He
hits it with a short sharp snap of his arm that imparts great
speed and yet hides the direction. His backhand is defensive. His
volleying clever, accurate but soft. His overhand severe and
reliable. His service flat, fast and dangerous.
He needs finesse, experience and season, with which he may well
become one of the greatest players as the fundamental
potentialities are there.
NORMAN PEACH
The steady baseline game of England has its exponent in Australia
in Norman Peach. He has a beautiful driving game, with adequate
but not severe service, that one finds so much in England. At
times Peach will advance to the net but his volleying and
overhead are secondary to his baseline game. He is not a great
tennis player but is certainly one of high standard of play. He
is just below the first flight in Australia.
R. V. Thomas is one of the finest doubles players in the world as
is amply attested by his win of the world's title in 1919 with
Pat O'Hara Wood and their two successive wins of the Australian
Championship in 1919-20. Thomas with his hard-hitting off the
ground, and his brilliant volleying is a fine foil for Pat Wood's
steady accuracy.
Just a word about one veteran, a good friend of mine, who is
again playing fine tennis, Rodney L. Heath, hero of the famous
Davis Cup match in 1911 when he defeated W. A. Larned, is again
in the game.
Heath with his long beautiful groundstrokes, forehand, or
backhand, his incisive crisp volleys and fine, generalship based
on young experience, is a notable figure in the tennis world.
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