Malcolm Huntington outlines days of umpire at two Olympics to DAVE FLETT.

SPORTING excellence is traditionally the benchmark for any budding Olympian.

But, for four-time York tennis singles champion Malcolm Huntington , an inglorious defeat in Ilkley proved the springboard for eventual five-ringed recognition 25 years later.

Back in 1959, a downbeat and reluctant Huntington was asked to umpire at a minor West Yorkshire tournament that he had just been beaten in.

His performance in the chair, though, must have exceeded his efforts on the court as, by chance, it caught the eye of a retired Lawn Tennis Association official.

From such humble beginnings, Huntington would go on to take charge of men’s and ladies’ singles finals at Wimbledon, a Davis Cup final and, when tennis was trialled as a demonstration sport at the 1984 Los Angeles Games, he was named chief umpire.

He oversaw the ladies’ final on the UCLA courts, won by a certain German schoolgirl called Steffi Graf, before also officiating at the Seoul Games four years later when tennis returned to the Olympic schedule.

“Los Angeles was the first time tennis had been in the Olympics since 1928 so to be named chief umpire was a tremendous honour,” Huntington recalled. “I was the only representative from Britain and there were only eight of us there from all over the world.

“The organisers were very pleased with how it went and tennis was then included in the next Games.”

Huntington admitted if it was not for a “complete fluke”, he would probably have never enjoyed a leading role in the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’.

Of that pivotal moment in Ilkley, he confessed: “It was a complete fluke how I came to be an umpire.

“Every sport is desperate for officials as not many people want to be sworn at by footballers on a Sunday morning. When I got knocked out of that tournament, an old Wimbledon umpire Bunny Heron was watching and, after the match, asked if I had umpired before.

“I told him I hadn’t and that I preferred to play but he said I looked like I knew what I was doing and pulled out a form from the LTA. I filled it in and, the following year, was umpiring at Wimbledon, which I did for the next 36 years.”

At Los Angeles, the Evening Press’ then York City writer most vividly recalls his first encounter with 22-time future Grand Slam winner Graf, adding: “There was an under-21 rule at that first tournament and, after I came back to the office, I said ‘I’ve just come across a little girl who is absolutely outstanding called Steffi Graf’.

“Everybody said ‘We’ve never heard of her’. I replied ‘You will do’. She was only 15 then but she won that tournament and I went on to umpire her first Wimbledon final victory four years later against Martina Navratilova.” That summer, Huntington returned to Olympic duty in Seoul.

Tennis’ re-entry into the Olympics proved controversial with the sight of millionaire players drawing criticism from those vainly holding on to the ideal that only amateur sportsmen should participate.

But, in an era of seven-figured sponsorship for athletes, Huntington believes it is only right that the world’s premier racquet sport remains on the International Olympic Committee’s roster.

He reasoned: “You can argue a case for any sport and, yes, I think tennis should be there. There are very few amateurs at the Olympics any more.”

Huntington, now 78, added that hosting Olympic tennis at Wimbledon should generate greater interest, following on swiftly from Andy Murray reaching the final in this year’s men’s singles on Centre Court.

He said: “I’m hoping having the Olympics there will increase awareness of tennis. People have always said the tennis season lasts for two weeks in England and then everybody forgets about it for another year but this might encourage a few youngsters to stick with it.”

On Murray’s chances of going a step further and claiming gold for Team GB, Huntington suggested his best chance might rest on avoiding Wimbledon nemesis Roger Federer.

“Federer is a genius,” added Huntington.

“Rod Laver was the best player I umpired but Federer is the best player I have ever seen and is so pleasing on the eye.”