TENNIS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, 26 November 1927, Page 8

TENNIS

(By

“Back-Hand”)

NOTES AND COMMENTS Lacoste, writing on modern lawn tennis, thinks that the game should bo played as ho himself plays it. The main thing is, according to him, accurate placing of deep drives. He maintains that the speed-mer-chants cannot last out a long fight. They may last ho says, two sets, but the fifth finds them out. Sounds frmy coming from Lacoste, for in Paris last April on June he met Tilden in the French championships hand was so exhausted in the third set that he got cramps, and had to be massaged for fifteen minutes. The truth is that Lacoste wins because he Las youth, a spelndid fight temperament, no nerver, and is a splendid driver.

Lacoste is undoubtedly a great pl iy er, but he is inclined to write very disparagingly of hi? brother players. He fell in badly against G. L. Pat certain unwritten laws which it is people are moving about near him, and he cannot be certaih that his run terson in 1925. after writing very disrospectifully about him. Patterson took the best possible revenge. On the following, day be wiped Laconic out in straight sets. Tilden, in describing the gnm 0 afterwards' said it was the finest tennis he had ever seen. TENNIS ETIQUETTE. As with all other games, tennis has well for every young player to learn, in fact, there are many players witli years of play who have failed to grasp the simplest of these unwritten laws. * # > The first thing a young player should learn is to return the balls to the server correctly—that is, each ball should be returned separately to where the server is standing, so that he does not have to run after it. The coirect way is to bowl the ball along the ground, cither by hand or by a strokg from the racquet, with sufficient force to reach him easily, but not at such a rate as will make it difficult for him to stop it. To slash the balls back anywhere over the court or io the back fence is an unpardonable breach of tennis etiquette. • • » Do nut walk about qr cross behlra players while they have a ball in play, for moving objects helnnd a court are detrimental to the game of players at the other end of the court. If a ball comes in line with a moving object the sight of the true flight of tire ball is interfered with, and this will probably cause the player to misjudge th 0 ball. It is also annoying to the nearer player to know that people are moving about near him, and he cannot be certain that his rim back will not be interfered with. Always wait until the ball is out of play, and then cross quickly before -he server has time to serve.

Every player should provid e a good pair of balls and should offer the use of same to the set in which he is going to play. Old or dirty balls, show a very poor appreciation of the game or the players with whom you expect to play. Good, but dirty balls can always be cleaned by rubbing them on a door-mat.

when playing in combined doubles, the gentleman should, whenever possible, retrieve the balls. • « • In doubles, each partner should retrieve the balls on his side of the court, each doing his or her snare. The player who expects his partner to do all the rctireving is courting unpopularity and will soon find that players are not anxious to play with him. • ■ - Poaching is never excusable. When you poach you get out of position, and also force your partner out of position. It is purely selfishness on your part, for you want to monopolise the play yourself, and it shows you have no confidence in your partner. It has a demoralising effect, and unless your opponents are very weak they are bound to win. When your game is finished thank your opponent and if you have had an umpire, don’t forget him.