TENNIS CHAMPION'S RETURN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2376, 4 February 1915, Page 8

TENNIS CHAMPION'S RETURN

SPORT AND THE WAR. After travelling across the world on a mission which one might almost be forgivon for comparing to the quest of a knight errant in pursuit of tho Grail, Mr. Norman Brookes is back again in Melbourne with the Davis Cup, figuratively speaking, in his pocket. He won the singles championship of the world at Wimbledon, where he wrested the title from A. F. Wilding, and he was captain of the Australasian team which recovered the. Davis Cup national championship from America. Mr. Brookes has played harder, games than tennis since he left Australia, and has some interesting experiences to relate of his work in France as driver of a motor-ambulance attached to the Australian Hospital at Boulogne. His was one of 30 cars engaged in the Red Cross work, and at Compiegne Mr. and Mrs. Brookes were within 15 miles of the actual firing line. While at Boulonge the famous tennis player saw one o£ the British armoured trains which has been causing 60 much damage to' the Germans. In contradistinction to the usual khaki it is painted all shades of the rainbow, and is said to be invisible at a distance.

Referring to his experiences on tie tennis court, llr. Brookes said recently that the general stendiard of his play was steadier and sounder 'than it was in 1907, when he last visited England and ■ won the championship at Wimbledon. He had gradually altered his tactic? in some wave since his first visit in 1905, and if his play had lost a little in some details, he felt that it had gained in others. He had purposely gone Home some time before the Davis Cup contests in order to get tournament piactice on the Continent. There is not such fine practice in the world ae actual tournament play,, says Mr. Brookes, and, as for the previous five years ho had only been taking part in about one tournament a year, he quite expected to have to lower his colours to inore than one of ' tie Continental players of the Mas Decugis type. Much to his gratification, the oniy reverso he sustained was at the hands of his team-mato, Anthony Wilding. The gravetaourt play was of immense value to his practice for the Cup contests. The warm atmosphere and tho fiery surfaces met with in the tournaments of the South of France tended to make tho balls light and had a most steady ing/ effect, particularly on his volleying. llr. Brookes does not think the tennis at Wimbledon is of as high a standard as it was on his' last visit.- Tennis is not played at the English public schools, aad tho result is that there are no players of the "brilliant colt" type, such as the Gerald Patterson or Arthur Wood of. to-day,. or tho M'Loughlin of five years ago. Curiously enough, although 'the game has mado immense strides on the Continent and" is played infinitely more seriously and more widely than it was seven years back, much the same remark applies there also. After Gobert, Mr. Brookes thinks ,that Decugis is still tho best player in France, and even ho is, if anything, on the wane. In America it is different, aud thoro are numbers of young players fast coming into the front rank. Two of thorn, Church (who, recently beat R. N. Williams in a collegiate championship) and Match, put up a brilliant performance when they beat A. Dtinlop aud S. N. Doust in an exhibition doubles match after the Davis Cup gamo was over. By the way, Mr. Brookes does not compare his long contest wit'i M'Loughlin, in. sprto of its 17 —15 set, with his historic match with Beals Wright in Melbourne as a physical strain. "The rallies were all so brilliant and ;so sharp," he says,'"that as an effort it was not half so trying as that other game, when I was playing against a man who' kept getting them back all the time." Naturally the war has killed tournament tennis in England, and there is not the slightest chance of the Wimbledon tournament being held thie year. Among the crack players who have volunteered are A. F. Wilding (who is driving his car on the Continont), J. C. Parkc, and Arthur Lowe (who nave both received" commissions and are in training in England), and S. N. Doust. Tho English Davis Cup man Kingscote is an officer in the regular army. Questioned as to the possibility of a Davis Cup match this year,.Mr. Brookes did not think it at all likely that America would send a challenge. "In auy case," he said, "I would never take part in , such a contest while my countrymen are away fighting. I do not think it is right, and I would rather see the Cup go." Mr. Brookes hopes to be able to return to England to defend his title to tho world's championship at Wimbledon after the war.