Len Schwartz

Len passed away 23-11-2010 aged 97.  The article was produced in 2008.

Len Schwartz, was born in 1913 in the Barossa Valley, South Australia.  The other day Len kindly gave me some time to discuss his long and wonderful tennis career. His junior days were spent in country Strathalbyn where he practiced regularly against a brick wall and played at the Milang Tennis Club.

At 18 years old he went to search for a job in Adelaide and found himself employed by one of the largest retail groups, Harris Scarfe who still operate today in numerous states. On the very first weekend, Len dressed himself in his tennis gear, packed a racquet, jumped on his bike and began the search for a tennis club with grass courts. He found his new home at Unley Oval and promptly played in the West Torrence district team in the U21′s. Following good performances he found himself in the Linton Cup Team where he met Adrian Quist and Don Turnbull.  Quist was already a very promising junior having won the 1930 Australian Boy’s Doubles with Don Turnbull however he partnered with Len in 1932 to win the championship for the second time.

Len enjoyed more doubles success than in singles, yet he had match points to almost win the South Australian Championships at least once but appeared in the final four times against Hopman in 1933 in a massive 5 setter (10-8 in the fifth), Quist twice and Bromwich. As a demonstration of his doubles versatility, Len won the doubles event 4 times with four different partners (G.Hone, R Sheppard, John Wright and Adrian Quist) and the mixed event twice.

Len considers his best shot was the backhand volley however he played a constant serve volley attacking game.  He played for the South Australian Intercolonial team which enjoyed a massive public following and acted as an excellent lead-in tournament to the Australian Championships.

While somewhat in the shadow of Crawford who won Wimbledon in 1933, Quist, Viv Mc Grath and Bromwich, Len continued to impress and was selected as the 5th player in the 1937 Davis Cup team.  In those days with the Tennis Association picking up the overseas traveling expenses, it was decided that a five player team was not affordable and Len missed out.

In 1938, Len defeated Jack Crawford in the first round of the Australian Championships in front of his home crowd and then went on to be defeated in the quarter finals by the legendary Don Budge in his Grand Slam year 6-4, 6-3, 10-8. He recalls Budge changing ends saying something to him like “keep up the good work, you’re playing well”.

The dominance of Budge and the US team almost lead the LTAA to decide not to send a team in 1938. Luckily they approved a team and Len’s performances pushed him up the rankings and into side with Quist, Bromwich and Harry Hopman as Captain Manager. They toured the USA for 5 months.  The first round played was against Mexico in Kansas City which was a high altitude city and hot. Hopman, gave Len his chance to play his one and only singles match defeating D.Hernandez 6-4,6-1, 6-2.

After defeating Japan in the next round, the Australians went on to win the American Zone and then defeating Germany from the European Zone to meet the mighty US team in the final. It wasn’t the 5-0 whitewash many may have expected. The US team won 3-2 in Philadelphia, playing Riggs and Budge in the singles and Budge Mako in the doubles.Quist and Bromwich won the doubles and Bromwich won the only singles against Riggs.

On the tour Len and Harry used to play and practice alot against Quist and Bromwich. They were the ultimate doubles combination and from 1938 to 1950 with no play during the war, Quist and Bromwich won the Australian Doubles title 8 times (Quist won with Don Turnbull in 1936 1937 so he won it 10 times straight over 14 years. Whilst on tour the Australian team entered and played in the American National Doubles Tournament the feature event in that year.  Len and Harry were defeated by Quist and Bromwich 3-1 in the semi finals who in turn then lost to Budge and Mako in the finals.

The second most prestigious doubles tournament was held in Los Angeles.  Here Harry and Len defeated Quist and Bromwich and went on to defeat Budge and Mako.  Len not only sees this as his best series of wins, but he pointed out that in achieving their performance over the two tournaments they had defeated all four 1938 Doubles Grand Slam winners.

After the war in 1946, Len was asked to once again play in the Davis Cup team, however since he was married and needed a job, Len became a tennis coach and under the restrictive rules of the era that saw many fine players ineligible due becoming “tennis professionals” Len could not be selected.

Since we always have an interest in racquets, Len’s first racquet was an English made Prosser that his father gave him and after that as he became more prominent in South Australia he was approached by the local Slazenger representative to work for the company.  He did change to Spalding for a short time thanks to his mate Don Turnbull who worked there but went back to Slazenger and eventually moved to their head office in Alexandria, NSW where he was able to play exhibition matches and promote Slazeneger products to clubs and private homes. Len remained a coach until he was 70 and like many others demonstrated his sporting prowess by playing for the South Australian Lawn Bowling team for 10 years.

As a coach Len recalls teaching John Alexander and has enjoyed the many Davis Cup Dinners Tennis Australia invited him to and fondly remembers meeting fellow South Australian and AFL Crows supporter Lleyton Hewitt.

At 95, Len is still very with it and readily recalls his experiences in considerable detail which is a huge blessing. It was a great pleasure to talk with Len and to share these wonderful memories. He is very proud to have played in the Davis Cup team in 1938 and he and his family including 6 grandchildren and 4 great grand children should be thrilled that Len’s name is on the Cup.

Pictures show Len with Harry Hopman and the Cup.

Below, the Australian v Japan Teams in Montreal 1938. Harry Hopman far left, Adrian Quist 3rd left, Len 4th right and John Bromwich far right.