France
ANDRE GOBERT
One of the most picturesque figures and delightfully polished tennis games in the world are joined in that volatile, temperamental player, Andre Gobert of France.He is a typically French product, full of finesse, art, and nerve, surrounded by the romance of a wonderful war record of his people in which he bore a magnificent part, yet unstable, erratic, and uncertain.At his best he is invincible.He is the great master of tennis.At his worst he is mediocre.Gobert is at once a delight and a disappointment to a student of tennis.
Gobert's service is marvellous.It is one of the great deliveries of the world.His great height (he is 6 feet 4 inches) and tremendous reach enable him to hit a flat delivery at frightful speed, and still stand an excellent chance of it going in court.He uses very little twist, so the pace is remarkably fast.Yet Gobert lacks confidence in his service.If his opponent handles it successfully Gobert is apt to slow it up and hit it soft, thus throwing away one of the greatest assets.
His ground strokes are hit in beautiful form.Gobert is the exponent of the most perfect form in the world to-day.His swing is the acme of beauty.The whole stroke is perfection.He hits with a flat, slightly topped drive, feet in excellent position, and weight well controlled.It is uniform, backhand and forehand.His volleying is astonishing.He can volley hard or soft, deep or short, straight or angled with equal ease, while his tremendous reach makes him nearly impossible to pass at the net.His overhead is deadly, fast, and accurate, and he kills a lob from anywhere in the court.
Why is not Gobert the greatest tennis player in the world? Personally I believe it is lack of confidence, a lack of fighting ability when the breaks are against him, and defeat may be his due.It is a peculiar thing in Gobert, for no man is braver than he, as his heroism during the War proved.It is simply lack of tennis confidence.It is an over- abundance of temperament.
In victory Gobert is invincible, in defeat he is apt to be almost mediocre.
Gobert is delightful personally.His quick wit and sense of humour always please the tennis public.His courteous manner and genial sportsmanship make him universally popular.His stroke equipment is unsurpassed in the tennis world.
I unqualifiedly state that I consider him the most perfect tennis player, as regards strokes and footwork, in the world to-day; but he is, not the greatest player.Victory is the criterion of a match player, and Gobert has not proved himself a great victor.
Gobert is probably the finest indoor player in the world, while he is very great on hard courts; but his grass play is not the equal of many others.I heartily recommend Gobert's style to all students of the game, and endorse him as a model for strokes.
W.LAURENTZ
Another brilliant, erratic and intensely interesting figure that France has given the tennis world is Laurentz, the wonderful young player, who, at the age of seventeen defeated A.F.Wilding.
Laurentz is a cyclonic hitter of remarkable speed and brilliance, but prone to very severe lapses.His service is of several varieties, all well played.He uses an American twist as his regular delivery, but varies it with a sharp slice, a reverse twist of great spin, and a fast cannon-ball smash.Laurentz is very versatile.He has excellent orthodox drives, fore- and backhand, and a competent forehand chop.
His volleying is brilliant almost beyond description, but very erratic.He is very fast on his feet, and anticipates remarkably well.He will make the most hair-raising volleys, only to fall down inexplicably the next moment on an easy shot.His overhead is like his volley, severe, brilliant, but uncertain.
Laurentz is a very hard worker, and, unlike Gobert, is always at his best when behind.He is a fair fighter and a great match player.His defeats are due more to over-anxiety than to lack of fight.He is temperamental, sensational, and brilliant, a sportsman of the highest type, quick to recognize his opponent's good work and to give full credit for it.He is one of the most interesting players now before the public.
He is a clever court general but not a great tennis thinker, playing more by instinct than by a really deep-laid plan of campaign.Laurentz might beat anyone in the world on his day or lose to the veriest dub when at his worst.[1]
[1] It was with deepest regret the news of his death reached us, as this edition went to press.
J.SAMAZIEUHL
The New French Champion of 1921 who defeated Andre Gobert most unexpectedly in the challenge round, is an interesting player of the mental type.He is anything but French in his game.His style is rather that of the crafty American or English player than the hard-hitting Frenchman.
Samazieuhl is an exponent of crafty patball.His service is a medium pace slice, well placed but not decisive.His ground strokes are a peculiar stiff arm chop varied at times with an equally cramped drive, yet his extreme mobility allows him to cover a tremendous amount of court, while his return, which is well disguised, is capable of great angles.His volleying is reliable but lacks severity and punch.He makes excellent low volleys, but cannot put away shoulder high balls while his overhead is not deadly.
It is Samazieuhl's clever generalship and his ability to recover seemingly impossible shots that win matches for him.He is a comparatively new tournament player, and should improve greatly as he gains confidence and experience.
R.DANET
One of the most interesting young players in France is R.Danet, who has come to the fore in the past few years.This boy, for he is little more, has a hard hitting brilliant game of great promise.
