HENRI COCHET

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

HENRI COCHET

AS BRILUANT AS EVER PBOFESSIONALS AT YVEMBLEY It was good to see Henri Cochet again, comments an English writer. He had not been in England since he turned professional, and, though it is ten years ago since he first won the lawn tennis championship at Wimbledon, and he is now 36 years of age, he remains the same fascinating player, wrote oUr London correspondent on September 30. Besides, his visit afforded an opportunity to adjust pres-ent-day playing values with those of his time. The inevitable conclusion was that we were in danger of exaggerating the- merit of the * modern champions. It is, of course, true that an exhibition game, even with a prize attached to it, is different from one in a championship contest, and also while a man may succeed in one match he might weaken under the strain of taking part in a sequence of five or six. But I believe that, if Cochet were eligible to return to Wimbledon, he would go very near to recapturing the title. Only the pace of Donald Budge would trouble him. In the match in which I saw the Frenchman he was opposed by the leading British professional, D. Maskell, on the indoor court at Wembley. The wooden surface was strange to him, and so was the lighting system. For a quarter of an hour or so he , could not get going, and it looked as though Maskell would run away with the match. But then Cochet suddenly found his touch, and he gave a dazzling display, in which were featured all his old well-known strokes. It used to be said that he took the ball sooner than any other player, and the way in which he half-volleyed the fiercest drives of his opponent was astonishing. • No other player in the world commands this shot so accurately. I do not think, either, that any man has Ihe same certainty in the overhead smashes, whilst his volleying has all its old brilliahce. Just as notable was the manner in which he concealed his strokes. Repeatedly he had Maskell guessing and running the wrong way for cunningly-angled replies. The English player led in the first set by 4 — 1, and then lost ten games off the reel. Indeed, he took only four more. It should be explained, however, that Maskell has little time for match play. He is essentially a coach as distinct from an exhibition player, and as such he holds high rank. Among the other professionals engaged in the tournament at Wembley were W. T. Tilden, Nusslein, of Germany, Martin Plaa, of France, an! Stoefen, of America. But I am afraid the public are not very interested in exhibition lawn tennis, and the attendances were small.