The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-05-07
Preparing for Australia

But ten DAYS rem" med before tn" hrSt
Of the final mater. Vt the DhFIS cup
We're to start. We ,~-luch 10 90 20
get ready. So far little practice hao
fallen 10 our lot owing TO the heavy
rains. But nov the weather had cleared
and We buckl"d down 10 the real thlhg'
Every day We worked out Sometimes
once. but more frequently We WOULD go
To il both morning and afternoon. AS
we needed all the time remaining 10
prime US for the matches ahead after
so many days on Shipboard and so many
lost following our landing. because OIL
the almost inCessant rains.
The court whore VIC were 10 stage THIS
meeting the one that had hcrn trans
f., ed picccmca some three months
previous was now opened. for use and
Il satisfactory arrangement completed
whereby the Australians would use it
in the morning and the Americans in
the afternoon one day, and vice versa
he next. and so on in this rotation.
Almost every day Billy Johnston and
I would practice together. playing from
three to ffve hard sets Of singles. Then
one or the other or both Of us would
tackle "Watty" Washburnc in Il couple
Of sets OF singles. Captain Hardy had
a great deal Of detail work TO attend to
IA the matches approached. SO he had
little time to play. However. he would
I'll in whenever either Johnston or my
self desired 4 full workout with Wash
burne by taking on the other.
We Practiced With Our Rivals.
Although We had little or no outside
competition in our preparation. there
were times when We engaged in friendly
tryouts with the Australians. Johnston
and each had round with Rodney
Heath Of their team, and WaShpurhe
once practiCcd with Pat Ollara wood.
One day Patterson and l went at it for
4 couple OF sets Of singles. Although
such a proceeding would probably be
tsbooed in other sports. there was moth
ing strange about it in tennis. In fact.
our workouts with our rivals in the
big event was hut an evidence Of the
zinc sportsmanship that is prevalent in
ennis.
] had the rare pl"aSur" Of Il few
matches with Frank Wilding. brother
of the famous Ton! aud player OF no
mean ability, although nowhere in his
brothers class. He has much Of that
same charm Of manner that made Tony
so universally popular. But outside OF
these ocCas ional meetings with Austria
IianS our preparations were confined TO
workouts with each other. In this way
We soon got into top form.
Mascot Appears.
when the Davis cup court was opened
for tn" first day. hut three members Of
the competing t.amS-lirookcs and Pat
lerSOn Of the AuSirn lianS and | Of the
Americans Still in Auckland The
others had gone on Il week end jaunt TO
Rot0rua u famous New Zealand resort
We had remained on tho scene" 5roOkes
and Patterson for praCtiC" and your
correspondent 10 doctor Il nasty cold
When the Australians went forth TO
play they invited me TO acCompan! them
BY doing so I had the good fortune 10
pick up our official mascot for the
matches
The commill"" in charge Of the
matches had decided that whom they
opened this court for practice they
would not permit the public to enter tn"
enclosure. They felt. though l could
not see why. that such Il thing would
hurt tho gate receipts.
Just the same. when BrOOkCS and Pat
tcrSon took the Cour, that day there
were quite a few spectators on hand.
The committee quickly set to work TO