J. C. PARKE
There is no name in tennis history of the past decade more famous
than that of J. C. Parke. In twelve months, during 1912 and 1913,
he defeated Brookes, Wilding, and M'Loughlin--a notable record;
and now in 1920, after his wonderful work in the World War, he
returns to tennis and scores a decisive victory over W. M.
Johnston.
Parke is essentially a baseline player. His service is soft,
flat, but well placed. His ground strokes are hit with an almost
flat racquet face and a peculiar short swing. He uses a
pronounced snap of the wrist. He slices his straight backhand
shot, but pulls his drive 'cross court. It is Parke's famous
running drive down the line that is the outstanding feature of
his game. Parke was a ten-second hundred-yard man in college, and
still retains his remarkable speed of foot. He hits his drive
while running at top speed and translates his weight to the ball.
It shoots low and fast down the line. It is a marvellous stroke.
Parke's volleying is steady and well placed but not decisive. His
overhead is reliable and accurate, but lacks "punch." The great
factor of Parke's game is his uncanny ability to produce his
greatest game under the greatest stress. I consider him one of
the finest match players in the world. His tactical knowledge and
brainy attack are all the more dangerous, because he has
phenomenal power of defence and fighting qualities of the highest
order. There is no finer sportsman in tennis than Parke.
Generous, quiet, and modest, Parke is deservedly a popular figure
with the tennis world.
A. R. F. KINGSCOTE
The most recent star to reach the heights of fame in English
tennis is Major A. R. F. Kingscote. Kingscote has played good
tennis for some years; but it was only in 1919, following his
excellent work in the War, that he showed his true worth. He
defeated Gobert in sequence sets in the Davis Cup tie at
Deauville, and followed by defeating Anderson in Australia and
carrying Patterson to a hard match. Since then he has steadily
improved and this season found him the leading figure of the
British team.
Kingscote played much of his early tennis with R. N. Williams in
Switzerland during 1910 and 1911. The effect of this training is
easily seen on his game to-day for, without Williams' dash and
extreme brilliancy, their strokes are executed in very much the
same style.
Kingscote's service is a fast slice, well placed and cleverly
disguised. It carries a great deal of pace and twist. His ground
strokes are hit off the rising bound of the ball, with a flat
raquet face or a slight slice. His wonderful speed of foot
offsets his lack of height, and he hits either side with equal
facility. There are no gaps in Kingscote's game. It is perfectly
rounded. His favourite forehand shot is 'cross court, yet he can
hit equally well down the line. His backhand is steady, very
accurate and deceptive, but rather lacks speed. His volleying is
remarkable for his court covering and angles, but is not the
decisive win of Williams or Johnston. He is the best volleyer in
the British Isles. His overhead is reliable and accurate for so
short a man, but at times is prone to lack speed.
Kingscote is a sound tactician without the strategic brilliance
of Parke. He is a fine match player and dogged fighter. Witness
his 5-set battle with me in the Championships, after being match
point down in the fourth set, and his 5-set struggle with
Johnston in the Davis Cup. It is a slight lack of decisiveness
all round that keeps Kingscote just a shade below the first
flight. He is a very fine player, who may easily become a
top-notch man. His pleasant, modest manner and generous
sportsmanship make him an ideal opponent, and endear him to the
gallery.
H. ROPER BARRETT
One of the real tennis tacticians, a man who is to-day a veteran
of many a notable encounter, yet still dangerous at all times, is
H. Roper Barrett.
A member of every Davis Cup team since the matches were
inaugurated, a doubles player of the highest strategy, Roper
Barrett needs no introduction or analysis. His, game is soft. His
service looks a joke. In reality it is hard to hit, for Barrett
pushes it to the most unexpected places. His ground strokes,
soft, short, and low, are ideal doubles shots. He angles off the
ball with a short shove in the direction. He can drive hard when
pressed, but prefers to use the slow poke.
His volleying is the acme of finesse. He angles soft to the
side-lines, stop volleys the hardest drives successfully. He
picks openings with an unerring eye. His overhead lacks "punch,"
but is steady and reliable.
Barrett is a clever mixer of shots. He is playing the unexpected
shot to the unexpected place. His sense of anticipation is
remarkable, and he retrieves the most unusual shots. It is his
great tennis tactics that make him noteworthy. His game is round
but not wonderful.
THE LOWES, A. H. AND F. G.
The famous brothers, called indiscriminately the Lowes, are two
of the best baseline players in the British Isles. Both men play
almost identical styles, and at a distance are very hard to tell
apart.
Gordon Lowe uses a slice service, while Arthur serves with a
reverse spin. Neither man has a dangerous delivery. Both are
adequate and hard to win earned points from.
The ground strokes of the Lowes are very orthodox. Full swing,
top spin drives fore- and backhand, straight or 'cross court, are
hit with equal facility. The Lowes volley defensively and only
come in to the let when pulled in by a short shot. Their overhead
work is average.
Their games are not startling. There is nothing to require much
comment. Both men are excellent tennis players of the true
English school: fine base- line drivers, but subject to defeat by
any aggressive volleyer. It is a lack of aggressiveness that
holds both men down, for they are excellent court coverers, fine
racquet wielders, but do not rise to real heights. The Lowes
could easily defeat any player who was slightly off his game, as
they are very steady and make few mistakes. Neither would defeat
a first- class player at his best.
T. M. MAVROGORDATO
One of the most consistent winners in English tennis for a span
of years is a little man with a big name, who is universally and
popularly known as "Mavro."
"Mavro" added another notable victory in 1920, when he defeated
R. N. Williams in the last eight in the World Championships.
"Mavro" has always been a fine player, but he has never quite
scaled the top flight.
His game is steadiness personified. He shoves his service in the
court at the end of a prodigious swing that ends in a poke. It
goes where he wishes it. His ground strokes are fine, in splendid
form, very accurate and remarkably fast for so little effort.
Mavro is not large enough to hit hard, but owing to his
remarkable footwork he covers a very large territory in a
remarkably short space of time. His racquet work is a delight to
a student of orthodox form. His volleying is accurate, steady,
well placed but defensive. He has no speed or punch to his
volley. His overhead is steady to the point of being unique. He
is so small that it seems as if anyone could lob over his head,
but his speed of foot is so great that he invariably gets his
racquet on it and puts it back deep.
Mavro turns, defence into attack by putting the ball back in play
so often that his opponent gets tired hitting it and takes
unnecessary chances. His accuracy is so great that it makes up
for his lack of speed. His judgment is sound but not brilliant.
He is a hard-working, conscientious player who deserves, his
success.
There are many other players who are interesting studies. The two
Australians, now living in England, and to all intents and
purposes Englishmen, Randolph Lycett and F. M. B. Fisher, are
distinct and interesting types of players. C. P. Dixon, Stanley
Doust, M. J. G. Ritchie, Max Woosnam, the rising young star, P.
M. Davson, A. E. Beamish, W. C. Crawley, and scores of other
excellent players, will carry the burden of English tennis
successfully for some years. Yet new blood must be found to
infuse energy into the game. Speed is a necessity in English
tennis if the modern game is to reach its greatest height in the
British Isles.
Youth must be seen soon, if the game in the next ten years is to
be kept at its present level. Parke, Mavro, Ritchie, Dixon,
Barrett, etc., cannot go on for ever, and young players must be
developed to take their places. The coming decade is the crucial
period of English tennis. I hope and believe it will be
successfully passed.