the English Lawn Tennis Association, in speaking at Cromer last month. During the past twenty-five years the standard of play had improved considerably. He considered that if they had championships for the best 100 players between England and other countries England would win 80 of the events. Whatever the position of “star” players, the general standard of play in this country was higher than in any other country in the world.

Referring to the loss of the Davis Cup, Sir Samuel said: “England had its period of good fortune when she had Fred Perry.” The Lawn Tennis Association, he added, did everything possible to keep Ferry in the world of amateurs. The association had had the best possible associations with him,

and all the talk of Perry and the L.T.A. not agreeing was entirely without foundation. For reasons good or bad, Fred Perry left the amateur world and Englam lost a great champion. They must not be unduly depressed about that. Sir Samuel mentioned that the L.T.A. intended to talk over with a number of active players the general policy for the future and the best means of getting ready to recapture the Davis Cup am win the Wightman Cup. If they could keep close contact with the players of the country—and the L.T A. was anxious to keep that contact —and if a keen interest could be maintained in tournaments, I looked forward confidently to winning back the championships at Wimbledon and the Davis Cup. FAR-SIGHTED MOVE CONCENTRATION OF YOUTH One of two far-sighted ofiicials in England lawn tennis are going to try to get the Lawn Tennis Association to adopt a scheme that will ensure young players of promise having every chance to become stars, says the London Evening News. The idea is the creation of a central school of tennis on covered courts with a sort of scholarship system of qualification for coaching. The scheme was turned down last year, but it will be brought up again in the next month or two. The leading instigator of the scheme is Mr. W. S. E. Dailley, honorary secretary of the Surrey L.T.A. Now that the Davis Cup has left British shores and the prospect of its early return is not very bright, Mr. Dailley thinks the L.T.A. will give rather more thought to his idea than they did when it was first mooted. Then the finance committee opposed it on the score of the expense involved being too great. A Start on £5OOO “I believe a start could be made,” Mr. Dailley told an interviewer, “with an expenditure of, say, £5OOO. If they would build two covered courts and engage two or three regular coaches a lot of good work could be done. The courts could be constructed at Wimbledon o? any convenient club ground. “There are thirteen covered courts in Paris and only four in this country,” Mr. Dailley pointed out, “while in America they have them all over the place. The best players are developed on wood or hard courts, where the ball makes a true bound. “What is the good of six lessons to a young player? 1 say that if he is worth anything at all, he is worth six months’ coaching.” A Subsistence Allowance

Mr. Dailley is prepared to see a subsistence allowance given to players while they are being coached. He said that in the United States the authorities approach a promising young player’s parents and say, “May we have your boy for six months?” Then they put him in an hotel and look after him for the whole of that time, giving him the right sort of coaching on hard or covered courts. Mr. Dailley is more hopeful of his project being well received this time. He knows that some of the most knowledgeable men in the game are going to back him up. The proposal will probably be put before a meeting of the L.T.A.’Council in October, and it will certainly be brought before the general meeting in November. “It would not hurt the L.T.A. if they had to spend £lO,OOO on the scheme. They I have £20,000 in the coffers,” was Mr. Pailley’s parting shot. .