第 23 节
作者:雨霖铃      更新:2021-05-03 16:33      字数:9321
  Kingscote and Randolph Lycett; who were unable to go owing to business
  affairs。 J。 C。 Parke; her famous international star; was also out of the game;
  having   retired   from   active   competition   last   year。   The   English   team   was
  made   up   of   Gordon   Lowe;   Max   Woosnam;   J。   C。   Gilbert   and   O。   E。   H。
  Turnbull。 They were accompanied by that delightful author and critic A。
  Wallis Meyers。
  The English met the Australians at Pittsburgh in July。 The latter won
  three matches to two with J。 O。 Anderson; the outstanding figure of a well
  played meeting。 The tall Australian defeated both Lowe and Woosnam in
  the singles and aided in the doubles victory; thus scoring all the points for
  his team。
  Meanwhile the Indian team had arrived in America and proceeded to
  Chicago;   where   they  met   the   Japanese   team  of   Kumagae   and   Shimidzu。
  The battle of the Orient resulted in a victory for the Nipponese。
  The final round found Australia playing Japan in the famous old tennis
  center of Newport; R。 I。; where the National Singles so long held sway。 It
  was    a  bitter  struggle;   with   the  Australians     within   two   little  points  of
  victory in two matches they afterwards lost。 Shimidzu and Kumagae took
  all the singles; but Kumagae was two sets down to Hawkes and one to two
  down to Anderson。 Thus Japan in its first year in Davis Cup competition
  earned the right to challenge America for the treasured trophy。
  It was a marvellous meeting of these two teams。 Over 40;000 people
  watched the players in three days。 Although America won all five matches;
  Shimidzu   came   within   two   points   of   defeating   me   in   straight   sets   and
  carried Johnston to a bitter four set struggle。
  The   Cup   is   safe   for   another   year   but the   new blood infused into   the
  competition by such men as Shimidzu; Alonzo; Woosnam; Anderson and
  Hawkes   shows   clearly   that America   must   keep   working   or   we   will   fall
  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