Part 7 (1/2)
J. C. Parke is a great match player, because he is not only a great player but a great student of men. He sizes up his opponent, and seizes every opening and turns it to his own account. Norman E. Brookes is the greatest match player the world has ever known, because he is ever ready to change his plan to meet the strategy of his opponent, and has both the variety of stroke and versatility of intellect to outguess the other the majority of times. Brookes is the greatest court general, and, in my opinion, the finest tennis intellect in the world. His mind is never so keen and he is never so dangerous as when he is trailing in an important match. He typifies all that is great in mental match tennis.
A great star is always at his best in a match, as it stimulates his mental and physical faculties to the utmost.
Certain players are more effective against some men than others who are not so good. It is the uncertainty of match tennis that is its greatest charm. Two men may meet for tennis during a season, and be so closely matched that each man will win two matches and the score seem almost one-sided each time. It is a case of getting the jump on the other player.
During 1919 Johnston and I met four times. Twice he defeated me, once in four sets, and once in three, while the two victories that were mine were scored in identically the same number of sets. The most remarkable meeting of two stars was the series of matches between R. L. Murray and Ichija k.u.magae during the seasons of 1918 and 1919. In the early stages Murray had a decided advantage, winning from k.u.magae consistently, but by close scores. Early in 1919 k.u.magae unexpectedly defeated Murray at Buffalo in four sets. From that moment k.u.magae held the whip hand. He defeated Murray at Niagara-on-the-Lake a week later.
Murray barely nosed out the j.a.panese star at Cleveland in five sets after k.u.magae had the match won, only to have k.u.magae again defeat him in a terrific match at Newport in August.
k.u.magae's game is very effective against Murray, because Murray, essentially a volleyer, could not exchange ground strokes with the j.a.panese star player successfully, and could not stand the terrific pace of rus.h.i.+ng the net at every opportunity. k.u.magae conclusively proved his slight superiority over Murray last season.
Vincent Richards, who is not yet the equal of Murray, scored two clean-cut victories over k.u.magae during the same period. Why should Richards worry k.u.magae, who is certainly Murray's superior, and yet not cause Murray trouble?
The answer lies in this style of game. Richards uses a peculiar chop stroke from the baseline that is very steady. He can meet k.u.magae at his own baseline game until he gets a chance to close in to the net, where his volleying is remarkable. The result is, against k.u.magae's driving he is perfectly at home. Murray is a vicious net player who swept Richards off his feet. The boy has not the speed on his ground strokes to pa.s.s Murray, who volleys off his chop for points, and cannot take the net away from him as he cannot handle the terrific speed of Murray's game. Thus Murray's speed beats Richards, while Richards' steadiness troubles k.u.magae, yet k.u.magae's persistent driving tires Murray and beats him. What good are comparative scores?
Charles S. Garland always defeats Howard Vosh.e.l.l, yet loses to men whom Vosh.e.l.l defeats. Williams proves a stumbling-block to Johnston, yet seldom does well against me.
The moral to be drawn from the ever-interesting upsets that occur every year, is that the style of your attack should be determined by the man's weakness you are playing. Suit your style to his weakness. A chop is the antidote for the drive. The volley is the answer to a chop, yet a drive is the only safe attack against a volley. The smash will kill a lob, yet a lob is the surest defence from a smash. Rather a complicated condition, but one which it would do well to think over.
The most dangerous enemy to R. N. Williams is a steady baseliner of second cla.s.s. Williams is apt to crush a top-flight player in a burst of superlative terms, yet fall a victim to the erratic streak that is in him when some second-cla.s.s player plays patball with him. Such defeats were his portion at the hands of Ritchie and Mavrogordato in England, yet on the same trip he scored notable victories over Parke and Johnston.
Abnormal conditions for match play always tend to affect the better player more than the poorer, and bring play to a level.
The reason for this is in the fact that the higher the standard of a player's game, the smaller his margin of error, the more perfect his bound must be, and any variation from the normal is apt to spell error. The average player allows himself more leeway, and unknowingly increases his chances on a bad court. His shot is not judged to the fraction of an inch in swing as is the top-flight player, so a slight variation does not affect him.
Many a great match has been ruined by abnormal conditions. Rain caused Williams' downfall to N. W. Niles in the 1917 American Champions.h.i.+ps. Rain and wind marred a great battle between Gobert and Johnston at Eastbourne in the Davis Cup in 1920.
The clever match player must always be willing to change his game to meet conditions. Failure to do so may spell defeat.
It is this uncertainty, due to external conditions, that makes comparative records so useless in judging the relative merits of two players you know nothing of. Rankings based on mathematical calculations of scores are absolutely useless and childish, unless tempered by common sense.
The question of the fitness of conditions of play can never be standardized. In America you play only if clear. In England sometimes when clear but more often in rain, judging by the events I swam through in my recent trip. A match player should not only be able to play tennis, but should combine the virtues of an aeroplane and a submarine as well.
CHAPTER VIII. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PHYSICAL FITNESS
Physical fitness is one of the great essentials of match play.
Keenness can only be acquired if the physical, mental, and nervous systems are in tune. Consistent and systematic training is essential to a tournament player.
Regular hours of sleep, and regular, hearty food at regular hours are necessary to keep the body at its highest efficiency. Food is particularly important. Eat well, but do not over-eat, particularly immediately before playing. I believe in a large hearty breakfast on the day of a big match. This should be taken by nine-thirty. A moderate lunch at about one o'clock if playing at three. Do not eat very rich food at luncheon as it tends to slow you up on the court. Do not run the risk of indigestion, which is the worst enemy to dear eyesight. Rich, heavy food immediately before retiring is bad, as it is apt to make you ”loggy” on the court the next day.
It is certain injury to touch alcoholic drink in any form during tournament play. Alcohol is a poison that affects the eye, the mind, and the wind--three essentials in tennis. Tobacco in moderation does little harm, although it, too, hits eye and wind.
A man who is facing a long season of tournament play should refrain from either alcohol or tobacco in any form. Excesses of any kind are bad for physical condition, and should not be chanced.
Late hours cause sluggishness of mind and body the next day. It is very dangerous to risk them before a hard match. The moving pictures immediately before playing tennis are bad, owing to the eye strain caused by the flicker of the film and the strong light of the camera. Lead a normal, healthy life, and conserve your nervous force wherever possible, as you will need it in the hard matches.
”Staleness” is the great enemy of players who play long seasons.
It is a case of too much tennis. Staleness is seldom physical weariness. A player can always recover his strength by rest.
Staleness is a mental fatigue due often to worry or too close attention to tennis, and not enough variety of thought. Its symptoms are a dislike for the tennis game and its surroundings, and a lack of interest in the match when you are on the court. I advocate a break in training at such a time. Go to the theatre or a concert, and get your mind completely off tennis. Do your worrying about tennis while you are playing it, and forget the unpleasantness of bad play once you are off the court. Always have some outside interest you can turn to for relaxation during a tournament; but never allow it to interfere with your tennis when you should be intent on your game. A nice balance is hard to achieve, but, once attained is a great aid to a tournament player. I find my relaxation in auction bridge. I know many other players who do likewise. Among them are Mrs. Franklin Mallory, Wallace F. Johnson, W. M. Johnston and Samuel Hardy.
The laws of training should be closely followed before and after a match. Do not get chilled before a match, as it makes you stiff and slow. Above all else do not stand around without a wrap after a match when you are hot or you will catch cold.