Gottfried von Cramm

[pc1]

Originally Posted by SusanDK

A nice article on CNN.com today about the Budge - von Cramm Davis Cup match:

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/te...html?hpt=hp_c2

Great job Susan. They wrote in the article that it may be made into a movie. That would be nice but I've yet to see a great tennis movie.

[hoodjem]

"A Hollywood studio has taken an option on Fisher's book so both Budge and von Cramm may end up immortalized on the silver screen."

[urban]

In fact, Budge is in a film, a piece of the famous Tracy- Heburn duo. She plays a sports woman, who plays golf with Babe Didrickson and tennis with i think Gussy Moran, Budge and Riggs. Von Cramm was in a film about the life of Barbara Hutton, i think a made for TV picture.

[pc1]

Originally Posted by urban

In fact, Budge is in a film, a piece of the famous Tracy- Heburn duo. She plays a sports woman, who plays golf with Babe Didrickson and tennis with i think Gussy Moran, Budge and Riggs. Von Cramm was in a film about the life of Barbara Hutton, i think a made for TV picture.

I forgot about that movie. It was called "Pat and Mike."
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0045012/fullcredits#cast

[urban]

Nice find, pc 1. I think, Hepburn won all the fictive golf and tennis matches played in this film. Would be not easy against Babe and Alice Marble. But, if i have read it right, she was a very good tennis player, and a friend of Martina Navratilova in her later years.

[Frank Silbermann]

Originally Posted by pc1

Great job Susan. They wrote in the article that it may be made into a movie. That would be nice but I've yet to see a great tennis movie.

It would be very difficult to teach the actor to hit backhands like Budge, considering that even most top tournament champions who came after him couldn't do it.

[Limpinhitter]

When I was at Don Budge's tennis camp, he spoke about his matches with von Cramm, and opined that von Cramm was an all time great and might have been the greatest ever but for the Nazis.

[krosero]

Over at http://tennis28.com/slams/saved_matchpoint.html it says that von Cramm faced a match point against him when he won his first RG title, against Crawford. Fisher says the same in A Terrible Splendor, and he also says that von Cramm won three five-set matches before the final.

Just on those facts alone it sounds like one of the most dramatic and impressive victories of the 30s, but you rarely hear about it. Whenever von Cramm is mentioned today all the talk is either about Budge, or about von Cramm losing three Wimbledon finals.

Wondering if anyone has more information on this tournament and particularly the final?

[newmark401]

"Wondering if anyone has more information on this tournament and particularly the final?"

From the London "Times", Monday, June 4, 1934:

"A New Champion

"Few people had thought earlier in the afternoon that the [men's] singles final would bring a new champion. It was evident at the outset that Crawford was not in the wonderful form that had beaten Henri Cochet last year. He often seems to make a lackadaisical start, however, and, complete stroke player that he is, can thrive on living dangerously. Past experience was being repeated when Crawford, having lost the first set, pulled himself together in time, won a close second set and the third set and, leading by five games to four in the fourth, at last reached match point. He threw up a difficult lob, von Cramm smashed it dead on the sideline, and with a burst of brilliant drives and volleys, ran out with the set.

"The fifth set was a sorry affair. Crawford, against the severe driving from von Cramm, had needed all his speed of foot to make those disconcerting recoveries of his, and by this time was staggering with fatigue. His control deserted him and it was not long before von Cramm, volleying magnificently, had won the match by 6-4, 7-9, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3."
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[newmark401]

Some more match points saved by eventual champions in majors (not included in that other website):

In the All-Comers' Final at Wimbledon in 1889, William Renshaw saved six match points against Harry Barlow in the fourth set of their match. W. Renshaw eventually won 3-6, 5-7, 8-6, 10-8, 8-6.

