
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, July 26, 1993                   TAG: 9307260071
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

WIMBLEDON FINALISTS ARE GENTLEMEN

The article captioned (assumedly by the Roanoke Times & World-News) "A Solution Must Be Found For Wimbledon Yawners" provoked this reply. Not often am I so provoked but Jim Litke has succeeded in eliciting hormonal reaction in connection with my admittedly aging but hopefully still morally acceptable standards of conduct.

With respect to the athletic aspects of the 1993 Wimbledon final (championship) match - as Mr. Litke stated - the development of new equipment plus the athletic prowess of individual athletes has all but eliminated long rallies. I don't have the facts and am not in the position to argue the point with respect to waning fan interest but I, personally, watched the entire match with avid interest without even a fleeting thought to changing channels.

My reason for this communication lies in Litke's opinionated (his right) implied denigration of the personalities of three top notch, champion-type athletes who also appear to be gentlemen - Bjorn Borg, Jim Courier and Pete Sampras. Their athletic accomplishments go hand in hand (to my mind) with their unassuming gentlemanly attitudes. I respect them as athletes and men.

Litke's comment with respect to TV ratings going downhill since Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe more or less left the scene may or may not be true. I offer one comment - I respect them as athletes only!

PHILIP R. TOALE\ LEXINGTON

Keywords:
TENNIS

by CNB