The second day's play saw a remarkable match when W.E.Davis defeated C.V.Todd of Australia after the latter led him by two sets.Davis steadily improved and by rushing the net succeeded in breaking up Todd's driving game.Todd unfortunately pulled a muscle in his side that seriouslyhampered him in the fifth set.
Wallace F.Johnson, playing magnificent tennis, eliminated Watson Washburn in one of the brainiest, hardest fought matches of the whole tournament.
Johnson was very steady and outlasted Washburn in the first set, which he won.Washburn then took to storming the net and carried off two sets decisively.The strain took its toll and he was perceptibly slower when the fourth set opened.Johnson ran him from corner to corner, or tossed high lobs when Washburn took the net.It proved too much for even Washburn to stand, and the Philadelphian won the next two sets and with it the match.Many people considered it a great upset.Personally I expected it, as I know how dangerous Johnson may be.
The Johnston-Richards match and my meeting with Shimidzu came on the third day.Fully 15,000 people jammed themselves around the court and yelled, clapped and howled their excitement through the afternoon.It was a splendidly behaved gallery but a very enthusiastic one.
Richards, eager to avenge his crushing defeat by Johnston at Seabright, started with a rush."Little Bill" was uncertain and rather nervous.Richards ran away with the first two sets almost before Johnston realized what was happening.The tennis Richards played in these sets was almost unbeatable.Johnston nerved himself to his task and held even to 3-all in the third.Here he broke through and Richards, I think foolishly, made little attempt to pull out the set.The boy staked all on the fourth set.Johnston led at 5-3 but Richards, playing desperately, pulled up to 6-5 and was within two points of the match at 30-all on Johnston's service.It was his last effort.Johnston took the game and Richards faded away.His strength failed him and the match was Johnston's.
I hit a good streak against Shimidzu and ran away with three straight sets more or less easily.
Meantime one of the most sensational upsets of the whole tournament was taking place on an outside court where Stanley W.Pearson of Philadelphia was running the legs off N.W.Niles of Boston and beating him in five sets.
"Little Bill" Johnston and I met the next day in what was the decidingmatch of the tournament, even though it was only the fourth round.Every available inch of space was jammed by an overflow gallery when we took the count.It was a bitter match from the first point.We were both playing well.In the early stages Little Bill had a slight edge, but after one set the balance shifted and I held the whip hand to the end.
The same day **** Williams went down to sudden and unexpected defeat at the hands of J.O.Anderson of Australia in five well played sets.It was a typical Williams effort, glorious tennis one minute followed by inexcusable lapses.The Australian was steady and clever throughout.
The keen speculation as to the outcome of the tournament fell off after the meeting of Johnston and I, and with it a decrease in attendance.This ran very high, however, again reaching capacity on the day of the finals.
The round before the semi finals saw a terrific struggle between two Californians, Bob Kinsey and Willis E.Davis.Kinsey had defeated Davis in the Metropolitan Championship the week before and was expected to repeat, but Davis managed to outlast his team and nosed out the match.Kinsey collapsed on the court from exhaustion as the last point was played.
Gordon Lowe went down to me in a fine match while J.O.Anderson and Wallace Johnson completed the Quartet of semi finalists,I finally got my revenge on Davis for the many defeats he had inflicted on me in years gone by.Wallace Johnson scored a magnificent victory over J.O.Anderson in four sets after the Australian led at a set all, 5-2, and 40-15.Johnson ran the visiting Davis Cup star all over the court and finally pulled out the match in one of the finest displays of court generalship I have ever seen.
The finals was more or less of a family party.It was an all- Philadelphian affair, two Philadelphians competing with 14,000 more cheering them on.
Johnson was unfortunate.Saturday the match was started under a dark sky on a soft court that just suited him.I have seldom seen Johnson play so well; as always, his judgment was faultless.We divided games with service with monotonous regularity.The score was 5-all when it began to drizzle.The court, soft at best that day, grew more treacherous andslippery by the minute.Johnson's shots hardly left the ground.He broke my service at 7-all when the rain materially increased.He reached 40-15 but, with the crowd moving to shelter and the rain falling harder every minute, he made the fatal error of hurrying and netted two easy shots for deuce, A moment more and the game was mine and the match called at 8- all.
Play was resumed on Monday before a capacity gallery.By mutual agreement the match was played over from the beginning.I had learned my lesson the previous day and opened with a rush.The hot sun and strong wind had hardened the court and Johnson's shots rose quite high.It was my day and fortunately for me I made the most of it.
I consider that match the best tennis of my life.I beat Johnson 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 in 45 minutes.Thus fell the curtain on the official tennis season.
