THE CHINA MAIL, TUESDAY, JULY 8, 1958,
Tennis Crisis
Wimbledon Like This Is Facing A Sorry End
BAN ON PROS MAKES IT Bradman Says WORST TOURNAMENT EVER LEG THEORY-CURSE
Says J. L. MANNING
It was, a very wet Wimbledon. This was not the fault of the All-England Club, Lawn Tennis Association, or Inter- national Foderation. But they ARE to blame for the wretched and even morbid state of world lawn tennis. The evidence has accumulated in recent years, and last fortnight there was plenty of corroborative spectacle. Gimmicks and panties sent neurotic peeping Toms and peering Topsies into I-was-there-and-saw-them ecstasy. The social occasion dwarfed the athletic content, and commercial opportunism corrupted the scene.
players.
Warning
But worke than all this, fessionals competing in toura- new regulation next year,
lust-ditch stand. Irrational regulations segriments with amateurs. gate the best from second-bont The more spirited amateurs Black Market
la stifles develop need this. All they want is to inent of the who are keen and compete in tournaments with induer a Tooley-strect attitude among those who couldn't care LA
Thus,
In the best tradition, eaurus of backhand slicers from Brituin Int fortnight at Wimbledon petitioned for more free meals and more free tickets -and for batman and -cing girls, for all I know-as
a cudition of unployment.
So one way and another, al-
dan-
OF MODERN CRICKET
-By Bruce Harris
Don Bradman has his views about an ideal cricket XI. England's Test team against Australia at The Oval In 1956 came very near to that ideal.
This was it;
·
orthodox first-finger spinner.
illuts-
P. B. Richardson, M. C. Cow- This side drew The Oval match,
The bank, profusely Compton, D. S. Sheppard, C. drey, P. B. H. May, D. C. S. very much in England's favour. Wasbrook, T. G. Evius, J. B.trated, Imparla Bradman's Statham, F. II. Tyson, G. A. R. knowledge of batting, bowling,
felding and caplaincy. a Lock and J. C. Laker.
Cowdrey, be it noted, batted Arsi-a position he has since
given up.
Bradman, writing in his new book, The Art of Cricket,"
the best players, be they pro-
I will continue to ban pro-points out that England herb fessional or not,
Once Krumer or someone else fessionals and "open" tourna had a left and right-hander to tournaments thements, and ration amateurs to open, but there was neithe: 0 starts 014
nor an all- nateurs will drift to them and 150 days overseas tournaments teft-hand bateman
The new black raunder in the next four. not care two hools' about suspen-on expenses.
market is Just around the
CLOSE TO HIS IDEAS stor.
Otherwise the selection was close to Bradman's ideas, which include a batman-wicketkeeper, Two fast bowlers, a right-hand
Highest Ranked-
Hardest Hit
corner.
Players will cheat the regula continue tions and
10 make money gambling on results us they do now-yes even as
though the organisers at happy, Wimbledon, as the highest-Wimbledon. little cocktail parties smugly ranked
tournament, will be
Ru what a farce with
f spinner, and a left-hand
laugh off this verdiet Wimble-hardeg! hit. Already It has to Jon is on the way out us a top dure without Gonzales, Sede America's Barry MacKay being A New Shot sporting spectacle unless there an, Trabert, Hoad, und Rose-fleisily allowed to train
with
circus, and top is continuing acceptance of the wall, nag Test cricket with Kramer's
openly discussing second best. sustained by ແ ບບນ Liker, Lock, Truman, amateurs gullible public.
Loader and Evas? How long when and why they will turn interest re- professional. Their Show Never would the publie
Closes
Oh, yes, I know Wimbledon
is still doing good business....
mata?
Mr Basli Reay, secretary of Inter- Clearly, if you drive out the best, the worst is emphasised, both the L.T.A. and
"It's a million sport and ability are sepanational Federation, said to me
at Wimbledon: rated each must suffer,
to one against professionals that its show goes on....that it Yet, at Britain's insistance, the ever playing at Wimbledon.
If I look £1 of that te bet International Federation, is hop-
of P'd be the Arst lawn Tennis that the segregation
For this wretched succeed. It will make, with business is doomed.
never closes. Nor, of course, does the Windmill, wheh It now closely resembles
But the promoters skate overranteurs and professionals will millionaire.
