New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-03-19

ample OF an exper, with marked back
hand weakness.
The Comets fast footwsrk enables
him 10 protect his backhanc by quck
Jumps hat bring his powerful lore
hano into play. Just a PeU prefers 70
take strokes on his backhand side. Nc
Loughlin makes every effort 70 avoid
hitting across his body. IN the mem
orable match against Brookes. IN 1914,
tho Comet really won By persistently
jumping oter when Brookes served 20
his backhand in the left court. So fast
was the Comets footwork that the great
Australian found the greatest difficulty
in keeping the ball away from the
plunging forehand drives Of Maurie.
What do YOU think Of Macs conceal
inC his backhand ," tennis player. VINO
is also a lawyer, was asked while the
match was in progress.
well" replied the legal light. 81
think II is q fraud TO conceal a fraud y
Mac forehand and fast footwor<
make up for his bsckhand weakness
On the backhsnd he wraps his thumb
around the handle. instead Of placing
it long the handc. as most Of the OK
perts do. and hits the ball IL n cramped
fashion quite unlike his free swinging
IT, his other strokes. In his desire 90
get excessive top on the stroke Mauric
turns his racket too far over. even at
the beginning Of tho swing, and . r.
10 uncommon thing TO see him ehunt
the ball along The ground when his
eye is slightly of.
His forehand is powerful weapon
of offence. and. more than MS net play
has earned him he reputation OF being.
with Lsrned. tho greatest forcing
player Of American tennis. and prob
ably Of the world. A forcing player *
one who always makes his Opponen.
play 20 him. who forces defensive and
no, aggressive returns. As tennis
player once expressed II, Against q
forcing player you feel that you're al
ways playing uphill
Naurie shoots his forehsnd for the
point every time. He plays the lines
closely and puts tremendous speed into
his heavily topped drives. Following
them TO the net, he chokcs of a drive
return or wallops a lob 70 a fare-ye
we'll. Or when he does play down the
centre he puts 40 much top on the
drive that the overspin slows the ball
in its flight and makes II bound errat-
ically. The slower ball permits him to
gain an inpregnable forecOurt position.
for from the centre the passing angles
are much less.
The Comets service opened the eyes
Of the world 20 the tremendous posi-
blities of the American twist, just as
his continual net play brought about
almost revolution in the strategy of
he game No more consistently nigh
class delivery has ever been seen, a.
though his service suffered, as well as
the other parts of his game, last sum
mer
Many players who have faced Ella
Fottrell, the elongated Californian, say
that when Ella is right his service has
more speed than any other in the world.
At rare times Williams also attains
this maximum efficiency. But on the
average performance Meuric's is con
sidered the most severe-and the writer
for one has always failed TO understand
how Fottrell or any one else could
serve better than the Comet in the
1914 Davis Cup matches.
Since the passing of Dwight Davis
tennis spectators did not see tremen-
dous smashes of lobs until Maurie
came on the scene. Then he out
Davised Davis. He is absolutely fear
less about killing a toss, no matter
how deep in the court it may be. To
Tod against McLoughlln IN IVA meant
a hurry call for the coroner. The kill
was sure.
Macs volleying has always been fast
and accurate, and he is master of both
the long and the short style, which he
mixes with good judgment His volley-
ing. terrific service which kept his
opponent in difficulties. while Macs
own fast footwork carried him to the
net. and his sensational smashing that
discouraged overhead attack, made him
the greatest player in the world. He
won his own service games and his
fine forehand. enabled him 20 break
through many Of his rivals deliveries.
Wheat. from the time it is thrashed
will shrink per cent IN six months.
The Comets heyday may. after all. be
past-but we think that he is a golden
grain that expands, instead Of shrinks,
fro-n N ching