the art of lawn tennis(网球的艺术)-第21章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Philadelphia and the eyes of the tennis world were centered on the
Germantown Cricket Club； where the greatest tournament of all time was
to be held。 Players of seven nations were to compete。 The Davis Cup stars
of England； Australia and Japan added their brilliance to that of all the
leading American players。 Six American champions； W。 A。 Larned； W。 J。
Clothier； R。 N。 Williams； R。 L。 Murray； W。 M。 Johnston； and myself were
entered。
Fate took a hand in the draw and for once I think did so badly that it
settled the 〃blind draw〃 forever。 In one sixteen Johnston； Richards；
Shimidzu； Murray and I were bunched。 The howl of protest from tennis
players and public alike was so loud that the blind draw surely will go by
the board at the coming annual meeting。 Since the foregoing was written；
the prophecy has proved true。 The annual meeting； Feb。 4th； 1922； adopted
the 〃Seeded Draw〃 unanimously。
Every day produced its thrills； but play ran singularly true to form in
most cases。 Illness took a hand in the game； compelling the defaults of R。
L。 Murray； Ichiya Kumagae and W。 A。 Larned。
The early rounds saw but one upset。 Norman Peach； Captain of the
Australasian Davis Cup team； was eliminated by William W。 Ingraham； of
Providence； one of the best junior players in America。 It was a splendid
victory and shows the fruit our junior development system is already
bearing。 Peach had not been well but for all that he played a splendid
game and all credit is due Ingraham for his victory。
The second day's play saw a remarkable match when W。 E。 Davis
defeated C。 V。 Todd of Australia after the latter led him by two sets。 Davis
steadily improved and by rushing the net succeeded in breaking up Todd's
driving game。 Todd unfortunately pulled a muscle in his side that seriously
93
… Page 94…
THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
hampered him in the fifth set。
Wallace F。 Johnson； playing magnificent tennis； eliminated Watson
Washburn in one of the brainiest； hardest fought matches of the whole
tournament。
Johnson was very steady and outlasted Washburn in the first set； which
he won。 Washburn then took to storming the net and carried off two sets
decisively。 The strain took its toll and he was perceptibly slower when the
fourth set opened。 Johnson ran him from corner to corner； or tossed high
lobs when Washburn took the net。 It proved too much for even Washburn
to stand； and the Philadelphian won the next two sets and with it the match。
Many people considered it a great upset。 Personally I expected it； as I
know how dangerous Johnson may be。
The Johnston…Richards match and my meeting with Shimidzu came on
the third day。 Fully 15；000 people jammed themselves around the court
and yelled； clapped and howled their excitement through the afternoon。 It
was a splendidly behaved gallery but a very enthusiastic one。
Richards； eager to avenge his crushing defeat by Johnston at Seabright；
started with a rush。 〃Little Bill〃 was uncertain and rather nervous。
Richards ran away with the first two sets almost before Johnston realized
what was happening。 The tennis Richards played in these sets was almost
unbeatable。 Johnston nerved himself to his task and held even to 3…all in
the third。 Here he broke through and Richards； I think foolishly； made
little attempt to pull out the set。 The boy staked all on the fourth set。
Johnston led at 5…3 but Richards； playing desperately； pulled up to 6…5 and
was within two points of the match at 30…all on Johnston's service。 It was
his last effort。 Johnston took the game and Richards faded away。 His
strength failed him and the match was Johnston's。
I hit a good streak against Shimidzu and ran away with three straight
sets more or less easily。
Meantime one of the most sensational upsets of the whole tournament
was taking place on an outside court where Stanley W。 Pearson of
Philadelphia was running the legs off N。 W。 Niles of Boston and beating
him in five sets。
〃Little Bill〃 Johnston and I met the next day in what was the deciding
94
… Page 95…
THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
match of the tournament； even though it was only the fourth round。 Every
available inch of space was jammed by an overflow gallery when we took
the count。 It was a bitter match from the first point。 We were both playing
well。 In the early stages Little Bill had a slight edge； but after one set the
balance shifted and I held the whip hand to the end。
The same day Dick Williams went down to sudden and unexpected
defeat at the hands of J。 O。 Anderson of Australia in five well played sets。
It was a typical Williams effort； glorious tennis one minute followed by
