Evening star., 1939-08-08
Parker, Riggs
|ntrigueFans
With Finesse
Davis Cup Doubles
Team Now Chief
U. S. Problem
BY GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

RYE, N. Y. Aug. 8.-The way of
playing tennis in this country ap-
pears to be in the act of undergoing
great change-from the slambang,
hell-for- leather style that originated
here and has been the hallmark Of
American tennis, to a softer, more
subtle variety.
The proof lies in the fact that
Bobby Riggs and Frankie Parker are
the twin stars and gallery attrac-
tions of the Eastern grass court
championships going on at the
Westchester Country Club. This is
due partly to the knowledge that
Bobby and frankie will represent
us in singles against Australia in
the Davis Cup challenge round next
month and so are surrounded with
a certain glamour at the moment
But the folks like to watch them
play, too, and then again more and
more of the youngsters have quit
trying to knock the cover off the ball
and are becoming tactical as the
mischief. The rallies are longer, as
rule, and it is interesting tennis.
Differ from Former Stars.
Riggs and Parker. the best play
ers Uncle Sam can summon to de-
fend the Davis Cup, are a different
breed of cats entirely from Johnston,
Tilden, Vines and Bulge. Neither
has "cannon-ball' service or
blasting ground strokes like those
OF their great predecessors. Both
depend upon finesse, an ability to
retrieve any ball they can reach,
and dogged perseverance.
They are not so great tennis play
ers as were Bulge and Vines and
the other. But there might not be
any more extra-specials like that for
while, and in the meantime Riggs
and Parker are an example to the
average player of what can be done
with limited equipment. If they
should lick the Australians at Mer-
ion, as well they might, there will
be many youngster modelling his
game al lleT LlelTS.
Parker's new forehand, upon close
inspection. is about the most pc
culiar stroke that has come along.
1t is easy to believe that frankie
thought it out by himself. 1t is a
sort of shove, delivered with a bent
elbow and with absolutely no fol-
low-through. Yet it is effective and
at least an improvement upon his
former sliced forehand. 1t is az
good forehand, in fact, as Bulge
boasted when he first won at VIM
bledon and Forest Hills.
Riggs is his same careless self,
yet Alice Marble. who is here to
play in the women's department,
predicted yesterday that he would
win two singles matches against
Australia and that Parker would
win one. Bobby dropped a sloppy
first set yesterday to Leonard Hart
man, fair-to-middling local play
er, but then sailed into the net to
win the next two with little diff
Guilty. He is much slicker in the
forecourt than he was last sum-
mer.
Doubles Is Big Problem.
This is the last big singles tour
nament upon which Capt. Walter
Pate can base his selection of the
American side, and it would take a
great upset to deprive Riggs and
Parker of their places. The doubles
team is Pate's big problem. He is
not entirely satisfied with Parker
and Don McNeill, even though
they have just won two important
doubles titles, and will not de-
eide finally until after the ma
tional doubles championships at
Longwood next week. Unless ab-
solutely necessary he does not wish
to saddle Parker with both singles
and doubles play.
Nothing Is being seen of the
Australians, possibly because it is
well known that they do not like
to play against Parker. They con-
slider him too grim and method
ical." He'll still be that way when
they see him at Merton.