Word: wimbledon
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Early in the tennis season, hunch-shouldered Ted Schroeder felt he had to make a choice. He could defend his Wimbledon title in early July, or he could stay home and help defend the Davis Cup against the Australians in August. The U.S.'s top-ranking amateur was too busy earning a living (as a salesman of refrigeration equipment) to do both. Much to the relief of the Davis Cup selection committee, Ted decided to stay home...
...Wimbledon last week, though he was seeded fifth (behind Australian Champion Frank Sedgman, Talbert, Drobny and South Africa's Eric Sturgess), the experts gave Patty little chance. But by midweek he had defeated a wobbly Billy Talbert again, then outplayed the No. 10 U.S. player, Vic Seixas, to win his way to the final against top-seeded Frank Sedgman...
...before the final, the reconditioned Patty went through a four-hour doubles match, longest in Wimbledon history (one set went to 31-29). Patty looked like a limp rag afterward, and for the singles the smart money was on wiry, 22-year-old Sedgman, whose austere training habits include calisthenics and jogging around Wimbledon Common. Patty declined an invitation to a party at a West End nightclub...
...Wimbledon's center court next day, Patty took the first set with flashy attacks at the net, 6-1. Since Sedgman is a notably slow starter, this did not overly surprise the big, pro-Sedgman crowd. They sat back to watch Patty fade...
...Jump. Appearances were deceptive. Time & again Patty's deftly placed drop shots outmaneuvered his opponent; his baseline drives were flicking up puffs of chalk. He won the third set, 6-2, kept up the pressure to run out the match in the fourth, 6-3. The new Wimbledon champion did not, however, test his remaining stamina by trying to jump over the net. He put one leg across, nearly pulling down the net, then walked toward the umpire's stand with an arm around Frank Sedgman's neck...