Issue 4, Jan 2002 (Back to Contents)

Mick Dean reviews James Male's (1977) extensive rackets (and other sports) achievements.

James Male (Click image to enlarge).

At an age when most top class sportsmen are, if not actually contemplating the pipe and slippers, at least thinking of slowing up slightly, James Male was winning back his world rackets title. This he did by a hugely impressive margin from the gentleman who had somewhat impudently taken advantage of James's damaged ankle in 1999 to deprive him of it for the first time since 1988 (when he was the youngest world champion since records began).

James arrived at Radley in 1977, shortly after Virginia Wade had celebrated the Silver Jubilee, as an international under 14 England lawn tennis player. At school, he widened his horizons. He became a star hockey player in the (I was told) best side for decades; a fine cricketer in the 1st XI able to field, bowl and bat with effect; a good rugger player in the 1st XV; he took Radley to within a point of a Public Schools Lawn Tennis final at Wimbledon and beat the then Oxford University No.1 at Real (not Lawn) Tennis.

But by far his most significant achievement was in rackets. He won the Public Schools singles for two years running; was the youngest ever winner, having won the U16 singles previously. He went on to win the senior doubles event (Radley's first since 1930 - the great Vestey & Van der Gucht) with Julian Snow, a contemporary and great rival who himself went on to win the Public Schools singles and to become the World Amateur Real Tennis champion.

This was a sparkling vintage; another partner for James (when they won the Public Schools Lawn Tennis U15 Thomas Bowl over Eton) was Andrew Harriman, who went on to play Rugby for England and captain their winning team in the world VIIs.

His most unusual characteristic was his two-handed technique in all court games. This was a legacy of his lawn tennis, when James, too small to hit a backhand with one hand but naturally ambidextrous, was able to ally this extraordinary manual flexibility and control with lightning footwork, big match nerves of high-tensile steel and a phenomenal desire to work hard for long periods of practice.

Just as many had scoffed at double-handed lawn tennis players before Connors and Evert showed how speed of foot could counter the disadvantage of reach of the two-hander, James had his critics - hardly surprisingly, since he was attempting to play a much faster game than lawn tennis with double-handed shots on both sides. That was really unusual. But, supreme dedication to fitness gave him the speed around the court to retrieve shots of 160mph +, while his double-handed shots enabled him to hit the bullet-like rackets ball on the 'up' with supreme accuracy, pace and control.

Watching James play rackets was like watching Viv Richards strike fours off machine-gunfire. It is commonly held that James at full throttle is probably the most thrilling sight ever witnessed on the rackets court - and I have heard that view from more than one former champion!

After school, he had a year in the USA on an ESU scholarship, before returning to work in the City for several years. For this time, he was about as dedicated to fitness and training as it is possible to imagine. Early mornings before work in the City were devoted to intense practice sessions at Queen's Club. Evenings were spent circuit training. He did play some rather good hockey (for Southgate, in the national league, and it is said that he could have been an international, too, and also won the Amateur Real Tennis title once) but rackets was his aim.

He became the youngest ever world champion in 1988 (age 24), and held it for 11 years until that ankle, though the title again resides in its rightful place, on the Male mantelpiece. In this period, he has won an innumerable quantity of major titles - British and American, Amateur and Open, Singles and Doubles. He won the Old Boys Doubles with Julian Snow, and also the inaugural World Doubles title in the early 1990s, which he recently regained as well as his singles title.

In the years since 1988 he has taken a year out to roam the world - and might have taken up an offer of pro baseball but for the strike that year - and had a number of other professional activities ranging from sports marketing to stockbroking.

Chief of his diversions has been an increasing attention to the game of real tennis. His erstwhile partner, Julian Snow, had won scores of major titles here and James had ambitions to be a double world champion (only two have done so in 300 years).

Together, they have won several major Open Doubles titles (including the British, probably the biggest) and in 1999-2000 James won his first ever British Open title and, with it, the right to challenge the holder (an Australian) for the world title, who last defended against Julian Snow, winning only on the final day. This is seriously difficult in a game populated by many dedicated professionals - but I would not bet against James in a big match!

In another ironic meeting, James's last British Open Rackets title win in January 2001 was over Mark Hubbard, the new Radley professional - a surprise finalist, and victor over some fine players. Watch the small print of the papers for James's world challenge, provisionally due to take place in February 2002 in Australia; a double-hander as double world champion would be quite something!

Mick Dean