TENNIS PRODIGY

Hokitika Guardian, 30 November 1932, Page 7

TENNIS PRODIGY

“DOUBLE-MANDED” McGRATH

AMERICAN PLAYERS AMAZED,

• SYDNEY, November, 17. 1 have intentionally left to the last my comment upon the matches played . by Me Grath against Vines, who beat him, and Allison, whom he deleateci, for they were so interesting and so extraordinary that they really deserve separate notice, state an Australian |■Most New Zealanders who play ten-

»s have heard a good deal about Viv,ian McGrath during the past twelve months, but I will remind them tha-jt this boji is only seventeen yeais ohl and that he has been playing in fiistclass tennis company for only two years. Much of his celebrity was due in the first instance to his remarkable “double-handed back-hand” stroke, whiph 1 have tried to describe before to readers of these notes, but his recent play has convinced all compet- ' ent critics here that whether this unique stroke is a source of weakness 1 or not, we have in McGrath a player who has already joined the ranks' of that small and select fraternity who , are by the common consent of expert —. opinion qualified to compete for the of the world. if When McGrath went on the court /last Thursday (November 10) to play J Vines, the utmost that the thousands of spectators hoped for was that this youngster would put up a good fight, and that he would not be too nervous to do himself justice, We might have •pared ourselves any anxiety on ! McGrath’s account. He was not nervous—for, as he remarked after the match, with a sagacity beyond lus years—“being nervous would have 1 meant that I had some hope of winning, and I hadn’t any.” He was there “to get a lesson,” and to put up the best showing that he could, and he more than fulfilled our expectations —to say nothing of his own. Y “RAILROAD SERVICE.” In such a case as this, I do not at- ' tach very much importance to the actual score by which a match is lost or won. Indeed, the fact that McGrath won tire first set, at 8-6 seemed to me at the time far! less impressive than the general character of liis play and the extraordinary combination of courage, skill and intelligence that it revealed. I will make no attempt to follow the play in detail, but I may mention that Vines won 11 or 12 aces with his famous > “railfoad” service, and this Wnight well have disconcerted even the . seasoned player. The very, first /stroke of the' match wag a service j which I don’t think McGrath 4ven < . iaw, he stood still as it passed him.

Wo all heard the “ping” of the ball on the racquet and its almost simultaneous “bang” against the wire netting behind the court; in the interval something bad happened, ‘‘between a, vanish and a flash”—and that was all. This sort of tiling, especially at the opening of such a fight, before thousands of spectators, might have shaken even the steadiest nerves. But McGrath, apparently unmoved, found his feet and his touch, and within ten minutes was playing as well as he had ever played—standing up to and I returning Vines’ fiercest deliveries, funning the champion from side to side of the court, bringing his queer back-hand into play with tremendous effect and taking full advantage of all the other man’s mistakes. No wonder that “the gallery” screamed itself hoarse—l shouted quite as loudly as the rest—and that when the inevitable end came, though the American champion reeived his due meed of congratulation, a most thunderous outburst of applause was reserved for “the Kid.” “You are wonderful,” said Vines to the boy, as they walked off arm in arm, and I have no doubt that he meant what he said.

McGRATH’® TRIUMPH. But the match in which McGrath beat Allison supplied even more striking proofs of McGrath’s ability to hold his own in really first-class company, and I do not say this simply because McGrath won. To beat a man who ranks second in the United States and fourth in the world’s championship list is in itself a remarkable achievement —especially for a more boy who three

years ago had never seen a game of first-class tennis. But McGrffth’s victory in reality meant more than this. Allison, who takes the game quite seriously, had begun by regarding McGrath’s strange backhand ns a mere freak, but he had watched the game against Vines, and he had determined to take no chances. From the first game of his match with McGrath it was evident that he had formed a definite plan of campaign—to play pers’stently to the boy’s forehand, trusting to his own admirable off-the-ground strokes to tire him out and then when the oppotunity came to take the net I and finish the rally. And Allison j might well expect that this line of strategy would he successful. For his own off-the-ground' strokes are powerful and effective—especially his backhand—and in this respect he is the most accurate of all the American players, while he is remarkably agile near the net, and his short volleying and overhead work are generally deadly. On paper, therefore, the plan of campaign- that Allison had devised seemed certain to succeed, and the only thing that spoiled it was McGrath himself. *

When the boy was asked - to say something about) the match after it was over, he said this. “When I had

to play Allison, I knew that I wasn’t going to win, so I concentrated hard on putting up the best showing that I could. Right through the three sets I knew I wasn’t going to win, until I actually did—and then I couldn’t believe it.” Alfison sajd after the- match that McGrath had tossed quite as well as j Cocliet, who is an acknowledged world J master at this special stroke, and as a natural consequence of being compelled to rush back repeatedly from the net to the base lines to retrieve McGrath’s “balloons,” Allison was forced from the volleying position, and his play became less effective than before. He stuck- to his' task manfully, but could not stand the pace. Though the American wws 5-4 in the second 1 set, McGrath virtually had the game won. Playing as coolly as ever, lie won* tliht jut at 7-5, and ran to 4-1 in the third"’ 1 set before the American made his final effort. But though game to the end, Allison was very tired, and though he succeeded in getting to 3-4, the “Kid” had the situation completely in hand, and won 6-3, set and >match. \ I TEMPERAMENT AND “TENNIS j BRAIN.” <

McGrath lias, all the qualities that make for success in. the highest levels of his great game—activity, fine footwork, sound judgment, great self-con-trol, and ability to seize a chance for himself to take advantage of an opponent’s mistakes. A great deal depends upon temperament in this game, and certainly; McGrath has it—whatever “it” may be. As regards his

self-control, one newspaper has over descibed him as “stolid”-—but this is quite misleading, McGrath is a wellbuilt hoy, in perfect training, and the exertions which left Allison gasping av the end of the match seemed to have had very little effect upon his young

conqueror. McGrath’s face is not very expressive wdiilo he is playing—in fact except for an occasional faint and shadowy smile, it remains impassive from one end of the 'game to the other. But behind this imperturbable exterior there is a cool brain and and active mind, and these have already more than made up for any lack in stroke equipment which may be charged - J against him. It is this exceptional aptitude for “thinkng all the time” and coming quickly* to decisions, that gave McGrath’s play in his matches ■ J. TT- - -.-.1 All:

against Vines and Allison so many ot the characteristics of an experienced veteran. In the last set against Allison, knowing that liis opponent urns tired, and feeling that the tide liad turned in his own favour, he did what few young players—even few veterans—w'ould have vfentured to risk, and came up to the net himself when epportun'ty offer. , ed, to finish the rallies with a decisive volley. It is the possession of this “tennis brain.” far more than his fine strokes or his perfect trainng that have made him what he undoubtedly

is to-day—the best player of his age in the world. , On this last j>oint the Americans themselves are emphatic enough. Before McGrath played Vines and Allison the tourists, particularly Allison and Gledhill, were inclined to think that young Parker, the sixteen-year-old American junior champion, might he at least liis equal. But Allison, good sport as he is, frankly admitted that lie had been beaten by McGrath on his merits, and the Americans confessed that they had never seen a boy

play so well before. How far McGrath may yet go is, of course, still a matter of conjecture. But whether he is to develop into a world-beater or not, Vines and Allison and the rest of our visitors -agree with all the Australian experts who have seen McGrath play —-and most of the champions of the last forty years were on the gallery this week—that he would benefit immensely from wider experience under championship conditions abroad, and that efforts should he made within the next year or so to enter him for the Davis Cup. , ,