Impending crisis. All's well so
long as Mr Kramer stays away and Miss Fageros doesn'i, What, then, is wrong? What is it that renders impossible the whole- some assesment of lawn tennis' as a sport?
The International Lawn Tennla Federation, by deliberate and positive nets of policy, is lower- ing standards of play and scar- ing recrulls. Inevitably it has failed to preserve tennis as an exclusively amateur game and hus separated the best players
Th from the rest of the deld,
is putting prejudice before pro- gress.
Now the game is blown hot and cold. The federation has burned its future on the bon- fire of nonsensical, 10th-century regulations. Kramer is puttlug the stars in a professional re- frigerator. It is an net of ex- termination.
Furthermore, the Federation no longer commands any respect. It stands in reluttan with players as does the income tax inspector with taxpayers. All the Federa- tion does is to present expense problems and a wordy rigmarol
who of regulations to players must dodge thurs ny a matter of course.
But Wimbledon insists D7 preserving this folly. In a sense 11 has to. Because the author of this stupid charter is Britain's L.TA. There is the guilty hand which has written a kind of apartheid into teunls which spells moral bankruptcy, ridicule and ruln.
Racket swinging Mannequins
Did I say ridicule? Yes, and meant it. This year's Wimbic- don has exhibited the lowest standards of play in the quarter of a century I have watched the championships.
But I lacked nothing in publicity. Unwanted publicity, I am sure, but the cash is wel- What can bo more come. morbid than tennis players becoming racket-swinging maa- parnded -by rather nequins oddly drossed 101
the rogtrade band?
Perhaps my orthodoxy can stand the innovation of gold- embroidered panties, but not the "aack" and a ballet akiri, When a colleague of mine saw the "sack" on court he mur- mured: "She looks on though Mc- she's been dressed by Dougall's Flour," But why a ballet skirt?
What would the world think if Act Ulanova tripped on to One of The Fountain of Tears and swiped with a Dunlop racket all those raping, murderous Tarinrs?
>
The truth is that lawn torin's pathetically is trying to keep May the soul Up appearances.
of Tom Paine forgive me for quoting that Wimbledon praises "the plumage and forgets the bird is dying.”
The ecution is to bring back a rugged athleticism into tennis ke the Australians still do and the Americans before them and to lift the ban of pro-
MANDRAKE THE MAGICIAN
HE SEES
US HE'S COMING THIS WAY
·PREPARE TO FIRE!
AT--
IT'S--A MILE HIGH!
FERDINAND
NANCY
THIS FIELD IS A GOOD PLACE TO PRACTICE MÝ
BATTING
THERE'S NOBODY
IN SIGHT, SO I CAN'T POSSIBLY
HIT ANYONE
JOHNNY HAZARD
HOLEFON, TAL..... I'LL
BE INSIDE IN A SECOND, THEN TAXE YOU IN JOO,
||2-20
Put Record
Leg-theory bowling Bradman regards as "one of the curses of modern cricket"—and be cx- plains why.
"There was almost unanimous agreement that the tire of body- fine was against the best in- ferents of cricket, but the laws had to be adicted to stop it, be- cause until then some people continued to propound its legi- timacy and use it.
FIRST COUSIN
"I feel the same about leg theory, which is a first cousin. If developed excessively and re- gularly practised it would be capable of ling the game of cricket stone dead. Bodyline would have killed erleket be- rause there would have been no batsmen left in the game after a few years."** Paris, July 7.
Brackman condemns "those Eighteen-year-old So Yung- sien of the Army field and deplorable batsmen who seek to track team pot a new National improve their balling averages expense of attractive event in Tientsin today with cricket and their team's wel- record in the men's shot put at the
metres, Hado Peking fare," 14.20
Does colt
with interfero reported tonight.
This broke the previous cricket? Bradana's reply is "No, national record of 14.18 metres but cricket seriously interferes held by Cheng Jen-chiang-with golf. The games are oppo-
siles," Frence-Presst,
By Lee Falk and Phil Davis
THESE ATOMIC BUT WHAT'LL SHELLS WILL HAPPEN WHEN HE LANDST
BRUNG HIM
DOWNT
SOCK
— DUIS MM 12, LIZ..
