AThe Argus Moline, Illinois Tuesday, July 11, 1972 - Page 18
Popularity of Tennis
The popularity of the sport hasn't been damaged in recent weeks by complimentary remarks from stars in other fields.
Jack Nicklaus, considered the world's premiere golfer, recently told a writer that when he gets up-tight, he plays tennis to relax. “I wouldn't play golf if I didn't get paid,” he said, “but I'd play tennis.”
Chess master Bobby Fischer, interviewed the other day in Reykjavik, Iceland, site of the marathon world championship chess tournament against Russian world champion Boris Spassky, lamented that the small town had only two tennis courts. Where, he wondered, was he going to unwind from the rigors of the match?
The tennis boom is most accurately reflected locally by the sales of tennis equipment, and not just rackets and balls.
“My sales are up considerably,” said Roy Turner of Rock Island Sport Shop, “particularly in the area of clothes. Until the past couple of years nobody was interested in buying tennis shorts or shirts…or even hats.
“A player figured all he or she needed was a racket, a can of balls and tennis shoes. But now the whole line of tennis equipment is going big.”
Popularity of Tennis 11 Jul 1972, Tue The Rock Island Argus (Moline, Illinois) Newspapers.com
