Page 6 - Sports Energy News, Cornwall, Issue No 25

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As I remember: Cornwall tennis in the forties and fifties

By Tom Fagan he moved to Ottawa.
Other excellent players were George,
Freddie, Nick and Eddie Kaneb, Ralph
Galt, Art Fournier, Orval Tessier, Alex
McAllister, Rick and Alex Kalil and
others.
In mixed doubles Eddie Kaneb and Ola
Newman, Charlene and Nick Kaneb, Oval
Tessier and Helen Lebrecque and others
won championships.
Georgette Delekatraze won an all
Ontario Championship. George Kaneb
won an Eastern Ontario championship.
William Fagan Senior was a Cornwall
champion in the twenties and thirties.
It is worth noting that the late Donat
Poirier won the over eighties Canadian
Championship some sixty years after these
pictures were taken.
This is a short summary of tennis
information and events that happened in
the Cornwall area many years ago. Hope
n the early fifties, Maynard Kalil, Nash

IKalil, Nick Kaneb and my father took a you enjoyed it.
My thanks to Bill Fagan junior, Jim (From left): The owner of a large sports centre in Montreal,
group of young Cornwall and district tennis
Fagan, Angelo Rubino and Rick Kalil the manager of the Canadian Davis Cup team, Canadian
players to the Dominion Open Junior and for pictures and information given to me.
Senior Championships in Ottawa. Thanks also to Brenda D’amour for the champion Henri Rochon, Angelo Brunet and William Fagan
The event was held at the beautiful senior. Kneeling in front are Bill Fagan junior and Donat
Rideau Tennis Club. What a surprise we continued encouragement and support in Poirier. Photo Supplied
had when we saw the huge clubhouse the writing of my articles
with sixteen tennis courts surrounded by
beautiful lawns and flower gardens.

I did not play tennis for more than
two or three years, as I much preferred
softball. However, our home on York
Street revolved around tennis. Some of the
players came to our house to have their
racquets restrung.
I remember many of the young players
and the older players as well.
The picture featured in the Dulux
Colourful Moments on page 30 was taken

in the early fifties and shows Nick Kaneb
coaching some of the younger players
of the area. Nick was demonstrating
the proper strokes needed to play tennis
properly.
The second picture (bottom) shows from
the left 1949 Henri Rochon, the Canadian
Open Tennis Champion and member of
Canada’s Davis Cup team, Bill Fagan
Junior, Angelo Brunet and Donat Poiriear.
Cornwall tennis fans watched Henri
Rochon play an exhibition match against
Bill Fagan Junior. Henri Rochon was a top
ten Canadian tennis player for thirty years
and Cornwall was fortunate to have him
pay us a visit.
The top picture from the left shows the
owner of large sports centre in Montreal,
the manager of the Canadian Davis Cup
team, Canadian Champion Henri Rochon,
Angelo Brunet and William Fagan Senior.
Bottom shows Bill Fagan Junior and
Donat Poirier.
At that time, one of the top players
was Nick Kaneb singles champion. When
Bill Fagan Junior, at seventeen, won the
junior and senior championship the same (From left): Henri Rochon, 1949 Canadian Open Tennis Champion and member of Canada’s Davis Cup Team,
year. He dominated in singles tennis till Bill Fagan Junior, Angelo Brunet and Donat Poirier. Supplied photo.