Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1952-03-08
TRAIGHT
AHEAD"
By JULIUS J. ADAMS

NEW YORK - (GlobaD - For
two times running | watched AL
thea Gibson toss away a golden
opportunity to add to her laureIs
IN the field of tennis. Each time
she was playing champion Nancy
Chaffee. Last Saturday at the
Seventh Regiment Armory, Miss
Gibson showed everything anyone
would want to see in a tennis match
except championship spirit.
This may be going out on a
limb, but it seems to me that Miss
Gibson is actually a better tennis
player that Miss Chaffee, and could
beat her any day in the week if
she could shake off what appears
to be a psychological handicap.
After winning the first game on
opening service, Miss Gibson ran
the first set to four games apiece.
then dropped her service in the
ninth game and lost the set when
Miss Chaffee won her service in
the tenth game, winning the set
Ga.
Fhe second set went the same
way, with Miss Gibson never being
able to break through Miss Chat
fees service; although several
times she ran the game to deuce
on Chaffee service, she proceeded
each time to lose the game by
seemingly Indifferent playing.
While Miss Gibson's play against
Miss Chaffee this year looked much
better than it did last time, when
she dropped one set 6-1 and lost
in straight sets, still she is going
to have to develop a stronger will
to win and more of the champions
spirit if she is ever to reach the
top in her field.
The way Miss Gibson played in
her match against Miss Chaffee,
it appeared to the spectator that
she didn't possess the drive to rise
to the occasion when little extra
effort might have meant victory.
She looked as if she felt she was
destined to defeat and was simply
playing out her script.
Perhaps Miss Gibson was denied
a great opportunity to learn some
thing about championship spirit
when the projected tour which
would have teamed her with Jackie
Robinson and Nancy Chaffee and
Miss Chaffee's husband, Pittsburgh
Pirates Ralph Kiner, for a series
OF tennis matches throughout the
country, was abandoned.
The guy may be a showbcat on
the baseball diamond, and he may
appear to be a snob off the field.
but if there ever was an athlete
with the heart of a champion, it
is Jackie Robinson. | have seen
him play scores of games and only
once have | felt he loafed on a
play.
Admittedly, the point is a moot
one. 1t happened one day when
Stan Musial sent a grass-cutter to
Robinson's right, and Jackie barely
moved in the direction of the ball.
1t was crucial point in the game
and it is on such occasions that
Robinson usually performs the Sim
possible" as in the final game at
Philadelphia when he made that
great catch of Watkins liner, and
went on to win the game with a
home run.
Robinson takes this same spirit
to win in other activities. | have
watched him play billiards at the
Harlem YMCA and there he dis
plays that same drive and derterm-
nation. Or in working with boys
at the YMCA or in helping to raise
funds for the YMCA where he
serves on the Board of Managers,
he never lets up. He puts the
pressure on and keeps it on. He
is always a dangerous and determ-
med competitor and an opponent
can never be sure of defeating him,
because Robinson's spirit cannot be
broken.
Miss Gibson might have learned
something from Jackie if their tour
had taken place. And if she had,
she might have beaten Nancy Chat
fee last Saturday. | still think
Althea has the physical equipment
and the skill. She just lacks, it
seems, the champions heart.