Coincidentally, and probably uniquely, the 1889 women's singles champion, Blanche Hillyard, of England, saved three match points in the All-Comer's Final in her three-set victory, 4-6, 8-6, 6-4, over the Irishwoman Lena Rice.
--

In the All-Comers' Final at Wimbledon in 1895, Wilberforce V. Eaves had one match point at 6-5, 40-30, in the third set of his match against Wilfred Baddeley. The latter saved the match point and eventally won the match, 4-6, 2-6, 8-6, 6-2, 6-3.
--

At Wimbledon in 1919, Suzanne Lenglen saved two match points in the Challenge Round against Dorothea Lambert Chambers, at 6-5, 40-15, in the third set. Lenglen won 10-8, 4-6, 9-7.
--

In the Challenge Round of the men's singles event at Wimbledon in 1921, Bill Tilden beat Brian Norton after the latter had had two match points in the fifth set. The final score was 4-6, 2-6, 6-1, 6-0, 7-5.
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[krosero]

Thanks for the 1934 excerpt, Mark. The NY Times had relatively little on the match. They do say that von Cramm "speeded the game and came from behind with an attack that left Crawford staggering with weariness in the final set.”

Fisher writes that it was one of the hottest French championships in memory.

Too bad about Crawford, only the previous year he had lost a 2 sets to 1 lead against Perry, just one set away from a Grand Slam. Then he lost the Australian final to Perry, the French final to von Cramm, and the Wimbledon final to Perry.

Off topic but I noticed the list I linked to also has Perry saving match points against Budge at Forest Hills, but the NY Times has a very detailed description and they only say that Budge twice came within two points of winning. Do you have anything on that?

Btw I think you mean Norton above.

[krosero]

Perry took von Cramm's title in the '35 final, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Again the New York Times had relatively little, but they do say that it was a "thrilling struggle."

The Times added this: "Observers believed there was a growing tendency among the players to regard the hard-court tournament as no longer one of first importance since France lost the Davis Cup. A lack of spirited play was apparent this year."

Fisher, when writing about the 1934 tournament (only a year after France lost the Cup), remarks that "The French title was second in prestige only to Wimbledon."

[krosero]

Again Perry met von Cramm in the final, this time going five sets. Von Cramm won 6-0, 2-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0.

An AP story in the New York Times reported that it was the first victory for Gottfried “in four attempts against the recognized No. 1 star in the tennis world.” Perry had defeated von Cramm at Wimbledon in ’31, in Davis Cup in ’32, and in the French and Wimbledon finals of ’35 – every time in straight sets except at Roland Garros.

Von Cramm won the fourth game of the final set “with four blinding service aces.”

[newmark401]

Originally Posted by krosero

Perry took von Cramm's title in the '35 final, 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Again the New York Times had relatively little, but they do say that it was a "thrilling struggle."

The Times added this: "Observers believed there was a growing tendency among the players to regard the hard-court tournament as no longer one of first importance since France lost the Davis Cup. A lack of spirited play was apparent this year."

Fisher, when writing about the 1934 tournament (only a year after France lost the Cup), remarks that "The French title was second in prestige only to Wimbledon."

From "Lawn Tennis and Badminton", 8 June 1935:

"Fred Perry captured one of the few honours of the game which have hitherto eluded him by his victory in the French Championships in Paris last Sunday, and in so doing he has set up a record never before accomplished in the history of lawn tennis. He is the first Englishman to win the French Championship since the meeting was thrown open to all-comers in 1925, and the first player of any nation to have his name inscribed on the four major championship rolls of the world, those at Wimbledon, America, Australia and France. His nearest rival, Jack Crawford, had won in Australia, France and at Wimbledon, but the Australian has yet to annex the American Championship.

"[...] Perry has many attributes which favour him in his quest of overseas titles. He is more adaptable to varying court conditions, and he can rely on his great stamina to see him through a marathon encounter. With the knowledge that his physique is more robust than any of his contemporaries he can also conduct his matches with a good margin of reserve for the unexpected. Rarely does he get off the mark with the flying start so often witnessed when Borotra was in his heyday, though he is quite capable of emulating the Frenchman's sustained net attack if he so wished. None of the Paris entry could match him in steadiness or control from the baseline; consequently he could wage his matches without being hustled or subjected to intensive pressure.

