THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 5, 1939.
LAWN TENNIS
IS THE MODERN TENNIS BALL TOO "WOOLLY"? The Qualification Of Line Umpires
LONDON, AUGUST 19.-While the American season is developing and holiday tournaments are running their course, let us leave competitive tennis behind and consider some other aspects of the game for a chance, writes our Home correspondent.
Austin's pet shot, by the way was a
HOME FOOTBALL CANCELLED
London, To-day.
The Secretary of the Football League states that all football is suspended. Players' contracts are automatically cancelled. Reuter.
YACHTING
SEAWANHAKA CUP CONTEST
Rothesay, August 22.-Sail- ing conditions on the Clyde to-day were worse than on any day since the Seawan- haka Cup contest started,. and racing was abandoned without the yachts ever hoist- ing canvas.
Directly after Wimbledon was over Bunny Austin re- turned to America to resume his moral rearmament cam- paign which seems to be creating considerable interest over there, judging by the crowded meetings he is addressing.
Austin is now in California, that with our own, are most illuminating. home of tennis, and in between his It has suddenly dawned on him that efforts to make the world a better he has not played his favourite shot place by uniting the sportsmen of all for five years--which he puts down countries, he has found time to play to the fact that the modern ball in this
and one on the lines of the present ball-hard and woolly-for the ordin- a little tennis and to send home some country ΠΟ longer bounces high of his musings on the game.
At the scheduled starting time at enough for him to make it. Ten years
ary player because of its durability,
Some of our. Firstly, Austin has come to
manufacturers have 1.30 the Firth was without the slight- the or so ago, Austin says, the average
of air conclusion that it is our uncertain bound of the ball was waist high, while lately been experimenting with balls est ripple, and not a breath
covered with a smoother Melton,, and was stirring. The flagship Ocean climate which must be chiefly blamed to-day it is often scarcely knee high. after trying some samples 1 must con-Rover remained at her usual station for our indifferent tennis, and es- pecially for our poor serving, which sweeping forehand drive played from fess they seemed a good deal faster off Toward Point till after four o'clock has admittedly always been a weak-left to right, which used to "fade
and more resilient, which should lead and, as there was still no sign of a breeze filling in, the abandonment ness of home players. He points to away" into his opponent's backhand to brighter play. the wonderful climate of California | corner. We all remember this famous In considering balls we must not signal was hoisted.
Although no racing had been behaviour is very where tennis
can be played all the shot and how he used to score repeat-forget that their year round and where stiff muscles edly with it when he was winning that much affected by climate and surface. sible, it was learned to-night that the and creaking joints are
The whole idea of altering unknown. opening Davis Cup match, which he What a contrast to Britain, says Aus- seemed always fated to play, during tin, where several sweaters and many our successful tenure of the cup. Aus- games are required before we loosen tin certainly did not play this shot up. To illustrate his point about ser- during his match against Cooke at this ving. Austin mentions Vines, Budge year's Wimbledon, but I fancy this and Stoefen, who all learnt their was due more to lack of practice than tennis in California, as being at the to the modern ball. moment the three best servers in the world. He does not believe they could have developed such graceful, effortless actions if they had started over here:
Our
pos-
officials had not been idle. The ad-
visability of cancelling the contest in view of the international situation was discussed at length at a conference of owners and Royal Northern represen- The
tatives on board Ocean Rover..
excellent ball of a few years back was to bring it more into line with the American ball, which has always been easier to hit owing to its extra com- pression and bound. Chiefly because of the great difference in climate this position, of course, particularly affects laudable object has never been ac- the Norwegian visitors, who are fac- At the same time the modern ball complished. The best ball ever intro-ed with a sea voyage before reach- now used in this country. and also induced by a Eritish maker was grooved ing their homes. Australia, South Africa, and India, F. turned it down for official use.
Jike a golf ball, but unfortunately the where it is of the same type, leaves much to be desired and is not over- CLIMATIC HANDICAP
popular with the players. I am, of There is certainly truth in what course, not referring to any particular Austin says and I have frequently make of ball but to those makes au-
ing our chief handicap and one of to pass the same test for bounce and mistakes were made by linesmen at continue the races in the hope of a mentioned the British climate as be-thorised by our L.T.A., which all have
compression.
