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FORD'S SPLENDID RECORD
--*_
State's Leading Player
The performances of Vivian Mc-
Grath, the Australian Junior Champion
'and New South Walas wonder-boy
«ennis player, against many of the
leading Eastern States', sen.ors sug-
gests that he will nave the best chance
of winning the Western Australian
open title at the Baster tournament to
be played at the King's Park courts
commencing on Good Friday.
In spite ol his undoubted ability,
McGrath will not have an easy task if
be is to have his name engraved cn
the coveted Linwood Cup along with
those of Harry Hopman, R. E. Schles-
inger, Ron Ford, and Rice Gemmell
Apart from Adrian Quiet (South Aus-
tralia) and D. Thompson (New South
Wales), McGrath will find strong op-
position from the leading local players.
Kv Ford, H. Jacoby, and M. Carpenter.'
Ford, who is purely a product of
Western Australia, commenced to
play the game at the age of 16
years on a private court, and since
then has hat a phenomenal record.
For the past six years he has been
ranked number one In the State.
Ron's first notable achievement
was with tht. winning Subiaco
Slazenger Cup team in 1325.
In the samt year he captured both
the City of Perth and the State Junior
Championships repeating' the splendid
double again the following year. I
Ii. 1926 i?or« was runner-up In the!
Suburban Singles, and was sent to
Adelaide to represent this State in be
Australian Championships held there.
In .the Junior Singles he ran Jaxdc j
Crawford {now Australian champion) '
t 7-5, after one set-all had been
called. In the following year, at Mel-
bourne. FOrd eliminated Harry Hop-
man in the senior event, beating him
7-5. 6-3, 6-1. The King's Park Junior 1
Singles (1927; Senior Singles (1928).
and Senior Doubles (with Stapledon in
1928) were followed by his annexing
the City of Perth Singles and Doubles
ti-les for the latter year. In 1928, too.
Ford represented Australia in an ex-
hibition tour of Java, Singapore, and
the Federated Malay States.
In 1929 Ford had aq almost un-
paralleled run of successes, being
runner-up in the Hard Court Sin-
gles Championship bf W.A.; win-
ner in the doubles and mixed dou-
bles -on the hard courts; winner of
the South-West singles and cou
? bles championships; winner of the
Suburban singles and doubles;
winner of the Centenary singles
and doubles and runner-up in the
mixed doubles; winner of the
Metropolitan singles, doubles and
mixed doubles.
Ford was also a member of the Aus-
tralian team that played the English-
men-Gregory. Colime, and Austin-in
Perth.
The following year, 1930, was almost
as good for Ron, who again annexed
the State Singles Championship and
the King's Park Singles and Doubles,
these latter titles also going his way
last year, when he was beaten by
Harry Hopman (ultimate winner) bi
the semi-final of the State Champion-
ship. In the semi-final also Hopman
and EL Barker put out Ford and
Jacoby in the doubles.
This year Ford has won the State
Hard Court and also the Northam
District Singles and Doubles Cham-
pionships. Enthusiasts here would
like to see the brilliant local player
secure the major title at Easter, but
at all events he is sure to give a good
account of himself.
Intending competitors at the Easter
tournament are reminded that entries
close on Wednesday week. March 16.
$