"[...] Perry wins the final

"A gathering of over 10,000 witnessed the final between Perry and Gottfried von Cramm, and the Englishman realised a long-standing ambition when he emerged victorious by 6-3, 3-6, 6-1, 6-3. Perry led practically throughout in the first set, his accurate and deep driving giving von Cramm little scope for executing strokes on lines which demand some margin of leisure to achieve their best effect. After losing a service game to love - his only lapse during the set - Perry took the first set with two love games in a spectacular burst of speed. When von Cramm had won the first game of the second set a shower caused a short adjournment, after which the German established an ascendancy of brief duration. He was helped to this by a stream of lobs which he smashed firmly to get a lead of 5-2. The set went to von Cramm at 6-3.

"Perty went to 3-0 in the third for the loss of only four points; and going smoothly to 5-0 appeared to throw away his service game deliberately with the object of beginning the next set with service. This argued supreme confidence, and that confidence was justified by what happened. He easily won von Cramm's service for 6-1 and reeled off the first three games of the fourth set. He dropped a game, but then went further ahead, breaking through von Cramm's service, to 5-1. He was now well within sight of victory, but he was not destined to reach it without dropping two more games and failing to clinch six match points. On his seventh, however, he brought off a fine passing shot for victory."
-----

[newmark401]

Originally Posted by krosero

Again Perry met von Cramm in the final, this time going five sets. Von Cramm won 6-0, 2-6, 6-2, 2-6, 6-0.

An AP story in the New York Times reported that it was the first victory for Gottfried “in four attempts against the recognized No. 1 star in the tennis world.” But that cannot refer to their entire rivalry, because von Cramm defeated Perry in their only Davis Cup meeting, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, back in ’32.

Von Cramm won the fourth game of the final set “with four blinding service aces.”

From the London "Times", 2 June 1936:

"A Disappointing Final

"[...] When due credit has been given to von Cramm's attacking strokes, the deliberate murder in his service and the wide sweeping of his low forehand drive across the court, those love sets with which the match began and ended cannot be ascribed to any considerable improvement during the winter. He is steadier in the critical rallies and has a broader appreciation of attacking values which are centred in making powerful drives on both hands no more than net high and at the widest possible angles. He has the allies of the drive, the drop shot and the volley, at his command as well as any other player, but Perry showed that von Cramm can still be made to yield to depth and pace in the backhand corner and that, like Perry himself, he is prone to hit down the slow drive in the forehand service court. It had been rumoured that von Cramm had perfected a short, heavily-chopped stroke that would have Perry in trouble, but we saw little of it; the straight long drives were doing their work too well.

"Von Cramm opened the match with vigorous strokes in such perfect control, hitting winner after winner across the court, that Perry, repeatedly driving out and down, did not make the vestige of a stand for the first set, in which he lost three games to love and scored very few points in the others. The remarkable thing was that the fifth set should go exactly the same way, for, after the interval, Perry, two sets to one down, had come back with all his power of stroke to make the match level, and we all expected that now he would take his revenge for that opening love set. Perry's touch on the backhand, however, deserted him completely. As a stroke it is a law unto Perry, which we may admire but never understand; but now he repeatedly hit down shots plunging close to the body, depending more upon wrist and forearm than the true pivot of the hips.

"Von Cramm's control

"As von Cramm saw victory in sight he rose to his opportunity with magnificent control. His service came out with greater strength, kicking more terribly than ever high up on the backhand, his forehand drive plunged precisely across the court into the far corner, and, what was more unhappy for Perry, he never gave his adversary time to regain command of the rallies, but pressed him mercilessly on the volley. Even when Perry had lost five games and won no more points in this cruel fifth set there was still a faint hope for him, but von Cramm was serving, raced in to turn another of his piercing volleys across the court into match point, and with Perry's next stroke he became champion of France, once more as deserving a winner as when he first won the title from another holder, Jack Crawford."
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[urban]

