Lawn Tennis at the Cricket Club
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| Lawn Tennis |
Lawn tennis isn't terribly ancient, having originated in England around 1880 as a variation of badminton which was brought back from India during the days of the British Empire. As the name suggests, it was originally played exclusively on grass courts, which proved hard to maintain. It was supplanted for a while by clay courts, and more recently by hard and artificial surfaces. Lawn tennis on lawns has largely become a game for the rich because of the cost and difficulty of maintaining a playable surface in hot weather.
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| The Merion Cricket Club |
If you wander into the Merion Cricket Club you'll find lawn tennis in the grand style, viewed from luncheon tables under a roof. The long relatively narrow porch is right up against the grass courts, but it's also sort of a Peacock alley where well-groomed young ladies show their stuff, and everybody at the tables seems to know everyone else. There are times when the whole scene turns to cricket on the field beyond the porch, but a larger proportion of the lunchers turn their backs on the field during that season than when exciting tennis championships are reaching the finals.
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| Cary Grant and Kathryn Hepburn |
In addition to being more expensive to maintain the courts, tennis on the grass is a different game from tennis on a hard surface. The ball tends to skid when it hits the grass, so it is more predictable to volley it before it hits or before it takes much of a bounce. The bounce tends to be more nearly straight up, while on harder surfaces it bounces at a low angle. Either way, the consequence is a tendency for a faster game. The players run harder to get the ball at the bounce, and the advantage goes to those who serve hard and return the ball hard -- and fast. The rather special nature of the game adds to the rather up-scale atmosphere. And makes it just as attractive for the Kitty Foyles at the tables, as for the Kathryn Hepburns, both of whom have their attractions for the Cary Grants. The parking lot is also a good place to form an opinion about the latest in high-priced autos.
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325 Montgomery Avenue Haverford, PA 19041  |
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