HE'LL CRUSH
A COUPLE OF CITIESI
WE HAVE
OUR OR PERS! READY--
By Mik
By Erale Bushmüller
ODUI
H
+
By Frank Robbins
BUT AS SHAP SWINGS TOWARD THE WINDOW..
JOHNNY'S GRIP 19 BROKEN!
Russian Oarsman At Henley
Soviet narsman, Vyacheslav Ivanon, a competitor in the Diamond Sculls
at England's Henley Itegatta last week,
Ivanon beat Martin Gaylord (Imperial Boa'ing College) in the semi-final but was defeated by Stewart Mackenzie (Sydney Rowing Club) in the final- Re: ter photo.
~WORLD GYMNASTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
Russians Lead In The Women's Division
Chinese Entries Put Up Impressive Show
Moscow, July 7.
Soviet athletes went to the fore in the women's division of the 14th World Gymnastic Championships today, with a score of 190.461 points in the women's compulsory exercises which were competed for by eight coun- tries.
Ruminin drew up into second place with 183.059 points. The other team scores are: Japan-10,300 pts. Poland-101,457 pts.
East Germany-100,202 pls.
Here's the gift... Sheaffer's
SNORKEL
port
WORLD'S
ONLY PEN WITH "NO-DUNE" FILLING!
quick
delivery!
AIR
CARGO BY
SWISSAIR
ROWNTREE'S
Sunripe Jelly
AUSTIN!
THE CAR
for your HOME LEAVE
METRO CARS (H.K.) LTD.
China-179,494 pts. Sweden 177,461 pls, Yugoslavia-175,450 pts.
The Chinese athletes scored 45,532 points on the Parallel bure, 45,330 on the balanco team, 44,398
in free exercises
and 44,731 pts on the valuting. Horse.
GOOD IMPRESSION
The Chinese young women made
Int'l Tennis Tourney
Donnville, July 7.
World tennis stars will play
Ja the International tenuis
a good impression on toumament af Deauville frem their Arst entry into World July 21 to July 27.
The stars includu Championships. They costly
the
passed masterly on all the Australians Mervyn Rose and Woodcock, the Spaniard Gimeno. exercises,
Catalano and Prominent were Lan Ya-lan tho Brazillars
Ribeiro, the Indians, Krishnan nd Kuo Kesyu
Zealand's Lag Ya-lan scored 9.33 points and Kuner, New
Nichols, and Haillet, Remy. on the parallel bars and Chi
Dostremeau and Borotra ok Yu-fang scored highest among France.
the Chinese girls on the balanco bcams
In the vaulting event
Among the girl stars are Miss Kermina and Madame L3 they Besnoraia,
of Franco-Presse-
this
surprised by their showing, it Prosse. having been thought that way n weak paint among Chinese girls.-France-Pressu
Sports Diary
TODAY.
Water-Palo
»Bayer's « TONIC
Army v fiol The Army Poul BA
(Army Poo!)
340 poin
p.m. EYMCA V RAY (RN Pool) 8.30 p.m.
Tohals
KTGCA
Ken's "B" Division: CRC (3) ▼
KCCSA v Recre SCAA CC (1) KTGCA (1) Y Urbes Council,
ИКСС
The
DENIS COMPTON story
He was only 20 and he was facing the greatest ordeal of any cricketer --- his firat innings for England in a Test against Aus ⚫tralia,
Nervous? Not a bit of it. With impertur bable Eddie Paynter as his partner, the young newcomer wasted no time. Soon he was hitting the Australian bowling all' round the field.
He was not defeated until the next day--when [. he was caught after scoring-102
It was Denis Compton's unforgettable debut against Australia-the debut to the 20 brilliant years in which his genius has anriched, the sporting scena.
NOW, WITH HIS RETIREMENT: AS
A PROFESSIONAL AT THE END OF LAST SUMMER, COMPTON IS FREE. TO TELL- FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE FULL FASCINATING STORY OF HIS FABULOUS CAREER: AN
It is the story the whole sporting world has been waiting for and it
Starts next Sunday, July 13th exclusively in the
SOCCH
CIELNA
SUNDAY
POST-HERALD
H