第 29 节
作者:雨霖铃      更新:2021-05-03 16:33      字数:9322
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  perfect   in   execution。   His   half   volleying   is   phenomenal。   His   overhead   is
  very severe for a boy; and carries great speed for so small a person; but it
  is inclined to be slightly erratic。 He is tremendously fast on his feet; but it
  inclined to be lazy。
  Vincent   Richards   has   the   greatest   natural   aptitude   and   equipment   of
  any tennis player I have ever seen。 Against it he has a temperament that is
  inclined   to   carelessness   and   laziness。  He   tends   to   sulkiness;  which   he   is
  rapidly  outgrowing。   He   is   a   delightful   personality  on   the   court;   with   his
  slight   figure;  tremendous   speed;  and   merry  smile。   He  is   a  second   〃Gus〃
  Touchard in looks and style。 I hope to see him develop to be the greatest
  player the world has ever seen。 He gives that promise。 The matter rests in
  Richards' hands; as his worst enemy is his temperament。
  At his best he is to…day the equal of the top flight in the world。 At his
  worst he is a child。 His average is fine but not great。 Travel; work; sincere
  effort; and a few years; should turn this astonishing boy into a marvellous
  player。
  R。 L。 MURRAY
  The   new   〃California   Comet;〃   successor   to   M。   E。   M'Loughlin;   is   the
  usual    sobriquet     for  R。   L。  Murray;     now    of  Buffalo。    Murray     won    the
  National Crown in 1917…1918。
  His service is of the same cyclonic character as M'Loughlin。 Murray is
  left…handed。   He   hits   a   fast   cannon…ball   delivery   of   great   speed   and   an
  American twist of extreme twist。 His ground strokes are not good; and he
  rushes     the  net   at  every   opportunity。     His   forehand     drive   is  very   fast;
  excessively topped; and exceedingly erratic。 His backhand is a 〃poke。〃 His
  footwork is very poor on both shots。 He volleys very well; shooting deep
  to    the  baseline     and   very    accurately。    His    shoulder…high      volleys    are
  marvellous。 His overhead is remarkable for its severity and accuracy。 He
  seldom misses an overhead ball。
  Murray is a terrifically hard worker; and tires himself out very rapidly
  by prodigious effort。 He is a hard fighter and a hard man to beat。 He works
  at an enormous pace throughout the match。
  He    is  large;  spare;    rangy;   with   dynamic     energy;    and   a  wonderful
  personality that holds the gallery。 His smile is famous; while his sense of
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  humour never deserts him。 A sportsman to his finger…tips; there is no more
  popular figure in American tennis than Murray。 His is not a great game。 It
  is a case of a great athlete making a second…class game first class; by sheer
  power of personality and fighting ability。 He is really a second M'Loughlin
  in his game; his speed; and his personal charm。
  WATSON WASHBURN
  In contrast to Murray; Watson Washburn plays a cool;  never…hurried;
  never…flurried game that is unique in American tennis。
  There is little that is noteworthy of Washburn's game。 His service is a
  well…placed slice。 His ground strokes are a peculiar 〃wrist…slap;〃 almost a
  slice。   His   volleying   fair;   his   overhead   steady   but   not   remarkable。   Just   a
  good     game;    well   rounded     but  not   unique。   Why     is。  Washburn      great?
  Because;      behind    the  big   round    glasses   that  are   the  main    feature   of
  Washburn on the tennis court; is a brain of the first water; directing and
  developing that all…round game。 There is no more brilliant student of men
  in games than Washburn; and his persistence of attack is second only to
  Brookes'。
  Washburn;      too;  is  a  popular    player;  but   not  in  the  same    sense   as
  Murray。 Murray appeals to the imagination of the crowd; Washburn to its
  academic instincts。 Washburn is a strategist; working out his match with
  mathematical       exactness;    and   always    checking    up   his  men    as  he  goes
  along。
  There    is  no   tennis   player   whose    psychology      I  admire    more    than
  Washburn's。   He   is   never   beaten   until   the   last   point   is   played;   and   he   is
  always dangerous; no matter how great a lead you hold over him。
  Another case of the second…class game being made first class; but this
  time it is done by mental brilliancy。
  WALLACE F。 JOHNSON
  Here is another case of a second…class game being used in a first…class
  manner;   getting     first…class   results   through   the   direction   of   a   first…class
  tennis brain。 Johnson is not the brilliant; analytical mind of Washburn; but
  for pure tennis genius Johnson ranks nearly the equal of Brookes。
  Johnson is a one…stroke player。 He uses a peculiar slice shot hit from
  the wrist。 He uses it in service; ground strokes; volleying; and lobbing。 It is
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  a true one…stroke game; yet by sheer audacity of enterprise and wonderful
  speed   of   foot   Wallace   Johnson   has   for   years   been   one   of   the   leading
  players of America。
  SAMUEL HARDY
  The overwhelming success of the American Davis Cup team in 1920;
  when     we   brought    back   the   cup   from   Australia    was   due   in  no  small
  measure to the wonderful generalship displayed by one man; our Captain
  Samuel Hardy。
  The hardest part of any such trip is the attention to training; relaxation
  and accommodations for the team and only perfect judgment can give the
  comfort so needed by a team。 It is to Captain Hardy that the team owes its
  perfect condition throughout the entire 3;000 miles we journeyed after the
  cup。 Yet Captain Hardy's success was far bigger than that; for by his tact;
  charming   personality   and   splendid   sportsmanship   at   all   times   he   won   a
  place for us in the hearts of every country we visited。 Hardy; although a
  non…playing member of the team; is a great tennis player。 He is one of the
  best   doubles   players America   has   produced。   His   clever   generalship   and
  wonderful knowledge of the game proved of inestimable value to the team
  in laying out our plan of attack in the Davis Cup matches themselves。
  Clever; charming; just and always full of the most delightful humour;
  Hardy  was   an   ideal   Captain   who   kept   his   team   in   the   best   of   spirits   no
  matter how badly we might have been playing or how depressing appeared
  our outlook。
  CARL FISCHER
  I   am   including   in   my   analysis   of   players   a   boy   who   is   just   gaining
  recognition but who I believe is to be one of the great stars of the future;
  Carl Fischer of Philadelphia。
  Young Fischer; who is only 19; is a brilliant; hard hitting left…hander。
  He has already won the Eastern Pennsylvania Championship; been runner…
  up     to   Wallace     Johnson     in   the    Pennsylvania      State;    Philadelphia
  Championship         and   Middle     States   event;   besides    holding    the   junior
  Championship of   Pennsylvania   for two   years。  He   won the   University  of
  Pennsylvania Championship in his freshman year。
  His service is a flat delivery of good speed; at times; verging on the
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  American   twist。   His   ground   game   carries   top   spin   drives   forehand   and
  backhand。 His volleying and overhead are severe and powerful but prone
  to be erratic。 Fischer is an all court player of the most modern type。 He is
  aggressive;   almost   too   much   so   at   times   as   he   wastes   a   great   deal   of
  energy by useless rushing。 He needs steadiness and a willingness to await
  his opening but gives promise of rounding into a first class player; as his
  stroke equipment is second to none。
  MARSHALL ALLEN
  Far   out   in   the   Pacific   Northwest   in   Seattle;   Washington;   is   a   young
  player who bids fair to some day be world famous。 It is quite possible he
  may never arrive at all。
  Marshall      Allen    is  a  typical   Western     player。   Allen    has   a  hurricane
  service   that   is   none   too   reliable。   His   forehand   drive   is   reminiscent   of
  McLoughlin。   It   is   a   furious   murderous   attack   when   it   goes   in   and