LINESMEN'S MISTAKES
Besides the ball question there has been much talk lately about line um- pires, and that keen critic, Sir Nor-
Before they left Hunter's Quay in the morning for the usual muster at Toward Point, it was suggested that it might be considered whether they should not at once ship Noreg, and
themselves return across the North Sea. The conference, however, after
discussing all possibilities, decided to
speedy conclusion.
in
man Bennett, considers that too many
the reasons why our representatives,
this year's Wimbledon. Sir Norman with such a comparatively brief The chief trouble with the tennis
believes that the cause of the trouble period for outside play, so often fail
CIRCE'S GRIEVANCE ball of to-day is that it is blown up
is the use of middle-aged line judges. at Wimbledon when facing Americans too hard and its Melton cover has be- Anyone over 45, he says, cannot be Arising out of yesterday's race, and Australians. The answer, I sup- come much too rough, in simple langu- expected to identify the exact striking which Circe lost by a single second, pose, is covered courts, and then more age, "woolly." In America they call point of an object moving as fast as a Mr. J. H. Thom, owner of the de- covered courts for play during the this latter attribute “fuzz.” At the re-
tennis ball. He suggests as an alter-fender, maintains that the result would long winter months, Climate, how-cent Seabright tournament a petition native that Boy Scouts or Girl Guides have been different had the rules re- ever, cannot be everything or South was actually signed by all the leading would make the best line judges, but gulating the contest been strictly ob- Africa would have produced more players there, asking for grass court
I am afraid few of us would agree served. One of the these rules. lays outstanding players than she has.
down:- I balls with
with this. a smoother can only think
."In of four Norton, to be
As H. A. Furber, the honorary
a traingular race the finishing given a trial. To Raymond, Winslow, and Farquharson illustrate their
after secretary of that useful body, the Um-line will be crossed with the flag boat point, -and none of these was a superman, the woolly ball had been battered
pires' Association, says, to make a good or mark-buoy on the same as were The key to a good service is, of about on wet courts, players were
umpire a lot more than good eyesight the turning marks, the flag boat or course, the sideways stance, employ-grasping them by the "fuzz" and hold- is required. These qualities are con-mark-buoy being moved ing much the same action as one ing them suspended in the air.
centration, lack of nervousness, a cer- start, so that the finished line is ap- would use for throwing. An uncheck- DURABLE BUT UNRESPONSIVE
tain peculiar co-ordination between proximately square to the last leg of
the course."
momentum
cover
rac-
after the
as
ed swing, starting slowly and gaining The fuzzy, hard blown hall certain-eyesight and brain, a faculty for rapid
In yesterday's race the mark-buoy as the racket is brought ly last much better than the smoother decision without hastiness, and, most up behind the head, when there should one with more compression, and is important of all, practice and experi- had to be taken on starboard, and this be a slight pause prior to striking the therefore appreciated by the ordinary
ence. I should like heartily to en-
involved rounding the mark, instead blow, is another essential of good serv-player, but many contend that it is not dorse this view.
of permitting a finish straight through ing. Also remember to watch the ball so suitable
On the whole, the lining at Wimble- the line, Mr. Thom alleges that for tournament play. throughout the stroke and never to This
she would is because It is.
done year after year is fairly good. Circe was leading boat, harsh look away to the opposite court.
and unresponsive on the
Mistakes, of course, do occur, and these have won the race, and kept the ket and it is difficult to control are generally caused through linesmen cup in the Clyde had the mark not which involved Austin's comments on the ball ques- and drive. This seems to suggest that watching the match and not glueing been in a position tion, which have been brought home there should be two types of ball on their eye son their particular line. rounding it to pass on starboard. Of to him by the better playing qualities | the market, one for the tourament Then, again, these 'officials are inclined course, both boats circled the mark, of the American ball when compared players-with the smoother cover-
to call before the ball has actually but Circe had to give right of way bounced, a thing they should never to Noreg, and the advantage of the do. Apropos of this, rather a serious inside turn gave the challenge the mistake occurred at Wimbledon dur-race.
BOUNCE OF THE BALL
DRINK
EWO PILSNER
the new
LIGHT SUMMER BREW
ing the first set of Miss Stammers' Mr. Thom does not claim the race, brilliant match with Mrs. Fabyan. At nor is he lodging a protest, but while quite a critical moment after a long aboard Ocean Rover to-day it is un- rally Mrs. Fabyan hit the ball out, but derstood he voiced his grievance. His Instead of touching the ground it first contention was that he had to pay grazed Miss Stammers foot, and she for his mistakes, and that if a mis- standing well back out of court. Be take was made by those in charge of fore this happened, however, the lines- a race they should be held respon- man had called "out" and Mrs. Fabyan rightly lost a valuable point, which in the ordinary, course, of events would have been hers. The linesmans', de- cision had to stand as it had been given before the ball had hit Miss Stammers' foot,
|sible.
Circe and Noreg now stand equal in the contest, each having two wins to their credit. This requires a fifth and deciding race, over a windward and leeware course. Another attempt to bring off this race will be made to- While on the subject of line um-morrow. } pires, I think their practice of leaving
their chairs in order not to become "un- behind them, and craning their necks sighted" during a match when on a once the rally has started. Granted sideline in definitely bad. It must be such action is necessary occasionally, most disconcerting for those on court it is becoming much too frequent in
have these ometals walking shout, big natchee,
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