第 25 节
作者:雨霖铃      更新:2021-05-03 16:33      字数:9315
  competition。
  Johnston      crushed    Richards     when     the   two   met;    in  a  display    of
  aggressive      tennis   so  remarkable      that  the  boy    was   helpless    before   it。
  Richards was stale and below form; but even if he had been at his best; he
  could not have withstood Johnston's attack。 Little Bill followed this up by
  sweeping Williams off the court by another marvellous streak of well nigh
  perfect tennis。
  Southampton and the Women's National Championship conflicted the
  next week。 The story of Mrs。 Mallory's sensational triumph and successful
  defense of her title is told elsewhere in this book。
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  Southampton;   as   always;   proved   the   goat;   for   almost   all   the   leading
  players took a week's rest before the National Doubles Championship。
  The English   Davis Cup  team; Willis E。  Davis; Vincent   Richards   and
  the Kinsey brothers; Bob and Howard; were the leading stars。 The event
  narrowed to Davis and Richards in the finals with no upsets of a startling
  nature。 Davis had had a very poor record all year; while Richards boasted
  of the finest list of victories of the season。 On the other hand the boy was
  over…tennised and stale and it proved his undoing; for after one set; which
  he won easily; the sting went out of his game and Davis took the match in
  four sets。
  The championships were just ahead。 The Doubles held at Longwood
  Club;     Boston;     found    several    teams    closely    matched。     Williams     and
  Washburn; with the Rhode Island State and Newport to their credit; were
  the favorites for the title。 〃Little Bill〃 Johnston and W。 E。 Davis and Bob
  and Howard Kinsey of California had both pressed them closely。 Vincent
  Richards and I teamed together for the first time since N。 E。 Brookes and
  G。 L。 Patterson had won the title from us in 1919。 Samuel Hardy and S。 H。
  Voshell were a pair of veterans who needed watching。
  Williams and Washburn had a close call in the third round when Hardy
  and   Voshell   led   3…1   in   the   fifth   set;   but   an   unfortunate   miss   of   an   easy
  volley by Hardy and a footfault on game point at 3…4 and 30…40 by Voshell
  turned the tide and the favorites were safe。 Johnston and Davis had several
  chances in the semi…final but Davis was too uncertain and Bill too anxious
  and they tossed away the opportunities。
  Vinnie and I met the Kinseys in the semi…final and after chasing their
  lobs all over the court for hours and smashing until our backs ached; we
  finally   pulled   out   three   sequence   sets。   I   have   seldom   seen   a   team   work
  together more smoothly than the Kinseys。
  The final match between Williams and Washburn; Richards and I for
  two sets was as sensational and closely contested doubles as ever featured
  a national championship。 Our slight superiority in returning service gave
  us   just   enough   margin   to   pull   out   the   first   two   sets   14…12;   12…10。   Then
  Richards went mad。 There is no other way to describe it。 Every time he got
  his   racquet   on   a   ball   it   went   for   a   clean   placement。   I   stood   around   and
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  watched him。 Almost single…handed this remarkable boy won the last set
  6…2。
  The Davis Cup challenge round stretched itself between the Doubles
  and Singles Championship。 There was no work except for us poor hard…
  working      players   who    were    on  the   team。   The   rest   was   a  blessing   to
  Richards; who needed it badly; as he was tired and drawn。
  Following the American victory in the Davis Cup; the scene shifted to
  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
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  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
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  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。