TABLE TENNIS

Grey River Argus, 16 September 1937, Page 3

TABLE TENNIS

VISIT OF WORLD’S CHAMPIONS. TO PLAY AT GREYMOUTH ON SATURDAY. Two table tennis players with an imposing success in world championship events, Miklos Szabados and Istavan Kelen, will be seen in action at the Drill Hall, Greymouth, on Saturday night, against the South Island doubles champions, Brown and Stanton. Exhibition matches will also be given by' Szabados and Kelen, who have just completed a tour of Australia in which they beat all opposition with great ease. The play of the Hungarians aroused a crowd of 2000 in Sydney to such enthusiasm that the game had often to be held up until the enthusiasm subsided. Commenting on the play of the Hungarians, a Sydney' newspaper writer said: “Having witnessed years of championship tennis, I can assure readers that the only things missing from this exhibition by the Hungarian champions, as compared with lawn tennis, were the volley and smash, which are not allowed in table tennis. After three very exciting sets, the decision went to Szabados, 6/5, 5/6, 6/4. The atmosphere was so tense during this brilliant game, and the enthusiasm so great at the completion of each scintillating rally, that one could quite imagine a Davis Cup game. Despite the scintillating driving, half-volleying, cutting, and slicing of Kelen, Szabados was quite able to provide an equally, if not more brilliant, answer to most of his shots. Any angle shot seldom eluded him; fast drives were recovered just inches from the floor.—many' feet behind the table—and floated back just over the net. Drop shots which seemed unplayable were returned with equally delicate finesse.”

Szabados won the world’s championship singles in 1931, the world’s doubles championship in 1929-30-31-32-33-34-35, and the mixed doubles championship in 1930-31 and 1933. He was a member of the Hungarian team, contender for world’s championship honours from 1929-35, won the Hungarian national championship in

1929-31-34-36, and the British championship singles in 1931-32. Summarised, his record establishes him as the world’s second player, Fred Perry being No. 1 player. Kelen won the world championship mixed doubles in 1929 and 1931, and was once third in the men’s singles. He won the London championship in 1930, and was singles and doubles finalist in the 1930 British championships.