# 419 – Tennis

Tennis

OK, I know that at least half of you will not read this. Who needs ‘tennis from Israel’?

Well, tough. This is my letter. Obviously, I get a certain amount of pleasure just writing. Then there’s the added pleasure of sending to about 80 recipients, some of whom either have passed away or changed their emails without letting me know. Oh, and then there’s the 2nd hand recipients, most of whom are unknown to me, but you know who you are.

There’s even more pleasure when I get some responses, whether pro or con my subject. That’s partly what keeps me going.

At my age, now 78, it’s important to stay busy. My ‘Letter’ is certainly part of that.

In addition to writing, it includes lots of going back and wondering why Word has redlined something. (I quite enjoy its complaint about some English spelling or word it refuses to recognise).

Then I file the letter. This is # 418 (and there are at least 20 more which have strange numbers or titles). Then I do a lot of copy-pasting by transferring the book online at ourboox.com. All of them can be found there, although no one’s looking. Only me, when I want to show off. (It’s a bit like ‘look how many friends I have on FB, or followers on Instagram, Twitter (sorry ‘X’), or any other of those mind-boggling toys).

But, as you all know, tennis has been part of my life –

* From the day of my birth, my bedroom window overlooked Holland Park LTC. (Still today, when we visit our neighbour/friend who still lives in the next-door flat (that’s ‘apartment’ in English), there is that same view, the same sounds, including the wonderful ‘plop-plop’ of the ball being hit. Maybe that’s why I’m good at ‘plopping’, either with my tongue or by tapping my cheek).

* Some of you know that Holland Park had 4 (today 3) excellent grass courts, and therefore became one of the many clubs where players at the Queens and Wimbledon tournaments could come and practice. All they had to do was pay the annual club membership fee. Normally there was a waiting list for membership, but when someone like Jimmy Connors, Chris Evert or John McEnroe applied for membership, you did not say no.

 – A little more money in the cashbox

– They almost promised to use the courts only during the off-peak hours, and almost promised never to play at the club outside Queens and Wimbledon dates.

– Not bad publicity for a club.

– Great for Stephen Pohlmann, who, instead of doing his homework, not only was able to watch some of the World’s leading players practicing, I was often allowed to enter the club (I only became an actual member in the mid-70s) and watch from the courtside.

Occasionally, I was one of the only spectators outside their entourages.

– In addition to the above, I shall name-drop Smith, Lutz, Nastase, Gottfried, Stockton, Tanner and Fleming. And of course, John Lloyd, first husband of Chris Evert. (He claimed that Chris could never beat him at tennis, although I’m not so sure about that).

* My intro to the ‘tennis-life’ can be dated back to around 1958, when my ‘best school friend, Peter Murray, invited me up to Campden Hill LTC. I was a member there till around the time I got married in 1974. Why? Holland Park was always a more ‘tennis-based’ club. Some social life of course, but more ‘refined’. Almost snobby – and certainly lesser-known.

Whereas, CHLTC, located very close to Notting Hill Gate, Portobello Road etc. had a great social section, a more transient membership of mixed faces and fun.

Well, Charlotte and I ran the social club for a while; regular parties were the norm. Who’s Charlotte you ask? She has been a friend for life. When we met at the club, we discovered that she and I had sometimes shared prams when we were infants. She had grown up in our street. We’re still good friends, despite her being located Stateside.

I met many of my very best friends though Campden Hill, and that includes Aviva. No, she was not a tennis player, but we met at a tennis party. I came with my then-girlfriend, she came with our club champion. Only 3-4 months later did I find out that they were not ‘a thing’, but were on a one-off date.

* I never became ‘good’, but was good enough to play whenever someone said ‘Hey, you wanna game?’. In fact, being the size I was and, to an extent, still am, I was ‘better than I looked’. ‘Gee, I never thought you’d get that’, was a common comment.

