The Connecticut labor news., 1921-09-16
JAP WIZARD AT
 TENNIS PUZZLES
 TANKS IN STROKE
Swift as Lightning on Feet and Is Self-Taught in All Parts
 of Game.

Philadelphia, Sept 16,-Of the one i one hundred and odd players entered in the national singles tennis championship tournament being played here, none pre- sent more picturesque character than Lcnzo Shimidzu. the Japanese star, who
 was to have met William T. Tilden, Ed. worlds champion, late Monday
 Shinidzu. a self taught player of keen observation and analytical powers, in dis
 cussing ttnnis made number of inter representative made number of inter csting comments upon the game which has earned the title of The Internation- al Sport.
 Il am greatly impressed for one thing 1 remarked Shimidzu, 'by the number of really brilliant young players who l have seen since arriving in America for the Davis cup matches. We have, of course, all heard and some of us seen, your stars such as Tilden, Williams, Johnston. Washburn and other abroad, but 1t IS l the host of youngsters who play really | remarkable tennis that strikes a foreign player who competes in the United States
 Everywhere one goes there are new players, many of them scarcely out of l their teens, who handle racquet with the poise, skill and strategy of Euro pean veteran Players like Marshall AL len, of Seattle, who carried me into a 11-0 set on Saturday appear to be de- veloping in all parts of the country. Su- per-tenns players will be required to win the Davis clup and keep it away from America III years to come. "COnditiOns are not the same in Japan and until recently the pioneers in tennis | have had to come along as best they could. The game was first played in the 1 universities and schools of Japan. Krma- gae, kashio, and myself were all more or less sef-taught. It IS only within a few years that we have played with felt cov- cred balls. l learn the game with a 1 plain rubber ball. Kumagae Is going back l to Japan next month and will coach the younger players. There are a number of l really promising novices at home and with l Kumagae to teach them all he has learn zd 1 during his residence here I am sure he will be able to show many more good players in a few seasons.
 While Shimidzu admits that he Is self 1 taught in tennis, the calibre of his game l is easily gauged by the fact that both at 1 Wimbledon, England, and Forest Hills,
 matches before he bowed to the world champion.
 l An undefatigable player, who makes a1- most unbelievable gets and returns, his ] stroking possesses peculiarities puzzling l to the average follower of tennis In 1 facing the server he holds his racquet with the arm turned forward until the | knuckles of his hand confront his oppo-
 nent As he draws back his arm for the ] stroke he rapidly turns the arm over. At
 one stage of the revolution his racquet
 Is edge on to the ball but when com i pleted the palm of the hand has made a | turn and a half and faces upward Shim- 1 idzu then reverses the movement and hits and rolls over the ball with his rac-
 quet, delivering high loping return with tremendous top spin which pulls the ball 1 down into court when at first sight the
 return appears to be a sure out. The rapidity with which he makes this l stroke gives the impression that the rac-
 quet is spinning round in a loose grip | and is as deceptive as his service. In the | latter delivery the ball IS struck with a l peculiar right to left cross cut and passes 1 over the net without particular speed. l After striking the turf, however, it ] bounds high and with a disconcerting ! twist which makes return stroking far l harder than the spectator conceives. Shimidzu's baCkhand play Is also odd in that he turns his arm over in stroking
 the ball and hits the sphere with the | front of the racquet rather than the back as IS customary among the majority of ! ranking players