The Jack Kramer Autograph: A Tale of Hope

A diamond throat Kramer – the prize for my first tournament title.

The first tournament I won, a city of Richmond California open tournament, I won at the age of 11 years, against an 18 year old named Brian Taylor. Brian thought he had won the match, but on match point I called his shot out.

He did not hear me, and he celebrated too early. I began to cry, and the tournament director asked Brian to play the point over. Technically it was my point. But it seemed fair to play the point over to me. You wouldn’t see that kind of compromise today.

I ended up winning the match by coming back and grinding it out, much to Brian’s dismay. But he was a good sport. The girls all loved him for his easy going nature, and curly hair.

To win that tournament I used a Value Village, 50 cent Bancroft fiber glass/steel reinforced frame, strung with piano wire, that was warped, even though I kept it pressed. The tournament prize was a Jack Kramer Autograph frame, diamond insert. The holy grail for a young player in that era.

That Jack Kramer stood for hope for me back…