TENNIS.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXV, Issue 10230, 8 January 1927, Page 10

TENNIS.

HARD COURT AND J-AWN.

NOTES AND NEWS

(By “Sideline.”)

Tennis “Talk.” In a recent issue of the “Daily Mirror,” Mr. Aubrey Wiliner has a great deal to say on conversational sallies. Some of the remarks lie quotes such as the humorous “Will I serve ” or “Simiff or routho” for “rough or smooth,” are not met with in Gisborne very often, but others are heard too often. Here is what no has to say oil some of the bright conversation occasionally heard even here

“I suggest that it would make lawn tennis much more tolerable if, on all courts, a list of additional rules were posted up voting the worst of these remarks and imposing a penalty on any player guilty of uttering them. “To begin with, here is the eternal ‘Sorry,’ or ‘Sorry partner,’ or ‘I am so sorry, partner.’ Anybody who says this should lose -a point, in addition to the one already lost-.

“And anybody who begins a set by remarking with great jocularity, ‘l’m not going to keep on saying I’m sorry!’ should, I feel, be penalised two points, because, while it pretends to be so fresh and jolly, this is one ol the oldest openings in the world. “Then there is ‘That proves it!’ You know beforehand what will happen. Some doubt has arisen as to whether a ball was in or out. The point is replayed. The issue is decided. Whereupon, inevitably one of tne players wul waggishly remark, ‘That proves it!’ I should make the ' for this two points at the inside.

“Another thing you may count on is that, before a foursome, one of'the

vers will remark that lie ‘hasn't touched a racket for years.’ Nobody believes him, hut since it is npt courteous to give him the lie direct, 1 suggest that he should lose one point for everv live years, or part ol five years, claimed. “As for the player who says, ‘Have you got it 5 when another player is looking for the ball on the other side of the hedge and disentangling his shirt from a bramble, lie should he made to look for the hall himself. “Finallv there is our old friend. I’ll stand out t’ Any player who. when a new set is being made up, expresses a desire or even a willingness to stand out, should be made to. “Bv means of such simple additional rules, lawn tennis might he made more popular than ever. )on try it this wav this week-end.”

Lenglen and the Money. Mile. Lenglen is making no bones about the money side of her new adventure A sheaf of newspaper cuttings has followed me from the other side, Writes Mr. A. Wallis Myers, in the London ‘‘lllustrated Sporting and Dramatic News.” In the New York “Sun” I read: Susanne: “It is more thrill to be a professional.” "“What is the thrill?’*' persisted the questioner Pvle interrupted: “You have to be a professional to know what the thrill is.”

“Isn’t the'-term amateurism as applied to tennis a misnomer?’’ the tennis queen was asked. “,[ don’t cateli what you mean,” she said.

“Well,” it was explained, ‘there was a report here that you were doing well as an amateur.” “If that was true,” returned Suzanne, ‘‘why should 1 become a professional?”

There was no reply on the part of the cross-examiner.

“I want to have some of the money now,” she continued as other questions were put to her. “I had all the troubles of a professional without the pleasure.” “Cold Cash” Pyle explained: ‘‘The money.”

“Yes/ agreed Suzanne, ‘the money.”

There you have it. Mile. Lenglen luts' cashed in. We cannot blame her; her motive is intelligible enough. She lias always been in tile centre of the stage, always breathed the atmosphere of crowds; and when she says, as she does in another part of the interview from which I have quoted, that “the people who object to professionalism are the ones who make money out of the amateur players,” she is stating a half-truth. The other half is that the money made out of the amateur “gates” does not go into private pocket's, as the money made from Mile. Lenglen’s exhibitions will go into Mile. Lenglen’s pocket; it goes back into the game and helps to sustain and develop the organisation and popularity of lawn tennis without which Mile. Lenglen would have been an obscure maiden.

Qdd Strings., William Augustus Larned, who committed suicide on December 16 in his room at the Knicker-bocker Club, New York, was one of the finest exponents of lawn tennis, and he achieved remarkable success on the courts of Europe, America and Australasia. He represented America in many Davis Clip matches, and had victories against N. E. Brookes (Australia), A. Wilding (New Zealand), and It. F. •Doherty, the English champion, whom lie heat in the singles championship. of the United States in 1902. He won the latter championship on seven occasions from 1901 to 1911, resigning the titlo in .1912. Larned was a- member of the United States Lawn Tennis Association, and invented a steel-framed racket in 1921. He served with the American Rough Riders in the campaign of 1898, .and in the. Great War as a major of the U.S.A. Flying Corps. Earned was a member of the New York Stock Exchange. C. E. Malfroy who made such a good, showing in the N.Z-. champion-: ship tournament at Auckland is "-V s'/tertpen years old. ’