A few years'
experience will do wonders for him.
The French style of play commends itself to me very highly. I
enjoy watching the well-executed strokes, beautiful mobile
footwork of these dashing players. It is more a lack of dogged
determination to win, than in any stroke fault that one finds the
reason for French defeats. The temperamental genius of this great
people carries with it a lack of stability that can be the only
explanation for the sudden crushing and unexpected defeats their
representatives receive on the tennis courts.
I was particularly impressed during my visit to France by the
large numbers of children playing tennis and the style of game
displayed. The sport shows a healthy increase and should produce
some fine players within the next ten years.
Keen competition is the corrective measure for temperamental
instability and with the advent of many new players in French
tennis I would not be surprised to see a marked decrease of
unexpected defeats of their leading players.
Japan
A new element has entered the tennis world in the last decade.
The Orient has thrust its shadow over the courts in the persons
of a small group of remarkable tennis players, particularly
Ichija Kumagae and Zenzo Shimidzu, the famous Japanese stars.
Kumagae, who for some years reigned supreme in Japan and
Honolulu, has lived in America for the past three years. Shimidzu
is a product of Calcutta, where he has lived for some years.
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