It never pays, and has cost many a
match.
I remember a famous match in Philadelphia, between Wallace F.
Johnson, the fifth ranking player in America, and Stanley W.
Pearson, a local star, in the Interclub tennis league of that
city. Johnson, who had enjoyed a commanding lead of a set and
4-1, had slumped, and Pearson had pulled even at a set-all, and
was leading at 5-1 and 40-15, point set match. He pulled Johnson
far out to the forehand and came to the net. Johnson chopped
viciously down the side-line, but Pearson volleyed to Johnson's
deep backhand corner. Johnson had started RUNNING in that
direction as he hit his return, and arrived almost as Pearson's
volley bounced. Unfortunately Johnson slipped and went down on
both knees, but held his racquet. He reached the ball and chopped
it down the side-line for an earned point before Pearson realized
he had even offered at it.
Pearson was so surprised and angered that he double-faulted for
deuce, and Johnson won the game. Johnson pulled even at 5-all,
before Pearson recovered his equilibrium, and finally won the set
at 17-15. Truly Pearson's lapse at Johnson's marvellous get was a
costly mental break.
Tennis psychology is far more than the effect of certain shots,
made or missed, on the player. One can sum up such things by
saying that every kill gives confidence, every error tends to
destroy it. These things are obvious. The branch of psychology
that is interesting is the reaction on the various players of
different courts, different crowds, and other players.
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