* There was a fascinating guy at Campden Hill. His name was Remy Menon, an Indian. He was married to Pat, a white English lady. They lived in a basement flat next to Norland Place market. He was a decent, devilish tennis player. Had reached county level when young. First special characteristic was that he and his friends were happy to play with us youngsters.

(In those days, the juniors did not always get fair treatment at tennis clubs. His ‘devilishness’ was well illustrated when he went for surprising drop shots which usually nicked the tape of the net and fell on the opponents’ side. ‘Terrrrific in a crisis’, he’d say. Or, more often, ‘Years of prrractice’.

I first knew him as a racquet maker. Yes, in those days, some racquets were hand-made. And he was the club’s racquet-stringer.

He and Pat ran ‘The Racquet Shop’ within yards of his home. His ‘stringing’ reputation grew, and he came under contract to racquet companies. At Wimbledon and Queens, most of the better players had their racquets strung by Remy.

After his death, Pat continued the business successfully. She took on a business partner. I recall her being whisked out to the UAE for some ‘Golden Tournament’, where she was the official stringer.

Through Remy, I occasionally met some of the top players, who would come personally to the shop to pick up their racquets. (Yes, it’s true that McEnroe had his racquets strung ‘quite loose’. That would give him more options as to how to play the next shot. And that must be why he sometimes went ‘off his rocker’. He anyway had a wide variety of shots in his repertoire. The weak tension must have driven him crazy).

* I joined Holland Park LTC after getting married. I no longer had so much free time for the social life, nor had the freedom to pursue a lot of that side of tennis. At Holland Park, my wife could check on me. In the mid-70s, the cordless phone came out. That resulted in the occasional ‘whistle’ from the window. ‘Someone on the phone’, Aviva would shout, and I could carry on my ‘business’ from courtside.

I’m waffling…let’s bring this to its climax…the US Open. ’50 Years Equal Pay’ was marked on courtside. I often refer to 2007, when Wimbledon ‘caught up’ with the others.

Now I gotta be careful. Let’s just say I totally understand the political correctness of equality. It saves a lot of argument.  You all know who was the brain and brawn behind ‘equal pay’. Billie Jean King. That’s why she was in NY now; to receive more deserved thanks.

That’s why she was at Wimbledon in 2007, when Venus won the Ladies title. Venus missed the story a bit by referring to the fact that ‘we all put in the same effort’, knowing full well that ‘effort’ has little do with it. The money comes from ‘us’ – you and me – via all that surrounds the marketing of tennis. And we pay for being entertained. Did you notice Venus this year? She’s 43, and still competing. Why? Let’s just say that

1. a) she’s now lost in the 1st rounds of her last several Slams –

2. b) she lost this year to Belgian Greet Minnen, who had to go through 3 tough rounds of qualifying before meeting the once-great.

You wanna talk about equal pay because of effort? Venus received $81,000 as a 1st round loser, without needing to have put ANY effort into it. And that’s how she played. It was embarrassing. (I’ve nothing against 43 year-olds still playing. Rohan Bopanna is also 43. He was playing in his 60th Grand Slam, competing for the first time in a final. He played beautifully, albeit losing…).

And back to Billy Jean. Did you see her at the Women’s World Football final? Why? Same campaign: equal pay. You will surely recall the US women screaming for equal pay, especially as champions of the World while their men floundered. (At this year’s tourney they embarrassingly flopped).

But if the powers that be are willing to give in to the ladies, pay ’em. Hey, saves a lot of heated argument.

A PS – Can anyone remember any ‘great ladies match’ at this year’s US Open? – apart from the semi-final between Sabalenka and Keys. 0-6, 7-6, 7-6. Fantastic score, and typical Saba. She just belts the ball; always has more winners AND unforced errors than the opponent. In the semi, after ONLY errors in 1st set, she started playing, and Madeline made it a great match.

But the final? Sorry…rubbish. And for that she got $1.5 million. And Coco? Hey! America has its new hero (heroine). Forget the tennis. This is entertainment!

OK, now I know I’m in big trouble.

PPS – UK had another doubles winner – and both combatants in the wheelchair final.

Stephen