WORLD TENNIS STARS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 31, 30 October 1937, Page 16

WORLD TENNIS STARS

GERMANS AND AMERICANS PENDING VISIT TO AUSTRALIA SC&N CRAMM, HENKEL", BUDGE & MAKO

' The c~ming visit of the German ebampions, Baron %*on Cramm and Henner Henkel, and the Americans, Donald Budge, Gene Mako, and probably Bobby Riggs, will add another illustrious page to Ihe history of the game in Australia, comments » writer in the Sydney Referee. Now that we are sure the American team will visit us, one cannot help thiriking — after readIng opinions of leading American tennis critics on the Australian tour — that the early anxiety of - eor Australian Association was well and truly justified. I have discussed the tour with the members of our own Davis Cup team, and there is not the slightesfc doubt in my mind that Budge, Mako, Biggs, Parker, .and v Sabin wero ali keen to make the Australian tour, and were eagerly Iooking forward to it, but it was not for many weeks after their return to America that the Australian authorities were definitely informed that the tour was on— despite repeated requests. n - At the time it seemed very strange that such a long delay of finality should eventuate,' "but it does seem now that there was a great deal of opposition to America's star players going on the Australian tour — especially is this noticeable from a study of a leading authority's opinion. It would appear that . a certain amount of influence was used to try . and persuade the world's greatest player from emharking on what was descrxbed as a very strenuous tour, on top of the exhausting season he has gone through— but evidently Budge was deaf to any suggestions that he should not make the trip. What a lucky break this was for Australia. Americans, of oourse, are quite justified in endeavouring to proteet their Davis Cup stalwarts from

l the hurden of overplaying— particularly the mighty Budge. The critics were not slow to point out the fate that befell Ellsworth Vines, Walmer Allison, and John van Ryn, after their tour pf Australia some years ago. Confidence of Australians Increased. They went to great detail to recourit their subsequent performances against our Australian players, in later matches, and more or less stressing the fapt that the losses of such were mainly due to the success and added confidence our Australian stars had gained here in Australia. America had tried for some years to regain the Cup and has not left a stone unturned in her eiodeavours to do so. Now that she has achieved her object it seems as though all possible precautions are heing taken to keep her strongest line of defence intact. I refer, of course, to Donald Budge. They certainly are nursing this great player as much as possible in order to conserve his energy for a mighty effort in defence next year. However,'I think the American Association has handled the position most carefully, and arranged a very limited itinerary for their team's tour so that it will not overtax their players' energy. I do not think that the tour will have any great effect on any of the youthful Americans, and will possibly prove of great value to Mako, Sahin, Riggs or Parker. Fred Perry made a couple of trips to Australia, and played much more tennis than is scheduled for either the Americans or the G^pmans— but it did not prevent him from retaining his position as world's champion, and certainly did not bring the decline in form as is suggested by some American authorities. The Germans have certainly had a very strenuous season — much more so than the Americans — having travelled a tremendous amount, and possibly this has accounted for their all-too-brjef programme in Australia. Australia Has Not Been Bockwanl. Australian players have been sent abroad year after year, and it is very seldom, if ever,, a deaf ear is turned to a request from another country for a visit, so much so that in this regard many of our teams have had to go through many arduous tours, which . have resulted in greatly overtaxing our leading players' anergies. However, it is some compensation to xeaJlsp.' endeewqurs pi

our teams abroad have resulted in bringing to Australia the outstanding players of the world, at a time when such a visit will be of incalculable good to the many rising players here. All tennis playing nations realise they have a duty to perform when their players are the champions.of the time. That duty is to foster the game of tennis, and to further the interests of this most univerSal of all interna-

tional sports, by sending their players on tour to various countries, when requested, where circumstances permit. The Davis Cup is the emblem of tennis supremacy, but a nation holding such should never be so zealous in its endeavour to retain such supremacy that it becomes unmindful of its duties and obligations to its less suo cessful associates in the game. Flxturee of the Americans and Germans. The flxtures in which the American and German stars will appear are: — Americans. — 1. — December 1-11, Victorian Championships, at . Kooyong, Mel bourne. ' 2. — December 16-18, America v. Australia in an International match, at Lawn Tennis Ground, Sydney. 3. — January 13-15, America v. Australia in International match, at Memorial Drive Court, Adelaide. 4.— January 22-31, National Cham- * pionships ' at Memorial Drive Courts, Adelaide. Germans.— - ; ' ' ' 1.— December . 17-18, Germany v. Australia in International match, at Brisbane, Queensland. 2. — December 27-28, Germany v. Australia in International match, at Lawn Tennis Grounds, Sydney. 3.— January 7-8, Germany v. Australia in International match, at Kooyong, Melbourne. 4. — January 22-31, Australian National Championships, at Memorial Drive Courts, Adelaide. 5. — February 4-5, Germany v. Australia in International match, at Perth, Western Australia. A Vacanfc Period: of Three Weeks. The American team will have a vacant period from December 18 (the last day of the Sydney match) to January 13 (the opening day. of the Adelaide fixture), which is just over three weeks. During that time another three-day match could have been easily arranged without imposing too great a burden on Budge and Co. I am certain N.S.W. would have relished the opportunity of having an-

other match during the above blank period. Such an arrangement would have met with public approval. Visit of American Lady Players. The news that Miss D. Bundy and Miss D. Workman, two rising young American lady players are to visit Australia, creates great interest in women's tennis circles, particularly in N.S.W., where it is expected they will take part in the State Championships.