Jack Kramer: The Original Terminator

The great players who came before and after him shared one quality: blazing footspeed. Jack Kramer was the exception. By no means slow, he defied the previously uncontested axiom, "If you can't fly, you're dead." At an early age, Kramer diligently perfected a game in which his opponents seldom had the luxury of hitting a ball while standing still or moving forward. Even as a young player, Kramer demonstrated the precision that was to foreshadow the greatest percentage player in tennis history. At a young age, Kramer perfected a high percentage attacking game. His lifetime first service accuracy hovered at 75%. This was supplemented by the best second serve of all time. When combined with his near perfect volleying technique, a service break would invariably prove fatal to his opponent. Said no less a player that Don Budge: "I feel Jack, 365 days out of the year, was the best player I ever saw." Jack's pro debut got off to a less than auspicious start. He turned pro during the Championships at Forrest Hills in 1947. I had signing a contract to play a tour with Bobby Riggs before actually winning the tournament. In the final, Frank Parker had Kramer...