the art of lawn tennis(网球的艺术)-第29章
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year。 His ground strokes are flat drives fore and backhand。 His forehand is
a particularly fine shot。 He hits it with a short sharp snap of his arm that
imparts great speed and yet hides the direction。 His backhand is defensive。
His volleying clever； accurate but soft。 His overhand severe and reliable。
His service flat； fast and dangerous。
He needs finesse； experience and season； with which he may well
become one of the greatest players as the fundamental potentialities are
there。
NORMAN PEACH
The steady baseline game of England has its exponent in Australia in
Norman Peach。 He has a beautiful driving game； with adequate but not
severe service； that one finds so much in England。 At times Peach will
advance to the net but his volleying and overhead are secondary to his
baseline game。 He is not a great tennis player but is certainly one of high
standard of play。 He is just below the first flight in Australia。
R。 V。 Thomas is one of the finest doubles players in the world as is
amply attested by his win of the world's title in 1919 with Pat O'Hara
Wood and their two successive wins of the Australian Championship in
1919…20。 Thomas with his hard…hitting off the ground； and his brilliant
volleying is a fine foil for Pat Wood's steady accuracy。
Just a word about one veteran； a good friend of mine； who is again
playing fine tennis； Rodney L。 Heath； hero of the famous Davis Cup
match in 1911 when he defeated W。 A。 Larned； is again in the game。
Heath with his long beautiful groundstrokes； forehand； or backhand；
his incisive crisp volleys and fine； generalship based on young experience；
is a notable figure in the tennis world。
The mantle of Wilding and Brookes must fall on the shoulders of a
really great player。 Who it will be is hard to say at present。 No outstanding
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figure looms on the horizon at the time of writing。
South Africa
The 1920 South African Davis Cup team players； following their
disastrous defeat by Holland； journeyed to England for the Championship
and following tournaments； and I had the opportunity of studying three
players of great promise。 The remaining two were excellent； but hardly as
exceptional as the former。
Charles Winslow； the leading player in the team； has a remarkable
versatile game。 He uses a high； bounding service of good speed； which at
times he follows to the net。 His best ground stroke is a severe chop； not
unlike Wallace F。 Johnson。 He has a good drive both forehand and
backhand； which he only uses when pressed or in attempting to pass a net
man。 He volleys very well； and covers the net quickly。 His overhead is
very severe； steady； and reliable。 He is a fine natural player just below the
top flight。 He is an excellent strategist； and mixes his shots very well。 He
has exceptionally fast footwork； and repeatedly runs around his backhand
to chop diagonally across the court in a manner very similar to Johnson。
B。 I。 C。 Norton； the South African champion； a youngster of twenty； is
a phenomenal player of extreme brilliancy。 He has everything in stroke
equipment； drives； slices； volleys； and a fine service and overhead。
Unfortunately Norton regards his tennis largely as a joke。 His judgment is
therefore faulty； and he is apt to loaf on the court。 He tries the most
impossible shots that sometimes go in； and in the main； his court
generalship is none too good。
He is an irrepressible boy； and his merry smile and chatter make him a
tremendous favourite with the gallery。 He has a very strong personality
that should carry him a long way。
Louis Raymond； the left…handed star of the South Africans； has an
excellent ground game coupled with a good service and fair volleying and
overhead。 His game is not remarkable。 He is a hard…working； deserving
player who attains success by industry rather than natural talent。 His
judgment is sound and methods of play orthodox； except for a tendency to
run around his backhand。
C。 R。 Blackbeard； the youngest member of the team； and G。 H。 Dodd；
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its captain； are both very excellent players of the second flight。 Blackbeard
is very young； not yet twenty； and may develop into a star。 At present he
chops too much； and is very erratic。 。 。 。 。 。 。 。
There are many other players whom I would analyse if I had the time
or space； but in these days of paper shortage and ink scarcity； conservation
is the keynote of the times。
