the art of lawn tennis(网球的艺术)-第21部分
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from our present position。 It is a healthy thing for the game that this is so。 I
hope we will see many more new players of equal promise next year。
The United States Lawn Tennis Association； following its policy of co…
operation with the Internation Federation； decided to send a team to
France and England for the championships。 The personnel of the team was
Mrs。 Franklin 1。 Mallory； Miss Edith Sigourney； Arnold W。 Jones （boy
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champion of America； 1919）； and myself。 J。 D。 E。 Jones； father of Arnold；
himself a tennis player of renown； accompanied the team； as did Mr。
Mallory。
The invading tennis players sailed May 12th on the Mauretania to
Cherbourg and from there journeyed to Paris； where they engaged in the
Hard Court Championship of the world。
The first week of the stay was devoted to practice on the courts at the
Stad Francais； St。 Cloud； where the championship was held。 The team
were the guests of the Racing Club at a most delightful luncheon and
shortly afterward dined as the guests of the Tennis Club of Paris。
The finals of the championship of France were held during our stay
and； greatly to our surprise； A。 H。 Gobert； the defending title holder； fell a
victim to his old enemy； heat； and went down to defeat before Samazieuhl。
The Hard Court championships of the world produced a series of the most
sensational upsets in the history of the game； a series； I might add； that did
much to allow me to win the event。 Gobert lost to Nicholas Mishu in the
first round。 Alonzo； after defeating Samazieuhl； went down to defeat at
hands of Laurentz； who in turn collapsed to Tegner。 Fate pursued the
winners； for Tegner was eliminated by Washer； who came through to the
final against me。 Either Alonzo or Laurentz should have been finalists if
the unexpected had not occurred； and either would have been a hard
proposition for me particularly in my condition。 I had been taken ill on my
arrival in Paris and was still far from well。 However； Fortune smiled on
me and I succeeded in defeating Washer 6…3； 6…3； 6…3。
Meanwhile the long awaited meeting between Mlle。 Lenglen and Mrs。
Mallory was at hand。 Mrs。 Mallory had come through one side of the
tournament after a bitter battle with Mme。 Billoutt （Mlle。 Brocadies） in the
semi final。
Mlle。 Lenglen had proceeded in her usual leisurely fashion to the
finals with the loss of but two games。
What a meeting these two great players； Mrs。 Mallory and Mlle。
Lenglen； had！ Every seat in the stands sold and every inch of standing
room crowded！ It was a marvellous match； both women playing great
tennis。 Mlle。 Lenglen had consistently better depth and more patience。 She
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out… manoeuvred the American champion and won 6…2； 6…3。 The match
was far closer than this one…sided score sounds。 Every rally was long
drawn out and bitterly contested； but the French girl had a slight
superiority that brought her a well deserved victory。
A。 H。 Gobert and W。 Laurentz retained their doubles title after one of
the most terrific struggles of their careers in the semi…final round against
Arnold Jones and me。 The boy and I had previously put out Samazieuhl
and his partner in three sets and just nosed out the Spanish Davis Cup
team； Manuel Alonzo and Count de Gomar。
The semi final between Gobert and Laurentz and the Americans
brought out a capacity audience that literally jumped to its feet and
cheered during the sparkling rallies of the five bitterly contesting sets。 Just
as Gobert drove his terrific service ace past me for the match； Laurentz
suddenly collapsed and fainted dead away on the court。 It was a dramatic
end to a sensational match。
The scene then shifted to England； where the American team
journeyed across the Channel to prepare for the Grass Court championship
of the world at Wimbledon。 My preparation consisted of a hasty journey to
a hospital； where a minor operation put me to bed until the day
Wimbledon started。
The remainder of the team journeyed first to Beckenham and then to
Roehampton for their first grass court play of the season。 Mrs。 Mallory
met defeat at the hands of Mrs。 Beamish at Beckenham while the other
members fell by the wayside at sundry points。 Mrs。 Mallory won
Roehampton； decisively defeating Miss Phillis Howkins in the final。
Francis T。 Hunter； another American who joined the team in England；
although he was abroad on business； scored a victory in the men's event at
Roehampton。
The world's championship at Wimbledon was another series of
sensational matches and startling upsets。 The draw as usual was topheavy；
all the strength in the upper half with Frank Hunter and B。 I。 C。 Norton in
the lower。 Every day saw its feature matches produce the unexpected。
Shimidzu and Lycett battled for nearly four hours in a struggle that
combined all the virtues and vices of tennis and pugilism。 Col。 A。 R。 F。
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Kingscote； after three sensational victories over Fisher； Dixon and Lowe；
collapsed against Alonzo and was decisively defeated。 Shimidzu looked a
certain winner against Alonzo when he led at 2 sets to 1 and 4…1； but the
Spaniard rose to great heights and by sensational play pulled out the match
in five sets。
Norton and Hunter； after several close calls； met in the semi final。
Norton took two sets and led 5…3 in the third only to have Hunter follow in
Alonzo's footsteps and pull out the set and win the next。 Here Norton
again took command and ran out the match。
The Norton…Alonzo match in the final round was a sensational reversal。
The Spaniard seemed assured of victory when he took two sets and led at
5…3 and 30…all； but the last…minute jinx that pursued the tournament fell
upon him； for Norton came to life and； playing sensational tennis； pulled
out the match and earned the right to me in the challenge round。
Then the jinx arose again and this time Babe Norton was the victim。
Such a match as that challenge round produced！ I went on the court
feeling far from well and very much run down。 Babe was on the crest but
very nervous。 He ran away with the first two sets with great ease。 The
third set I improved。 Babe； after dropping three games； decided to let it go。
The fourth set found the crowd excited and rather noisy。 Norton became
annoyed because he felt I was bothered； and he blew up。 He simply threw
away the fourth set from sheer nerves。
The fifth set was terrible。 Norton had come to earth and was playing
well while I for the first time in the match had some control of the ball。
Norton finally led at 4…5 and 30…40 on my service； with the championship
one point away。
We had a long rally。 Desperately I hit down the line。 I was so certain
my shot was going out I started for the net to shake hands。 The ball fell on
the line and Babe in the excitement of the moment put his return out by
inches。 It was a life and fortunately for me I seized my chance and
succeeded in pulling out the match and retaining the championship。
Norton deserved to win； for nothing but luck saved me as I walked to the
net； thinking my shot was out。 Norton is the youngest man to have won the
All Comers Singles。 He is just 21。
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The championships had two sad moments。 One was the absence of J。
C。 Parke； due to retirement from singles。 The other was the retirement of A。
W。 Gore； the famous veteran； after 30 years a participant in the
championships。
The women's events found an even more unfortunate draw than the
men。 All the strength was in one eight。 Miss Ryan defeated Miss K。
McKane in the first round and Mrs。 Beamish her old rival in the second。
She met Mrs。 Mallory in the third。
For one set Mrs。 Mallory played the finest tennis of her career to that
time and in fact equal even to her play against Suzanne Lenglen in
America。 She ran off six games in ten minutes。 Miss Ryan； cleverly
changing her game； finally broke up the perfection of Mrs。 Mallory's
stroking and just nosed her out in the next two sets。 It was a well deserved
victory。
Miss Ryan easily won the tournament and challenged Mlle。 Lenglen；
but her old jinx in the form of Suzanne again proved too much and she
played far below her best。 The French girl easily retained her title； winning
6…2； 6…0。
The
