Bigger Better Tennis - Paul Dale

In 1988 I landed the job of Chinese National Junior Coach.  A total of 4 boys and 4 girls were selected from players from throughout the country and these players were trained for two months inside mainland China, at a small city called Chungshan.   This was the beginning of China’s emergence back into the international tennis mainstream after decades of isolation.  We later played junior ITF tournaments in Jakarta, Tokyo, and Hong Kong. Also at those same ITF tournaments was a junior Thai team under the management of a local ex-pat named Gordon U.E Martin.  I already knew Gordon from my time in Bangkok and also knew that he was a true tennis fanatic.  Gordon helped put Thai tennis on the map in those early days by bringing professional men's tennis to Thailand and by starting ITF junior events in Bangkok for the first time. Those early ITF Junior events started by Gordon are still held annually each year until this day.  Gordon was particularly interested in the history of Asian t