PERRY AND MASKELL

HELPING THE JUNIORS

Before a crowd of several hundred tennis enthusiasts, Fred Perry and Dan Maskell, the famous professionals played in an exhibition singles set at the Basford Tennis Club last night.

Just as Perry had beaten Maskell 7-5, rain fell in torrents and the spectators ran for shelter.

The exhibition was part of a programme entitled "Focus on Tennis" sponsored by the Central Council of Physical Recreation, and the court was lent for the occasion by the Basford Club.

As Mr. P. T. N. Forester, President of the Basford Club, said, in welcoming the professionals, it was aimed to help juniors to improve their play. Courses are being organised in Staffordshire by the County Association and the Central Council of Physical Recreation.

A Big Need

Mr. Forester continued:-

I feel that at no period in the history of tennis in this country has the coaching of tennis talent been more necessary. I think the Central Council of Physical Recreation are doing useful and fruitful work in giving us an opportunity of staging this instructional demonstration.

Mr. Forester then welcomed Sir Francis and Lady Joseph who were among the spectators, and referred to their great interest in tennis.

The instruction given to the young players was concerned mostly with stroke production, and not with tactics and strategy. It was directed mainly to showing errors and how to avoid them. The fundamentals of the game were demonstrated by Perry and Maskell, one by one, including how to serve, how to hold the racket correctly, the forehand drive, the backhand drive and volleying.

Local Juniors

Junior players who had been selected from local clubs were coached en masse and then individually in the various strokes.

As an introduction to the programme, Mr. A. R. Greatrex (Staffordshire) and Mr. E. B. Jones (North Wales) played Mr. M. J. Cooper and Mr. R. A. Jeffery (Staffordshire) in a doubles match, the latter pair proving slightly superior.

Evening Sentinel, 15 July 1949
Courtesy of The Sentinel News & Media