top-flight player, so a slight variation does not affect him.

Many a great match has been ruined by abnormal conditions. Rain
caused Williams' downfall to N. W. Niles in the 1917 American
Championships. Rain and wind marred a great battle between Gobert
and Johnston at Eastbourne in the Davis Cup in 1920.

The clever match player must always be willing to change his game
to meet conditions. Failure to do so may spell defeat.

It is this uncertainty, due to external conditions, that makes
comparative records so useless in judging the relative merits of
two players you know nothing of. Rankings based on mathematical
calculations of scores are absolutely useless and childish,
unless tempered by common sense.

The question of the fitness of conditions of play can never be
standardized. In America you play only if clear. In England
sometimes when clear but more often in rain, judging by the
events I swam through in my recent trip. A match player should
not only be able to play tennis, but should combine the virtues
of an aeroplane and a submarine as well.



CHAPTER VIII. THE PSYCHOLOGY OF PHYSICAL FITNESS

Physical fitness is one of the great essentials of match play.
Keenness can only be acquired if the physical, mental, and
nervous systems are in tune. Consistent and systematic training