MATCH PLAY.
Match play is always a very different matter from simple practice. The
excitement and anxiety affect nearly all players; some more, some less.
The majority, I fancy, play worse in a match, while a few players need
the interest of a match to make them play their best.
Then the question of endurance comes in, which in practice is of very
little importance, as you can stop playing when you feel tired. A
match, moreover, is in itself more exhausting, as you can seldom afford
to drop your game to rest yourself, and the anxiety tells greatly on
your wind. A player who often plays six or seven hard sets in practice
may feel utterly out of breath in the first set of a match, mainly from
excitement. The more he plays the less he will notice the difference
between practice and matches.
A great difference, too, lies in the fact that a player, being anxious,
is afraid to play his game, and tries only to get the ball back. This
is a very great mistake, but it is much easier to tell him to play as
he usually does than for him to do it. Almost the first advice that I
should give to any one who was going into his first match, “Try to play
just as you would in practice.” If he cannot win by playing his usual
game, he will, as a rule, play worse instead of better by changing it.
It may prove, of course, that you cannot win with your usual style of
play. In such a case, try something else by all means, but don’t do so
until your own game has been fairly tried.
If you are winning, be still more careful to hold to the same game. One
often sees a player at forty-love serve fast twice or try a slashing
stroke or two. It was not by such play that he reached forty-love. If
he keeps to his game he ought to win one stroke in the next three, but
who knows what may happen if he tries experiments?
The same thing is done at four games-love, at five games to one or
two, or at any such score, and the player who is ahead is often justly
rewarded by losing the set.
Another player will be tempted in the opposite way. He gets a good
lead, and, to make sure of the set, begins to play a very cautious
game. The moment he does so he is playing a weaker game. His real
game gave him his lead, but that does not show that he can hold his
advantage unless he plays as well as he has been playing.
I saw one of the great matches last year lost in just this way—by a
desire to make too sure. In conclusion I can only say that each one
should play the game that he can play best, and let him have the
courage to stick to it, whether he is ahead or behind.
My object in speaking of match play is less to suggest any special
game than to point out certain advantages that are constantly thrown
away.
First, as to the toss. A coin is better than a racket. More rackets,
I feel sure, come up rough than smooth. If you win the toss, go into
both sides of the court, and observe carefully how the light comes, the
wind, the background, the ground itself, and the amount of room round
it. Do not forget that the sun will move a good way during five sets,
and it may be possible to get the best side twice in succession.
When playing the best of five sets, take the best court, unless there
is some special reason against it. If the worst court will be much
worse than it is in half-an-hour, it pays to take it first. One may
win the first set in it before it gets too bad, and should then have
a certainty of the second and fourth sets. If the first set should be
lost, the second and fourth sets should bring the score level, and no
harm would have been done.
If a player takes the best court first he is sure of having it twice in
a match, and he stands more chance of winning three sets to love. If
the court decides the set, he will have the lead all through till the
fifth set, and even then will have it for the first game.
In matches that are the best of three sets you have to take each court
once, and, if there is a difference in the light, I believe that it
pays to take the worse court first. You do not feel the light nearly
as much then as you do after changing from the better side, and your
opponent does not appreciate the advantage that he has. If the light is
so bad that you lose the first set, you ought to be as sure as ever of
winning the second. The only exception is in playing against a young
or fainthearted player, who will be so much encouraged by winning
the first set that he will be harder to beat the second. It is a safe
choice against any old match-player, as he will understand the case
perfectly.
With a wind blowing up and down the court, it pays best to play the
first set with the wind. One gets into one’s stroke better in this
way, and, on changing sides, it is easier to hit harder than to keep a
constant check on one’s self to avoid hitting out of court.
In knocking up before a match, always take the court with the sun in
your eyes, so that, if you lose the toss, you will be accustomed to the
sun, and will not have to change from good light to bad. If you win the
toss, you will feel the advantage of the light all the more.
It is now very common to change sides every game of the whole match.
Should you wish to do so, do not forget to appeal before tossing, or
else it can be done in the odd set only.
If you fancy yourself to be a stronger player than your opponent, it is
better to change sides every game of the match, or else he may win two
sets with the help of the better side, and then everything will depend
on the odd set.
If you change sides every game, and are really better than he, you
should be able to win every set, or, at least, three sets out of four.
If your opponent is better than yourself, on no account change sides if
you can help it. Try to win two sets in the good court, and trust to
luck for the odd one. There is always far more chance that the worse
player will win any particular set than that he will win two in three
or three in five if the conditions are equal.
In one word, if you are the better player, do all that you can to
exclude luck from the game, because, if there is no luck for either
side, you will probably win. If luck is to come in, no one can say who
will get the best of it.
The next point to consider is the service. With duffers the service
is an advantage, because the striker-out misses so many balls, or, at
least, returns them weakly. With good players, I believe the service to
be a decided disadvantage. On a good ground almost every service can be
returned. The first service, if fast, seldom comes off; if of moderate
speed, it can be returned with ease. A second service should leave the
striker-out free to do what he chooses with it.
I should, therefore, always give my opponent the service if I could,
unless sides were to be changed every game. In this case the service
will always come from one end, and if you lose the toss you can choose
from which end.
Against the sun and wind most services will be weak; therefore, if you
serve better than your opponent, put the service with the sun and wind.
If he serves better than you, you can diminish his advantage by putting
the server in the worst court.
If you can serve the reverse overhand service, always put the server
against the wind and sun. This service will twist more against the wind
or going up hill, and the ordinary service will suffer. Moreover, in
serving it, one looks to the left, and can often keep the sun out of
one’s eyes when one’s opponent will have to face it.
Should there be a slope in the court, a fast service down hill will be
unusually severe. If you are playing a weaker man, put the service up
hill; if a stronger serve down hill.
