years ago, against a team far over the class of my partner and
myself, by lobbing continually to one man until he cracked under
the strain and threw the match away. He became so afraid of a lob
that he would not approach the net, and his whole game broke up
on account of his lack of confidence. Our psychology was good,
for we had the confidence to continue our plan of attack even
while losing two of the first three sets. His was bad, for he
lost his nerve, and let us know it.

Sensational and unexpected shots at crucial moments have won many
a match. If your opponent makes a marvellous recovery and wins by
it, give him full credit for it, and then forget it, for by
worrying over it you not only lose that point but several others
as, well, while your mind is still wandering. Never lose your
temper over your opponent's good shots. It is bad enough to lose
it at your own bad ones. Remember that usually the loser of a
match plays just as well as the winner allows him. Never lose
your temper at a bad decision. 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