Let me turn for a few moments to the women whose fame in the tennis
world is the equal of the men I have been analysing。
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CHAPTER XVII。 FAMOUS WOMEN PLAYERS
Women's Tennis
The great boom that featured the whole tennis season of 1921 in
America found one of its most remarkable manifestations in the increased
amount of play； higher standard of competition and remarkable growth of
public interest in women's tennis。
England has led； and still leads； the world in women's tennis。 The
general standard of play is on a higher scale and there is more tournament
play in England than elsewhere。 France； with Mlle。 Suzanne Lenglen；
Mme。 Billout （Mlle。 Brocadies） and Mme。 Golding； forces England
closely for European supremacy； but until recent years America； except for
individuals； has been unable to reach the standard of women's tennis found
abroad。
Miss May Sutton； now Mrs。 Thomas H。 Bundy； placed American
colours in the field by her wonderful performances in winning the World's
Championship at Wimbledon more than a decade ago； but after her
retirement America was forced to content itself with local honors。
Neither Miss Mary Browne nor Miss Hazel Hotchkiss； now Mrs。
George Wightman； followed Mrs。 May Sutton Bundy in her European
invasion； so the relative ability of our champions and Mrs。 Lambert…
Chambers of England or Mlle。 Brocadies of France could not be judged。
Mrs。 Molla Bjurstedt Mallory followed Miss Browne as the outstanding
figure in American tennis when the wonderful Norsewoman took the
championship in 1915。 Miss Browne； then holder of the title； did not
compete； so their relative ability could not be decided。 Throughout the
period from 1900 to 1919 the woman's championship event had been held
annually in June。 The result was that the blue ribbon event was over so
early in the season that the incentive for play during July and August died
a natural death。
Finally in 1920； at the request of the Women's Committee； particularly
on the advice of Mrs。 George Wightman； the national champion； and Miss
Florence Ballin of New York； under whose able guidance the entire
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schedule was drawn up； the United States Lawn Tennis Association moved
the Women's Championship to September。 Miss Ballin； following the
successful system used in the men's events； organized a schedule that
paralleled the big fixtures on the men's schedule and placed in operation 〃a
circuit；〃 as it is called； that provided for tournaments weekly from May to
September。 Miss Ballin； together with Mrs。 Wightman； organised junior
tournaments for girls under 18； along the lines used for the boys' events。
The response was immediate。 Entry lists； which in the old days were in
〃the teens；〃 jumped to the thirties or forties； in the regular events。 Young
girls who； up to now； had not played tournaments； fearing they lacked the
necessary class； rushed to play in the Junior girls' events。 From this latter
class came such a promising young star of today as Miss Martha Bayard；
who bids fair to be national champion at some not distant date。
It was a tremendous task of organization that Miss Ballin and her
assistants undertook； but they did it in a most efficient manner。 Mrs。 Molla
Bjurstedt Mallory lent her invaluable assistance by playing in as many
tournaments as possible。 She was a magnet that drew the other players in
her wake with an irresistible force。
1920 saw Mrs。 Mallory's first invasion of Europe since her American
triumphs。 Misfortune was her portion。 She was ill before sailing and； never
at her best on shipboard； a bad voyage completed the wreck of her
condition。 She had little time for practice in England and it was a player
far below her best who went down to crushing de feat at the hands of Mrs。
Lambert…Chambers in the semi… final round of the World's Championship
at Wimbledon。
Defeated but not discouraged； Mrs。 Mallory returned to America and；
again reaching her true form； won the championship with ease。 She made
up her mind the day of her defeat in England that 1921 would again find
her on European courts。
The season of 1921 in America opened in a blaze of tournaments
throughout the entire country。 Mrs。 Mallory showed early in the year she
was at her best by winning the Indoor Championship of the United States
from one of the most representative fields ever gathered together for this
event。
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Early May found Mrs。 Mallory on the seas bound for France and
England。 The story of her magnificent； if
