PASSING OF GRASS?

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 245, 6 January 1928, Page 11

PASSING OF GRASS?

EFFECT OF FRENCH VICTORY “THE CHAMPAGNE OF TENNIS” Now that Auckland has decided that no more senior inter-club matches will be played in hard courts, the following- article from “American Lawn Tennis” is appropriate: Much more than, ever before, the swan song of the grass or turf court is being chanted. France’s win of the Davis Cup. and the consequent fact that in 1928, for the first time, that historic contest will, so far as the challenge tie is concerned, be held on a surface other than grass, is the chief inspiration for the dirge that is being heard around the world. There rs not the slightest reason to suppose that anything of the kind will occur. The grass court is like champagne among wines. Because the latter must be of fine vintage, cooled and served properly, as well as costly and sometimes difficult to obtain, these deterrents do not presage the disappearance of the wine of France from the world’s tables. Rather do they enhance the value of the wine and make it more the favourite beverage of the gods. Nor is it true that because rich, juicy steaks, of sweet, well-flavoured lobster (to turn from drink to food) cost more, and are not so easily obtainable as in the good old days, they will go out of fashion. Rather do the obstacles that stand between man and the possession of these delicacies spur him on. Indeed, obstacles are merely things to surmount, not to go around. OLYMPUS OF THE GAME The grass court is the Olympus of the game. It may be caviare to the general, but to the great of the lawn tennis world it is ultima thule. Bad grass courts are anathema; ergo, produce good ones. Rain is their deadly enemy, and against this visitation we are momentarily powerless; but sunshine succeeds the rain, dry courts reappear as if by magic. If we could all play habitually on good grass courts there would be no other kind. But many, perhaps most, countries are not and never can be the habitat, so to speak, of the grass court, so we resort more and more to other varieties of surface. But one thing we do keep steadily in mind, if we are wise—to have the non-grass court resemble as closely as possible the court of grass. There is probably 20, 30, even 50 times as much play on other kinds of courts as on grass. Furthermore, play on grass requires a great deal of practice in order to obtain even reasonably fair results. Finally, an inordinate amount of play on grass causes the monocotyledonous plant practically to disappear. At Wimbledon in 1926, toward the end, the centre court had immense patches of brown earth at each end, and the ball striking them caused little puffs of dust to rise in the air. Finally, grass courts are horribly expensive to construct and maintain; the playing season on them is short, as

respects both the number of months and the number of hours per day that they can be kept in commission. There are a few other disadvantages of grass for courts—worms being one of them —but enough has been cited to make out a good or a bad case. MORE SKILL NEEDED Let us turn to the other side. The game on grass is the scientific game par excellence; it requires infinitely more skill, more stamina, more finesse; the ball demands more hitting. There can be found an answer to everything an opponent can do on grass, whereas on many hard courts a game can be developed whereby one wallop will end a rally. Nor is ths grass court utilitarian only. There is no delight, even for the dub, like that which comes from playing on grass. The green sward is beautiful; it is a feast for the eye, grateful and pleasing to the touch —-one of God’s greatest gifts to humanity. Such is grass in general, the turf tourt in particular. Do away with it? As soon think of eschewing all the pleasures of life. But France is in the saddle, and France has no grass courts. True, beyond peradventure. But wait; courts at the racing club and the Stada Francais are the nearest to grass that exist at present—in colour, in footing, in the bound of the ball. They present no difficulties to the grass court player, nur do they render the gifted French players impotent on real grass. That is one reason why France is in the saddle, is the champion nation.