The present rule of changing sides at the end of every game works
rather absurdly in one way, as it is a disadvantage to win the toss.
It is seldom that a player has not a decided preference for serving
from one end rather than from the other, and his opponent will probably
prefer the opposite. It is a small advantage to have the better court
for the first game, compared with the arrangement of the service. If
the winner of the toss chooses the court, his opponent can make him
serve or serve himself, as he prefers to have the service come from
one end or the other. If the winner chooses to serve he can be put in
either court that his opponent sees fit. If you are unlucky enough to
win the toss, take the service, if you want the service to come from
the worst court, and your opponent may prefer to let it be so rather
than to give you the best court. If you want the service to come from
the best court, make him serve so that he shall have to choose the
worst side to prevent it.
A good instance of the value of the toss happened to me last season. In
a double match I lost the toss; my opponents, after consulting, came to
me, and offered me the choice on the ground that it made no difference
to them. I naturally answered that they had won the toss, and could
choose what they liked, but that they must choose something.
The whole matter is complicated by the question of endurance. A
five-set match will last two hours, and if the players are evenly
matched, condition will make a great difference. What, then, is the
best thing for the player who is physically the weaker to do to
diminish his opponent’s advantage?
If there is some difference between the sides, but it is still quite
possible to win on either, I should advise the weaker player to change
sides every game, else he may exhaust himself in trying to win on the
worse side. Besides, he is more likely to win three sets-love. Instead
of this, when the difference is distinct, but not very great, he may
take the worst court and try to win the first set in it while he is
still fresh, and then play for the second and fourth sets on the good
side. If he is rather a better player than his opponent, he will stand
a good chance to win the first set, and he should then have a great
advantage, if he only takes care of himself. If he is rather the worse
player as well as the weaker, he had better play for two sets on the
better side and for the fifth, for he probably cannot win on the worst
side, and will injure his chance for the last set if he tries to.
If the difference between the sides is very great and the players about
equal, I think that the weaker man should not change sides every game
if he can help it. Here, too, his best chance is to win two sets easily
and hope for the fifth. If he changes sides, the games may be won
alternately by the help of the court, and the sets may be very long.
Of course, the interest of the more enduring player is exactly the
opposite. He should prolong the match as much as possible, and when
on the worse side should play up all that he can, so as to tire his
adversary, even if he cannot win.
A great deal of judgment is requisite to decide when to let a set go.
One’s adversary is seldom as easy to beat after he has won a set as he
was before, and I think that “chucking” a set is a luxury that should
be indulged in very seldom, and only when playing up would spoil one’s
chance in the other sets.
A player should never play slackly because he fancies the set won.
Every game that he loses encourages his opponent, and also makes it
harder for himself to get back to his old game. There is no score at
which a set is safe till it is won.
On the other hand, never give up a match till it is lost. I have seen
the score two sets to love and five games to two, and the player who
was ahead lost the match. It is always worth while to try for one more
game. Try to learn to play up the whole time, unless it is absolutely
necessary to ease off to save your wind.
I wish to call particular attention to the fact that it is a great
mistake to attempt to return the service till you are sure that you are
ready. Your opponent will often serve as soon as your face is turned
towards him, and there is a strong temptation to return the ball. In
such a case you are not really ready. You should take time enough to
get to your place, and get your feet under you and your eyes fixed on
your opponent. If he serves too soon, let the ball go by untouched, and
do the same thing on the second service, and on every other service for
which you are not perfectly ready.
When you go in to volley, and you see the ball coming to you, make up
your mind in time where you mean to put it. I have often lost a stroke
by being too slow in deciding, and having to think where the ball
should go at the time that I ought to have been playing it.
Often when a player is about to volley a ball to kill it, he sees his
opponent going to the spot where he intends to put the ball. Ought he
to change his mind and put it elsewhere? I think certainly not. It is
better to trust to the original stroke; if he changes he will probably
make a weak stroke or miss altogether. This does not apply to cases
where he sees his opponent going to one side or the other before he has
made up his mind. He should then, of course, play to the unprotected
side.
Watch your opponent playing beforehand if you can. Few players have no
weak points, and it may be of great service to you to know his.
Be careful to get thoroughly warm before you go into court. Without
this precaution, one is very apt to lose the first game or two, which
perhaps one can ill spare. Every man must judge for himself how much
warming-up he needs, for he must not carry it to the extent of tiring
himself at all before a long match.
Do not neglect to find out who is to umpire for you, and if you think
him incompetent, object to him before the match. It is sufficient if
his manner is annoying to you, as you need all your attention for the
game.
You will be constantly umpired out of games, and even matches, and the
annoyance is much less if you feel that you have done all that was in
your power by having good men to umpire.
Learn in a match to say nothing about the decisions, and to think of
them as little as possible, else one bad decision may lose you many
strokes.
Be careful about the minor details of the game. See that your racket
does not want a new string and that there is no nail at the end of the
handle that may hurt your hand. Have a second racket ready in case of
accidents, and have it as like the first as possible.
Look to your shoes, and see that there are enough points in them, and
that they are not clogged up with dirt.
If you want something to drink in a match, brandy with a little water
in it is the best thing; soda is too bulky. A slice of lemon is very
pleasant in hot weather.
If the handle of your racket slips a little, lemon-juice rubbed on it
makes it easier to hold. With an octagonal handle, I believe that any
slipping of the racket arises from some fault in the way in which it is
held.
As to eating and drinking, I believe in living just as one is in the
habit of doing, using stimulants and luxuries in moderation.
Perhaps the most important matter is sleep. Going to bed at two and
sleeping till ten is by no means the same thing as getting eight hours
sleep earlier in the night. It has come to be a well-recognised fact
that one cannot go to a ball and play matches the next day.