A YOUNG CHAMPION

Hokitika Guardian, 15 October 1929, Page 8

A YOUNG CHAMPION

In • the tennis column of the Wellington “ Dominion ” of the 9th inst., appears the following by ‘ Matcli Point,” in his study of local flayers. i . C. E. MALFROY. Las!: week , I dealt with E. L' Bartleet, the Dominion’s number-one-rank-ed player. This week 1 propose to discuss C. E. Malfroy. Malfroy is generally conceded to be the most promising young player in New Zealand, and in the New Zealand Championships held at Auckland he lost to E. L. Bartleet in the final after several very hard matches—much harder, in fact, than Bartleet was called on to play through. Malfroy’s strongest point is his wonderful accuracy. Were he to add to that accuracy a greater speed he would be the best player in New Zealand. He is the possessor of remarkable passing drives, backhand or forehand, i straight down .the side lines. He hiakes it very hard for a man to take the net against him consistently. His length, too, is excellent, and he can play deep or short, or at sharp angles across the court almost at will. Ho has an old tennis head on young shoulders, and he is never more dangerous, than when he seems at the point of exhaustion. Many an opponent who thought he had Malfroy done received numerous shocks at the way in which Malfroy sped a’cross the court to a ball hit to the corner. That shock was probably all the greater as, probably following to the net to cut off a weak return, that opponent saw the ball sail straight past him, keeping almost over the side line without a . suggestion of a slice or a pull, and land in the corner.

Malfroy’s service has a big kick, and when first met seems to present great difficulties to the opponent. As, however, he seems never to vary it, it is usually mastered by the first-rate players. Nor is Malfroy’s smashing very outstanding. It is in his timing of h,s ground strokes where he affords an example to be studied. He plays all his strokes without haste, because he keeps a good court position, anticipates well, and does the most of his running between strokes.. While he keeps well away from the ball for his forehand, he seems to play his backhand from underneath his arm, so that he is looking straight over and along the line of flight of the ball. The stronger physique which he will undoubtedly get in the next two or three years should make a wonderful difference to him. He ought to be a dangerous contender in New Zealand tennis honours for many years to come. On the actual season’s play he deserved his placing at number two.