NEW TENNIS STAR

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 312, 18 December 1936, Page 8

NEW TENNIS STAR

Schroder’s Winning Way IRRESPONSIBLE LAD

A new personality has captured ono of the crowns of British lawn tennis — Karl Schroder, who goes back to his native Stockholm with the British Covered Courts Championship, says LJyss Kogers in the “Daily Express.“ He won it on Saturday, wnen he defeated by B—6,8 —6, 6 —l, 9 —7 the holder, Borotra, who had won the event eight, times and hoped to win it ten. Schroder lost only two sets, both to F. H. D. Wilde. He trounced “Bunny” Austin, whose delicate classical game is “just what the doctor ordered” for the Swede’s deadly short-arm game. He has now beaten Borotra three times, Boussus twice, Austin, Henkel, and von Gramm. Schroder is a big, burly boy, dimple in taste, speecn, action. He is a protege of King Gustav of Sweden, whoso passion for tennis keeps him still a force on the courts at 78. Scarcely anyone noticed Schroder when he came to Wimbledon two years ago: a lumbering figure in an Arctic woolly cap who trounced Aeschliwan with some ease before he went down to Adrian Quist. W’ood is his surface, though he told me he found the lighting of the English covered courts poorer than in Sweden. His service is forceful and well placed. He charges the net at the earliest moment. He affects a smaller racketface than the orthodox, which—when your eye is as good as his —makes for ease in use and deadliness of drive. Karl was under the ban of his association for four months. Nobody quite knew his real offence, but a compatriot of his told me that Schroder failed to cheer the Irish Davis Cup team, and when his omission was pointed out to him, started cheering at the, wrong time. It w>- mere boyishness, but the association. more or less smilingly, stood him down. Schroder is just a pleasant, irresponsible lad. To watch him as he stands laughing when an opponent makes a good stroke, and cries, “Javal, javal!’’ end claps his racket raised above his lead, and jhen cries once more, “Bravo,” is to take a fancy to this young giant of 22. “invol” in Karl’s well-rounded voice sounds like “Yahol. ” It is a new war cry to English ears, and is as good, rnvwav, as “Yes!” or “Beauty!” from the States. * .. An effort is being made to get him to come ove r for the hard courts championship at Bournemouth in the spring. If he does he will be a tremendous attraction. _____