Nijinsky at the Net

Despite his stocky football player's build, pugnacious Chuck McKinley danced, pranced and pirouetted around Wimbledon's center court last week like a souped-up Nijinsky. The gallery loved it. What had been shaping up as the dullest Wimbledon tournament of the century was suddenly infused with zest and excitement, and the credit belonged entirely to the 20-year-old, 5-ft. 8-in., 163 lb. dynamo from St. Louis. "Chunky Chuck looks like a rock but moves like a dragonfly," said a British newsman. Marveled the London Times: "He plays most of the time with both feet off the ground."

Seeded a lowly eighth in what amounts to the world championship of amateur tennis, McKinley was considered America's sole hope to capture its first men's title in six years--and a forlorn hope at best. The last of the U.S. women was eliminated by the quarter-finals and, in a rare all-British final, dogged Angela Mortimer, 29, who has been after the title for nine years, edged towering (6 ft.) Christine Truman, 20, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5. But before long, McKinley, his thick thighs churning madly and his heavy torso twisting to reach impossible shots, made the gallery take notice of the Yanks.

In the quarterfinals, gyrating like a pinwheel, the Missouri Missile trounced Britain's Bobby Wilson, who earlier had upset top-seeded Neale Eraser of Australia. Said a shaken Wilson: "I have never played such a fantastically fast man." In the semifinals, McKinley overwhelmed Britain's Mike Sangster 6-4, 6-4, 8-6, thus becoming the first American to gain the finals since Tony Trabert in 1955.

But McKinley was not yet ready for Australia's canny, flame-haired Rod ("The Rocket") Laver, 22, seeded second. Laver was in danger of becoming Wimbledon's perennial bridesmaid: two years ago he lost the final to Peru's flashy Alex Olmedo, now a pro; last year Fraser beat him. This time Laver made it, and in only 55 minutes. With the score tied 3-3 in the first set, Laver broke through McKinley's service, won nine out of the next ten games for a commanding 6-3, 6-1 lead. He let up briefly in the third set, but with the score tied at 4-4, again broke McKinley's service and went on to clinch the title, 6-4.

Interpreting the victory as a sure sign that Laver had finally come of age, experts hurried to install him as the early favorite in the U.S. singles championships at Forest Hills in September. But they kept a sharp eye on Chuck McKinley, whose fiery spirit and hustling game could make him unbeatable when he reaches maturity.

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