Word: jakes
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...designer and chief exponent of this aggressive, high-pressure tennis is California's Jake Kramer. He is the U.S. singles champion, the Wimbledon champion, the No. 1 U.S. Davis Cupper in both singles and doubles. In other words, he has proved that he is the best amateur tennis player in the world...
This week, Big Jake will walk confidently into the big, horseshoe stadium at Forest Hills to give Australia's Davis Cuppers another lesson. In his unemphatic way, he calls his style of play the "big game." It combines all the game's attacking strokes into a smooth offense, geared to his none-too-rugged...
...were lethal but lopsided: a smashing serve and volley. Next in the California line came Little Bill Johnston with the big forehand, then Ellsworth Vines with a bullet serve and an even more devastating forehand. After that was Budge, who had an all-court game and an incomparable backhand. Jake Kramer has something from all these predecessors; perhaps the nearest likeness is to call him a cross between Vines (on whom he consciously modeled his game) and Budge...
...unless he does something tremendous. Both his backhand and forehand carry deceptive depth and pace. All who play against him have the same complaint: "He makes you feel like you are backing up and backing up until you can't back up any farther." And at that point, Jake has most likely worked his way forward to the net for the clincher. Says he: "After a forcing shot, the odds of clinching a point at the net are 8-1 in your favor." He is a thoughtful young man, according to his lights, and he plays percentage tennis...
...back up his winning attitude, Big Jake has a winning service. He hits three types of serve-flat, slice, high-bounce-each with equal skill and confidence. His service never sizzles over the net with the brute force of Bob Falkenburg's cannonball smashes, but players agree that Kramer's is harder to handle, and he gets his share of service aces...