Legendary Tennis Players (1940's) THE OTHER PROFESSIONALS	Browse Other Pages Homepage A Viewpoint on the Game How It Began A Viewpoint on the Game 2 A Viewpoint on the Game 3 Concentration; Practice Condition, Physical and Mental Keep Your Eye on the Ball Footwork and Weight Control Women's Tennis The Grips The Service The Drive The Chop and the Slice The Volley The Subtle Shots Courage Your Opponent's Weaknesses General Tactics Outside Conditions Pressure on Your Opponent Doubles and Mixed Doubles The Coaching Job Legendary Tennis Players Olympic Tennis Does Youth Rule Tennis Hall of Fame Amateurism to Open Tennis Some Defects in Tennis Doping Olympic Review Technology and Sport The Slice Service Flat Serve The American Twist The Drive The Backhand Drive Drive - The Main Uses The Volley Net Position The Volley Position The Overhead Smash The Half-Volley The Drop Shot The Mechanics of the Slice The Main Uses of a Slice The Grips Doubles and Mixed Doubles To Open the Court Doubles In Europe and US Legendary Tennis Players (1940's) Questions in Australian Tennis History of Australian Tennis History of Australian Tennis 2 History of Australian Tennis Players Women's Tennis in Australia Australian Tennis: Nature Ages of Tennis Players The Careers of Women Players
	(1949) Up to the advent of Gonzales and Parker into professional ranks this past year, the professional tennis picture has been largely dominated by the former champions of amateur tennis. The games, styles, and personalities of these great players are too well known by the average tennis fan to need analysis at this time, but a glance at what has happened to them since their days as champion is worthy of attention. One thing professional tennis always does for any player is to make him a better technician and a more versatile player, but it is apt to cut his will to win and his match temperament. He plays far too many exhibitions that have no significance, and far too few competitive tournaments. That is why the recent amateur coming into pro tennis often does well: he is keyed to competition and match play. Jack Kramer has stood the undisputed champion of the world for the last couple of years, amateur or professional. Since he turned professional, he has retained all of his hitting power, and he has gained greatly in control and defence. Riggs forced him to add a lot to his already great attack, and made him develop the ability to keep a balI in play at sound, average pace. By doing so, Jack has become the greatest player in the world. There is still a flaw in his low forehand, but it is a lesser one than it was. His choice of shot today is excellent. AIready the pro grind is taking its toll from Kramer, whose will to win shows a slight but definite decline. He has gained in showmanship and magnetism on the court, and is a great box-office attraction. Bobby Riggs seems to have passed just over the peak, and started very slowly downhill. He is still one of the greatest players, but his amazing physical stamina and remarkable legs are beginning to show signs of slipping. He hits a balI better today than at any time in his career. His control is as great, and he uses greater pace and more subtlety than ever, but he can't take it as he did. He is a tired and worn fighter, slightly reminiscent of the current Frank Parker, yet both are young men. Riggs has the keenest match brain and is the finest court strategist in tennis today. He has the widest range of strokes, and uses them more cleverly than anyone else. He is a better tennis player technically and strategically than Kramer, but he can no longer physically stand off the pressure of the younger man. He has acknowledged this by concentrating his efforts in the 1950 pro tour, rather than competitive play. Donald Budge is going downhill even faster than Riggs, yet he is still one of the greatest stars in the game. It is difficult to put your finger on what has happened to Budge. His backhand is hit as hard and is as devastating as ever. His forehand, always uncertain, is no worse. His service is still the same, his volley still great, and his overhead erratic but severe. I think the change in Budge is purely psychological. He seems unwilling to admit that he is no longer World' s Champion, when he finds himself pitted against Kramer and particularly Riggs. He feels he must prove his superiority by blowing them off the court, with the result that he presses and overhits himself right out of the match in a deluge of errors. Physically, Budge has slipped same, but not enough to account for his decline. He is still far better than al most all other players. This is demonstrated by his decisive victories over such players as Kovacs, Van Hom, Segura, Pails, and Earn. Everyone who has watched Budge beat Ted Schroeder easily, day af ter day at the Los Angeles Tennis Club, can see how great he still can be. The psychological triangle of Kramer, Riggs, and Budge over the past few years has been very interesting. Kramer had both of them buffaloed and was sitting on top of the world. He knew he could beat them and did. Budge was completely jinxed by Riggs, knew it. and was almost helpless in his hands, while Riggs, aware of his limitations, was a setup for Kramer, who stilI found Budge a problem he could solve only with difficulty. Frank Kovacs, the greatest natural tennis player I have ever seen, is also slipping, owing in no way to anything but his inherent desire to clown. He has allowed his love of fooling on the court to reach a point where he can no longer concentrate in a big match, where his opponent refuses to be put off or disconcerted by Frank's antics. I stilI think that potentially Kovacs is the greatest stroke artist and tennis genius I have ever watched, but I am sure he is no longer a threat as world's champion. It is a pity he cannot curb his clowning, because now he is kidding to the point where the galleries, who used to enjoy it tremendously, are getting annoyed by it, because it ruins the standard of the tennis played. Fred Perry, to me one of the greatest stars of all time, a supreme artist of the courts, is practically out of competition. He is stilI playing brilIiantly, with all his old racquet skilI stilI there, and much of his marvellous speed of foot. He no longer has quite his old stamina, but he is stilI near the very top. He has lost his wilI to win and his love of competition. He plays now mainly for amusement. He is stilI the best showman on the courts, far funnier than Kovacs and less irritating because, with all Perry's kidding, he always plays fine tennis and keeps the match going. I'm afraid Perry's appearances wilI be infrequent in the coming years. His loss wilI be keenly felt, for there has never been a greater player, finer sportsman, or more interesting personality in tennis. Richard Pancho Gonzales Ted Schroeder Frank Parker Doherty Brothers Other Players 1940's Professional Players The Women Players Helen Wills Classic Tennis Posters Home