inexcusable lapses。 The Australian was steady and clever throughout。
The keen speculation as to the outcome of the tournament fell off after
the meeting of Johnston and I； and with it a decrease in attendance。 This
ran very high； however； again reaching capacity on the day of the finals。
The round before the semi finals saw a terrific struggle between two
Californians； Bob Kinsey and Willis E。 Davis。 Kinsey had defeated Davis
in the Metropolitan Championship the week before and was expected to
repeat； but Davis managed to outlast his team and nosed out the match。
Kinsey collapsed on the court from exhaustion as the last point was
played。
Gordon Lowe went down to me in a fine match while J。 O。 Anderson
and Wallace Johnson completed the Quartet of semi finalists；
I finally got my revenge on Davis for the many defeats he had inflicted
on me in years gone by。 Wallace Johnson scored a magnificent victory
over J。 O。 Anderson in four sets after the Australian led at a set all； 5…2；
and 40…15。 Johnson ran the visiting Davis Cup star all over the court and
finally pulled out the match in one of the finest displays of court
generalship I have ever seen。
The finals was more or less of a family party。 It was an all…
Philadelphian affair； two Philadelphians competing with 14；000 more
cheering them on。
Johnson was unfortunate。 Saturday the match was started under a dark
sky on a soft court that just suited him。 I have seldom seen Johnson play
so well； as always； his judgment was faultless。 We divided games with
service with monotonous regularity。 The score was 5…all when it began to
drizzle。 The court； soft at best that day； grew more treacherous and
95
… Page 96…
THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
slippery by the minute。 Johnson's shots hardly left the ground。 He broke
my service at 7…all when the rain materially increased。 He reached 40…15
but； with the crowd moving to shelter and the rain falling harder every
minute； he made the fatal error of hurrying and netted two easy shots for
deuce； A moment more and the game was mine and the match called at 8…
all。
Play was resumed on Monday before a capacity gallery。 By mutual
agreement the match was played over from the beginning。 I had learned
my lesson the previous day and opened with a rush。 The hot sun and
strong wind had hardened the court and Johnson's shots rose quite high。 It
was my day and fortunately for me I made the most of it。
I consider that match the best tennis of my life。 I beat Johnson 6…1； 6…3；
6…1 in 45 minutes。 Thus fell the curtain on the official tennis season。
The East…West matches in Chicago proved more or less of an anti…
climax。 Johnston was ill and unable to compete； while Wallace Johnson；
Williams； Washburn and Shimidzu could not play。 Several remarkable
matches featured the three days' play in the Windy City。 The most
remarkable was the splendid victory of J。 O。 Anderson over me in five sets；
the final one of which hung up a world's record for tournament play by
going to 19…17。 Frank T。 Anderson defeated Robert Kinsey in five sets； a
splendid performance； while S。 H。 Voshell scored over W。 E。 Davis。
The Ranking Committee faces a hard task on the season's play。 Let us
look at the records of some of the American players； and a few of our
visitors。
1。 W。 M。 Johnston Beat V。 Richards 2； Williams （2）； Kumagae；
Shimidzu； Roland Roberts； Davis and others。 Lost to Washburn； Tilden；
Roberts。
2。 R。 N。 Williams 2d。 Beat Richards； Shimidzu； Kumagae （2）； Voshell
and others。 Lost to Johnston （2）； Richards； J。 O。 Anderson； Kumagae。
3。 Vincent Richards Beat Tilden； Richards； Kumagae （2）； Shimidzu （2）；
（in exhibition at Toronto）； Voshell； Hawkes； Lost to Johnston （2）； Williams；
Davis。
4。 Ishiya Kumagae Beat Williams； Voshell； Anderson； Hawkes。 Lost to
Johnston； Tilden； Williams； Richards。
96
… Page 97…
THE ART OF LAWN TENNIS
5。 Zenzo Shimidzu Beat Wallace Johnson （2）； Anderson； Hawkes；
Niles。 Lost to Johnston； Tilden （2）； Voshell （2）。 Richards （2） （in
exhibitions）。
6。 Wallace Johnson Beat Watson； Washburn； Anderson。 Lost to Tilden；
Shimidzu （2）。
7。 Watson Washburn Beat Williams； Johnston； Voshell。 Lost to Wallace
Johnson； Tilden； Atherton Richards （a most sensational upset）。
8。 J。 O。 Anderson of Australia Beat R。 N。 Williams； Tilden； Hawkes；
Lowe。 Lost to Wallace Johnson； Kumagae； Shimidzu。
9。 S。 H。 Voshell Beat Shimidzu （2） ； Davis。 Lost to Richards； Williams；
Washburn； Neer （an upset）； Allen Behr （a gift）。
10。 W。 E。 Davis Beat Richards； R。 Kinsey； Lowe。 Lost to Niles； L。 B。
Rice （an upset）； R。 Kinsey； Voshell and Tilden。
These few records show how useless comparative scores may be。 If
another season like 1921 strikes American tennis； the ranking will need
either clairvoyance or a padded cell。
These upsets are part of the zest of the game an
