R. L. MURRAY
The new "California Comet," successor to M. E. M'Loughlin, is the
usual sobriquet for R. L. Murray, now of Buffalo. Murray won the
National Crown in 1917-1918.
His service is of the same cyclonic character as M'Loughlin.
Murray is left-handed. He hits a fast cannon-ball delivery of
great speed and an American twist of extreme twist. His ground
strokes are not good, and he rushes the net at every opportunity.
His forehand drive is very fast, excessively topped, and
exceedingly erratic. His backhand is a "poke." His footwork is
very poor on both shots. He volleys very well, shooting deep to
the baseline and very accurately. His shoulder-high volleys are
marvellous. His overhead is remarkable for its severity and
accuracy. He seldom misses an overhead ball.
Murray is a terrifically hard worker, and tires himself out very
rapidly by prodigious effort. He is a hard fighter and a hard man
to beat. He works at an enormous pace throughout the match.
He is large, spare, rangy, with dynamic energy, and a wonderful
personality that holds the gallery. His smile is famous, while
his sense of humour never deserts him. A sportsman to his
finger-tips, there is no more popular figure in American tennis
than Murray. His is not a great game. It is a case of a great
athlete making a second-class game first class, by sheer power of
personality and fighting ability. He is really a second
M'Loughlin in his game, his speed, and his personal charm.
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