To the Editor of the "Norra-Cama Dairy New:
S1n,—Parke's victory over Johnson was regarded as a surprise, but Shimizu's victory first over Mishu and later over Gobert, the French ace, seems to have created a sensation in the tennis world. You will remember that in announcing Shimizu's victory over Mishu Reuter expressed the opinion that this shows how far tennis has pro-grossed in the East.
It_is with this last statement that I wish to deal. I believe I am in a position to give you a fairly correct opinion, as I know personally the best Japanese players, ie., Shimizu and Kumagai, and come from the seat of the finest tennis in India.
Kumagai and Shimizu easily lead the Japanese group, and there is very little to chose between them. Shimizu reached his class in India by taking the singles championship in Bengal about six years ago and has since repeated the performance twice.
and polo) in Asia is found in the But the best tennis (as hockey Punjab. We have quite a number of first-class players, purely Indian though there are a considerable number of European players, many of whom are born in India, and so can be claimed as Indian so far as tennis is concerned.
Our best player is Saleem—an Indian. His forte is undoubtedly his dines and the ease with passes you down the side line. The year before last Lowe, the English international, came in to the finals with him, which Saleem took with a good bit to spare by 3 sets to 1—the last two going to Saleem at 6—2, 6—1. One of the rallies in the second set lasted 163 strokes, and was lost to Lowe through blundering and_ erratic brilliance.
The significance of Saleem's victory is enhanced by. Lowe's recent defeat of that wonderful back liner, M. J. G. Ritchie, one of England's best.
Saleem is our best, but by no means a giant, being closely followed by many Indian and English players, and at least one of these, Ranga Rao, beat Shimizu in the finals of the Western India Champpionship at Bombay.
Shimizu has tried once in the Punjab championship—which looked upon as the Indian championship—and suffered defeat at the hands of E. M. Atkinson whom he had just previously beaten in Calcutta.
Besides the above, who may be regarded as gentlemen players, there are a host of tennis markers at all the big gymkhanas, many of whom play very fine games of tennis and one of them has victories to his credit over both Saleem and Lowe.
So much for the men. But we are almost more fortunate with our lady players. Many of our players who have seen the level at Wim-bredon have said repeatedly that Miss Warburton—a lady born in India—could have won the world's championship, but somehow she could never be persuaded to com. pete. Her drives were a terror, harder than any other player's, whether man or woman, We have a worthy successor to her in Mrs. Peacock who plays a man's game, man's strokes and is in a class by herself in India at. present. I am. prepared to bet shell knock out either Mile. Lenglen or Mrs. Lambert-Chambers.
But having said all this someone will ask, "Why no Davis cup teaui then." Yes and why not? The question was mooted officially,' but I don't think we will move until driven to do so, as for the present there is no tennis association. All there is is a tournament at the end of the winter for which players come in from provincial towns, and then as soon as it is over we see nothing more of them' till the next meet.
Tennis has only just caught on in In¢*,; and the host of students and clubs are, in the coming few years, bound to produce some good material.
I am, ete., Shanghai, June 30.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.