The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-01-07
BY HENRY McLEMORE
United Press Staff COrrcspondent)

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 Coral Gables, Fla, January 2 --- (UP) Take ono part Greyhound, one part marathon runner, two parts mechanical man, msX well and serve In pair of dirty flannel pants, and you have Bryan M, tBitsy) Grant, pride Of poaohtrec street, Atlanta, Georgia, and tho nations third-rasking tennis player,
 I played grant . Set today to sec for myself Just how tough he Was For years I had heard George Lott Frank Shields, Sidney Wood, md even Tildon, brand tho i27-pound 6 feet { inch Atlanta as tho toughest AggTaVatlngist and oniereBt opp0' nent In tho business.
 To tcii tRc truth, [ dIdh't believe them. For Of oil the players in the big-tim0 ho seemed to mo Co bo the only ono an ordinary player would have Q chance against. H0 didn't hit the ball hard. Ife seldom came up to the net for Volloys or kills, Ills service was . gentle thing coln- pared to the Gann0nbnllB of his ops poncnts. And he was so little.
 But take my word for it, he's oil Lott and Shields and Tildon sail he was. And more, besides, for in the pnst year BiSty haH lifted his game immeasurably, ag his def0at of t0uts cd DonGld Dudg0 in the quarter" finniR At VOreAt HillN last year proved. The No. item about BitBy iS that no never misses. No matter where you put tho ball, he's always on top of it to slap it back. Not once, but c dozen times in our Bot, I laid on one for my 1unday-go. to-meoting shot, only to have it come floating back. Across tho court he'd come Bcrambling and sliding to keep it In play.
 To test hig court-eOvcrlng, it was agreed upon after the first game (which saw him pass mo four times for placementS) that he would not try to score p0intB, but would only return directly to mo and lot me try and pass him. never put one be yond hiB reach. Short, deep, this side, that side, ho wns always there Buocd Causes it
 The secret of Grants amaslng retrieving lies not in his speed sec for he's not aS fast afo0t as half . doon players you can name -- but In his uneanny feeling 'as to where his opponent will play the ball next. It's next to impossible to cr0ss him, to catch him going away" as the boys say. u
 ilitsy has no explanation for this'
 "Just something was born with I guess," he said.
 Later, when Bitsy started going out for points, and not Just waiting until knocked the ball out or bounds or Into the net. I discovered that he is q sharpsho0ter. He really can hit that famed dime anywhere on tho court. He didn't hit the bali very hard, but always hard enough to beat me by Split seconds And his service, which looked Bo old-maidiBh from tbe stands At For- est Hills, Newport, and all about, has e lot on it. His first service ball, while nothing like that Of shields or Btoefen or one of the tremendous hitters. makes ID in placing what it lacks in speed. And his second one well. he'll cross at oryab yab'nnotaolnshrdlushrdluuuuu q or dot an 1 with t. And it carries c wicked spin which throws it high. and Into his opponents backhand.
 Grant. assured of Q complete try- out for the iO36 Davis cup team, is here competing In the fourth annual Miami -Biltinore tournament. which