Every time he got his racquet on a ball
it went for a clean placement. I stood around and 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.
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