ONE SERVE OR TWO?

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2137, 1 May 1914, Page 4

ONE SERVE OR TWO?

WILDING V. M'LOUGHLIN. CONFLICT OF OPINION.. Anthony Wilding, of Now Zealand, champion tennis player of the world;, and Maurice M'Loughlin, champion of America, havo different ideas as to how tho game of tennis may b.o made faster. Wilding is of opinion that, tho doing away of ouo service would be for the good of tho garne.genprally. M'Louijhlin considors that - su'cji a course would undermine tho'niost vital principlo of the game, and tend to its -wreck, instead of its improvement. It is safe to , affirm that ;M'Lougblin's opinion ivill be generally-shared by tennis nlayers. A one-Borve gamo would mean the absolute rout of some presentday champions. .Wilding considers that the one-serve game would make for speed. M'Loughlin states that to curtail a serve to one chance would reduce by half his speed and placement work. Tlio American thinks that the only way the game might bo quickened by tho innovation would be that ■ the sets would be over moro quickly. As for actual quickening of play, it .would not bo successful at all. Wilding, of course, in favouring the one-serve game, does so in the hopo that greater accuracy might be attained, and better control generally over tho ball. Improvement in tho game is what 'the New Zealander aims at. It certainly cannot ho that ho is opposed to the length of time that a set takes to. nla.v. There is to be said in favour of Wilding's contention that under present conditions the server often takes" reckless chances with the first service, whilst lie is-al-ways careful with the second. If a player can ..get good'results from .the •second serve, because ho has mado.up his mind to do so, it certainly appears that ■ Wilding is justified in 'asserting that one chance, is enough. . It is claimed by M'Longhlin, however, that Wilding asserts that pood players sometimes hit wildly with tho hopo of scorinc by. .pace"alone. The American discbunts this idea, and states in reply that no' first-class player would atte'mot such I folly.. He instances Norman Brookes, who has a brilliant service.' Tho Vic-torian,-however, does not■depend upon his service for aces. Ho. aims at getting his opponent on the .defensive by' his placing. If Brookes were to trv and .score' points by scrvinrt, tremendously' hard he would present his opponent with ■so many points, savs M'Loughlin. that his first servo would, therefore, bo his' downfall, because of the unprofitableenergy expended. . . Control is obviously the quality to be nimed at," says the American champion, In that respect he agrees with Wilding. But the latter's idea of obtaining it is all wrong, according to M'Louphlin. When playing well the latter claims that ho can place the ball with sufficient precision to put an opponent'i'.on the defensive. If tho service wero curtailed toono stroke, M'Loughlin states that his presont service would bo too risky to attempt. Ho would havo to resort, to an opening 'servo that would not have for its object. the. getting, into difficulties of an opponent,, but would have to be a safety stroke on his own behalf. Instead of Improving ho would be in reality curtailing his came considerably. M'Loughlin states that fie is not opposprl to any alterations in. rules that would bo W the betterment of tlio game. He, however, thinks it time enough to make alterations when the plavers have caught up to tho rules, and not before. No- , player has : . yet brought any stroke to snob a statn of unerring accuracy that scores result at will. Control is the sec Tot of the tennis game, according to .M'Louchlin. Every stroko is a comproniiso of the elements of speed, placement, and accuracy, and to attempt to interfere i.'ith the present system would be to upset the piesent principles of the game. -