the art of lawn tennis(网球的艺术)-第15节
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very slippery owing to the heavy drizzle that had been falling throughout
the match。 At 3…2 in my favour； I essayed a journey to the net； only to have
Kingscote pass me 'cross court to my backhand。 I turned and started
rapidly for the shot murmuring 〃Peach〃 as I went。 Suddenly my feet went
out and I rolled over on the ground； sliding some distance； mainly on my
face。 I arose； dripping； just in time to hear； sotto voce； in the gallery at my
side： 〃A little bit crushed； that Peach。〃 The sense of humour of the speaker
was delightful。 The whole side…line howled with joy； and the joke was on
me。
I am always the goat for the gallery in these little jokes； because it is
seldom I can refrain from saying something loud enough to be heard。
I remember an incident that caused great joy to a large gallery in
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Philadelphia during a match between two prominent local players。 One of
the men had been charging the net and volleying consistently off the frame
of his racquet； giving a wonderful display of that remarkable shot known
the world over as 〃the mahogany volley。〃 His luck was phenomenal for all
his mis…hit volleys won him points。 Finally； at the end of a bitterly
contested deuce game in the last set he again won the deciding point with
a volley off the wood； just as a small insect flew in his eye。
He called to his opponent： 〃Just a moment； I have a fly in my eye。〃
The disgusted opponent looked up and muttered： 〃Fly？ Huh！ I'll bet it's
a splinter！〃
There was a certain young player who was notoriously lax in his
eyesight on decisions。 He could never see one against himself。 He became
noted in his own locality。 He and another boy were playing a team of
brothers who were quite famous in the tennis world。 One of these brothers
had a very severe service that the local Captain Kidd could not handle at
all。 So each time the visiting player served close to the line； the boy would
swing at it； miss it； and call 〃Fault！〃 There was no umpire available and
there was no question of the older team losing； so they let it go for some
time。 Finally a service fully 3 feet in was casually called out by the
youngster。 This proved too much for the server； who hailed his brother at
the net with the query： 〃What was wrong that time？〃
〃I don't know；〃 came the reply； 〃unless he called a footfault on you！〃
The assurance of some young players is remarkable。 They know far
more about the game of other men than the men themselves。 I once
travelled to a tournament with a boy who casually seated himself beside
me in the train and； seeing my tennis bag； opened the conversation on
tennis and tennis players。 He finally turned his attention to various people
I knew well； and suddenly burst out with： 〃Tilden is a chop…stroke player。 I
know him well。〃 I let him talk for about ten minutes； learning things about
my game that I never knew before。 Finally I asked his name； which he told
me。 In reply he asked mine。 The last view I had of him for some time was
a hasty retreat through the door of the car for air。
I played my first match against J。 C。 Parke at Wimbledon in 1920。 The
time before that I had been on the court with him was at Germantown
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Cricket Club in 1911； when I acted as ball…boy in the Davis Cup between
him and W。 A。 Larned。 The Junior members of the club； sons of the
members； used to consider it a great honour to act as ball…boy in these
matches； and worked every means to be picked。 I picked up much tennis
in those days； for I have worked at the ball…boy position for Parke；
Crawley； Dixon； Larned； Wright； and Ward。
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CHAPTER IX。 THE PSYCHOLOGY OF
SINGLES AND DOUBLES
Singles； the greatest strain in tennis； is the game for two players。 It is
in this phase of the game that the personal equation reaches its crest of
importance。 This is the game of individual effort； mental and physical。
A hard 5…set singles match is the greatest strain on the body and
nervous system of any form of sport。 Richard Harte and L。 C。 Wister； the
former a famous Harvard University football and baseball player； the latter
a football star at Princeton； both of whom are famous tennis players； have
told me that a close 5…set tennis match was far more wearing on them than
the biggest football game they had ever played。
Singles is a game of daring； dash； speed of foot and stroke。 It is a game
of chance far more than doubles。 Since you have no partner dependent
upon you； you can afford to risk error for the possibility of speedy victory。
Much of what I wrote under match play is more for singles than doubles；
yet let me call your attention to certain peculiarities of singles from the
standpoint of the spectator。 A gallery enjoys personalities far more than
styles。 Singles brings two people into close and active relations that show
the idiosyncrasies of each player far more acutely than doubles。 The
spectator is in the position of a man watching an insect under a
microscope。 He can analyse the inner workings。
The freedom of restraint felt on a single court is in marked contrast to
the need for team work in doubles。 Go out for your shot in singles
whenever there is a reasonable chance of getting it。 Hit harder at all times
in singles than in doubles； for you have more chance of scoring and can
take more risk。
Few great singles； players are famous in doubles。 Notable exceptions
to the above statement come to mind at once in the persons of the
Dohertys； Norman E。 Brookes； and F。 B。 Alexander。 Yet who could accuse
W。 M。 Johnston； R。 N。 Williams （notwithstanding his World's
Championship doubles title）； Andre Gobert； the late Anthony F。 Wilding；
M。 E。 M'Loughlin； or Gerald Patterson of playing great doubles？ All these
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men are wonderful singles players； playing singles on a double court
alongside some suffering partner。 The daring that makes for a great singles
player is an eternal appeal to a gallery。 None of the notable doubles
players； who have little or no claim to singles fame； have enjoyed the
hero…worship accorded the famous singles stars。 H。 Roper…Barrett； Stanley
Doust； Harold H。 Hackett； Samuel Hardy； and Holcombe Ward； all
doubles players of the very highest order； were； and are； well liked and
deservedly popular； but are not idolized as were M'Loughlin or Wilding。
Singles is a game of the imagination； doubles a science of exact
angles。
Doubles is four…handed tennis。 Enough of this primary reader
definition。 I only used that so as not to be accused of trying to write over
the heads of the uninitiated。
It is just as vital to play to your partner in tennis as in bridge。 Every
time you make a stroke you must do it with a definite plan to avoid putting
your partner in trouble。 The keynote of doubles success is team work； not
individual brilliancy。 There is a certain type of team work dependent
wholly upon individual brilliancy。 Where both players are in the same
class； a team is as strong as its weakest player at any given time； for here it
is even team work with an equal division of the court that should be the
method of play。 In the case of one strong player and one weaker player； the
team is as good as the strong player can make it by protecting and
defending the weaker。 This pair should develop its team work on the
individual brilliancy of the stronger man。
The first essential of doubles play is to PUT the ball in play。 A double
fault is bad in singles； but it is in