Good articles on von Cramm. Yes, von Cramm is often reduced to his 3 Wim final losses to Perry and Budge. He was however, certainly since the times of Cochet, the best clay courter of the 30s. I know, that some historians like Robert Geist, who wrote a book on Nuesslein, refer to the pro Hanne Nuesslein as the better German player, but all German sources like Kleinschroth, Najuch or Menzel prefer von Cramm, who beat Nuesslein in their pro-am encounter at Rot Weiß in four sets. With a bit of luck, von Cramm could have challenged Cochets title haul at RG. He was forced to scratch RG in 1937 by his federation, on order to focus on Davis Cup duties. His team-mate Henner Henkel won RG instead of him. In 1938 and 39 he was banned, then came the War. He would surely have beaten Bill McNeil (i think he actually had beaten him shortly before RG 1939 at Cairo), and would have given Don Budge a run for his money in 1938. He had beaten Budge twice in team matches in Australia begin 1938. He also won a ton of German titles at Rothenbaum, Hamburg.
Two aspects, which are mentioned in the articles, seem to me contradicting some myths and cliches about von Cramm: One, that he had a formidable serve, probably the best twist serve before the War, which contradicts, that he was a pure baseline or clay artist (i heard even Perry making such a statement). And second: He won a lot of 5 set matches, so contradicting any rumor of mental weaknesses, which i often read about him.

[GoSurfBoy]

More photos:

http://marshalljonfisher.wordpress.c...k/photographs/

You can search very old clips here:

http://www.britishpathe.com/results....arch=von+cramm

[Nadal_Power]

Thank you guys, great read and great photos

[krosero]

Originally Posted by urban

He won a lot of 5 set matches, so contradicting any rumor of mental weaknesses, which i often read about him.

He won these five-setters in the Slams, that I know of (his only loss is listed in bold):

1931 French, R32, Du Plaix

1934 French, R32, Palmieri
1934 French, QF, Menzel
1934 French, SF, de Stefani
1934 French, final, Crawford (saving match point)

1935 French, SF, Austin (bagel in the fifth set)

1936 French, final, Perry (bagel in the fifth set)

1937 Wimbledon, QF, Crawford

1937 US Championships, QF, Grant
1937 US Championships, SF, Riggs (from two sets down)
Lost 1937 US Championships final to Budge

1938 Australian, QF, McGrath (bagel in the fifth set)


He won most of his five-setters in Davis Cup: http://www.daviscup.com/en/players/p...yerid=10004657

In five-set Davis Cup matches he was 6-1 until the famous match with Budge, which was the last time he played Davis Cup before the war. Among those six wins he's got a win from two sets down, another 11-9 in the fifth, another 8-6 in the fifth.

After the war he lost both of his Davis Cup five-setters, including one from two sets up (which of course also happened against Budge).


This can't be his full five-set record because he must have played others in the Slams and in other places. But what's listed so far is impressive, with only those two prominent five-set losses to Budge in the summer of '37 at Wimbledon and in New York.

[pc1]

Originally Posted by krosero

He won these five-setters in the Slams, that I know of (his only loss is listed in bold):

1934 French, R32, Palmieri
1934 French, QF, Menzel
1934 French, SF, de Stefani
1934 French, final, Crawford (saving match point)

1935 French, SF, Austin (bagel in the fifth set)

1936 French, final, Perry (bagel in the fifth set)

1937 Wimbledon, QF, Crawford

1937 US Championships, QF, Grant
1937 US Championships, SF, Riggs (from two sets down)
Lost 1937 US Championships final to Budge

1939 Australian, QF, McGrath (bagel in the fifth set)


He won most of his five-setters in Davis Cup: http://www.daviscup.com/en/players/p...yerid=10004657

In five-set Davis Cup matches he was 6-1 until the famous match with Budge, which was the last time he played Davis Cup before the war. Among those six wins he's got a win from two sets down, another 11-9 in the fifth, another 8-6 in the fifth.

After the war he lost both of his Davis Cup five-setters, including one from two sets up (which of course also happened against Budge).


This can't be his full five-set record because he must have played others in the Slams and in other places. But what's listed so far is impressive, with only those two prominent five-set losses to Budge in the summer of '37 at Wimbledon and in New York.

According to Budge, von Cramm was famous for his stamina and had a great rep in five set matches.