ALWAYS TENSE

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1932, Page 13

ALWAYS TENSE

DENNIS CROWDS

IN THREE COUNTRIES

The English tennis crowd is perhaps the, most genuinely sporting of any, writes El. J. Sampson in the '' Manchester Guardian." This is said in no vaunting spirit. It is easily the most orderly crowd and the most amenable to- the exhortation of the umpire. Naturally the English crowd wants to see the English player win; and for many years it has1 been wanting. But it is generous to a degree in its acknowledgment of foreign talent. Wimbledon is unique in its atmosphere and tradition; it; is also'unique in the character of its r crowd,'' and that because the meeting is not only a great sporting fixture but an outstanding social event. The social lights are not numerous, in relation to the sum total of spectators, but the presence of the exalted in the most prominent seats, and on occasion the advent of royalty, has a certain influence upon thecrowd. The Wimbledon one, though, is of-a higher class than that of other nations. This is just a plain statement of fact and not written in any derogatory spirit. The rough, noisy, and rowdy elements are just not there. At Wimbledon the player is very conscious of the spectators; they are in every sense very near, nearer than at Roland Garros or Forest Hills. . .

While our own assemblage is the mildest mannered and the best behaved, it carries the defects of its virtues in that it is less exhilarating and stimulating than a cruder and more vehement one. At Wimbledon all is decorum, with the onlookers: in general keenly alive to the possibility of extracting any amusement from trifles. Thus the breaking of an umpire's voice or hiß confusion over a score are eagerly seized upon as a relief from tension. At Wimbledon a doubtful decision is an incident always easily controlled by the umpire. The loser is sure of his meed of praiso equally with the winner, but there is not that powerful urge •which is furnished by the vociferous and burning partisanship of Roland Garros and Forest Hills. THE FRENCH. lii France, at the Stade.Boland Garros, the crowd is more remote from the player, and it is of a different texture from that at Wimbledon, and is certainly not a fashionable assembly. At Eoland Garros there is the popular and cheaper side, where on a hot day the males sit in their shirt sleeves and are out to enjoy the tennis and themselves, and must show their enjoyment by making a noise. If France is "on velvet" the applause is fairly distributed, may even be more partial to the visitor. But if France is in jeopardy, has her back to the wall, then the applause rather runs upon the lines of "my country, right or wrong, but my country!" Doubtful decisions occasion violent interruption, cat-calls, and whistling. The excitement is general, the air electric, and the violent emotion of the crowd is communicated to the players, who become so of tea just bundles of nerves. The phlegmatic and well-controlled player is little affected, so that Cochet or Lacoste re-main-icily aloof, merely petitioning for silence with, eloquent gesture.

With players ofthe .Borotra or Perry type it is different. This type, rather the flamboyant, the baroque type, is dearly loved by the demonstrative crowd, who want a colourful personality on which to feed. One has seen Borotra

appeal^for silence, got it, start to serve, then stop, aud turn appealingly, almost in anguish, to the gallery. The umpire's '.'Ua pcu de silence" has not been sufficiently answered. A baby is crying, and Borotra waits until tho wail subsides—aud the crowd laughs. When excitement runs,high the balls that shave tho Hues are often the subject of loud and excited comment. The players labour under an additional strain, that of the match and their response to an overcharged atmosphere. When the Davis Cup challenge round is over, and France still holds the cup, then follows the inevitable cheering and the shower of ','Boft seats" into the arena. ; FOREST HILLS. At Forest Hills the crowd again is largely popular; the fashion element is generally lacking. As compared with Wimbledon the concourse is at arm's length and the player less conscious of it, provided that nothing very exciting is taking place. The Americans are quick in adopting players, in recognising a pleasing personality, and, once having made its election, noisy in making it known. Equally is the reverse true. Thus, one ardent "fan," not caring for the ruthless accuracy of Mrs! Wills-Moody, endeavoured to induce some variety by blowing a whistle each time she served,_and calling out, "How do you like that, Helen?" The-American crowd is a generous one, with its sympathies generally with the under ; dog. Thus on one occasion it was loud in its expression of favour for a steady but uninspiring "stonewaller" who was opposed to Mrs. Moody, and the champion showed herself- an adept in handling mass feeling. Seeing how matters were, Mrs. Moody elected to win over that crowd, and this she did by just' playing that stonewaller at her own game, but much better. Presentee with an opening for a winning drive, Mrs. Moody would just lob instead. She won easily, and finished with the gallery roaring its appreciation. .Like the French, the American crowd likeß a personality, a Betty Nuthall, a Fred Perry! Occasionally its demonstrations are a little embarrassing, as when it takes the. form of exhortation

In chorus.steadily:repeated, "Come on, Betty. Come on; Betty." Doubtful decisions are greeted with such shout-i ing of conflicting opinion' as not infrequently stops the game. At the. end of a big match the cushions are thrown into court, as they are in France. The influence of a crowd has to'be felt to be realised: If it is against you, then it calls for a definite assertion of will to fight and conquer that influence, in addition' to the task' which the other sid'e.bf the net is'presenting. X for you, then, it is a stimulant. A fine day, a fine crowd, a fine match— an exciting rally and you win with a backhand down the line. .The roar that greets that winner makes that moment a glittering one in Jife's procession, and the glitter has been provided by • the crowd, the necessary adjunct and background for the great games. ' '