Lethal Spin 8

From: The Racketeer 44, January 2002

Lethal Spin [8]

by Frank Raistrick

Chris Taylor
Some years ago the Readers' Digest had a feature 'The most unforgettable character I ever met', and this is all about mine. Many of you will know him - Chris Taylor, and I could write a whole book about him, but you wouldn't believe half of it. He'd be about sixteen when I first met him at Mapperley Park and was away at boarding school. He'd had a sad childhood, his mother being very ill and unable to look after him, but the gregarious Corder family took him in as one of their own. I had just joined Mapperley and recognised Chris immediately as one of nature's eccentrics, and thoroughly enjoyed his lively company. He was nearly as keen as I was on tennis and we spent a lot of time together in his school vacation.

His style intrigued me, completely self-taught and executing most shots in a way that would have the LTA purists wincing, but I was excited by his potential. He was the fastest coverer of a court I have ever seen - he had to be because his positional play was non-existent. His timing was frightening, the sheer speed of his shots catching one unawares - something that cannot be taught.

His service was booming, but erratic, sprinkled with double faults, and he could go from brilliant to terrible in one game. I suggested to the then selectors of the Men's team that he ought to be playing matches, but I was told that he would never make a match player.

The following year I became Men's match secretary and was determined to test the truth of this, so I chose him for the second team with me as a partner. Our first match together is etched indelibly into my memory. It was at Farnsfield, and we had rather a weak team out - it couldn't happen now! Chris started like a house on fire, virtually playing singles and we beat a useful first pair and a not so good second pair without problems. All I had to do was play my usual safety-first game, with a minimum of unforced errors and cover any gaps.

The Farnsfield third pair were decidedly weak, having lost their first four sets with ease, and at 8-4 up I felt sure that we were going to win a match I'd had little hope for. I'd forgotten Chris's erratic ways though and he was suddenly as bad as he had been strong. It became a titanic struggle against two players we should have murdered, but Chris couldn't land a ball in court. I had to change my methods, going for winners, which wasn't difficult against these two, but it's hard work when your partner isn't winning anything. And typical Chris, he cheerfully didn't seem to realise just how bad he was.

It was with great relief that we scraped the first set 7-5, almost entirely down to me, but we started badly in the second, going 3-0 down, at which stage some idiot in our team came over and whispered that our team had lost all four sets and our last one was needed for victory - there's always one!

Exhorting Chris just to get the ball in court, something which he was finding almost impossible, but aided by a rash of double faults from our opponents, we managed to claw back to four-all.

I'd been serving with some accuracy down non-existent back-hands, and hadn't lost my service yet, but Chris excelled himself as four feeble returns came his way at the net, smashing them all out with extravagant volleys - he was one of those strange players who was better with good returns. As we changed round in trouble at 4-5 down, he beamed at me and said that it wasn't like me to lose my service.

Luckily, our opponents had also been told that the match depended on this last set, and they were a bag of nerves. They told us afterwards that they had never won a set in a match, and with the help of three nervy double-faults we broke service, to level at five-all.

There followed a war of attrition on Chris's service with alternate aces and double faults, and my nerves were in shreds with all the deuces, and break points which would have cost us the match. Chris saved several with fast second services, and I took him on one side to tell him to serve two second services - our opponents weren't good enough to take toll of them. He said that it was second services which were his problem, but eventually he served two aces together, and we led 6-5. It still wasn't over though, and another long game ensued, with Chris lashing uninhibitedly but inaccurately.

I remember thinking that this must be just about the worst competitive set ever played, as our opponents could hardly land a ball over the net, but Chris was getting in first. We were winning the point on the right, just by my tactic of rolling the ball back deep and both of us following in to volley, but Chriss returns were landing in every corner of Farnsfield village.

At yet another match point to us, I pleaded desperately for him just to get the ball back, but he said that he couldn't play like that and had to go for his shots. His next one landed on the roof of a car in the car park with a loud thump. We gained another match point and he drove fiercely. 'Out!' called our opponents, and Chris grinned at me. 'I'm getting nearer.' he said. Trying to control myself, I played deep and Chris volleyed a winner. Chris lashed out and I groaned inwardly, but to my amazement the opponents called that it was on the line and game, set and match to us. Chris shook my hand and said. 'That's what you wanted me to do, wasn't it?'

Barbara Raistrick
My thanks to Christine and the committee for the messages of sympathy. Thanks also to Lisa for visiting me, and to Andy and his family.

Barbara enjoyed taking part in the social activities of the club, especially the jumble sales, and shared my affection for the club and its members.

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