When young Jay Gould recently defeated Eustace Miles at court tennis, in London, he became, for the time, the amateur champion of the world in that fascinating game. Mr. Gould, who is the son of George Gould, is only eighteen years old, while his opponent is thirty-nine - a veteran, but by no means too old for tennis, which requires not merely nimbleness sand speed, but experience, judgment, and well-trained muscles. In point of fact, Mr. Miles's play was described by those who witnessed it as "miraculous" in some of the sets; but Mr. Gould won out in the series. The London Times said of him:This young American deserves the very highest credit for vanquishing the best man we have to put against him, after he had easily beaten all our other best players in the previous tournament.
There must be something particularly gratifying to Mr. Gould in the fact of his brilliant victory in court-tennis. Englishmen have always regarded this as especially their own game, and one, by a sort of tradition, set apart for the aristocracy. They have, however, shown their national sportsmanship and fair play in generously applauding the youthful American student - Mr. Gould is a freshman at Columbia-who has wrested the highest honors from their chosen champion.
Mr. Gould's triumph in London may have an interesting effect on the next American court-tennis championship, which will be fought out in March, 1908, at the New York Racquet and Tennis Club. It is stated that his college work will prevent him from crossing the Atlantic to defend his English title, and in consequence several of the leading British players are said to be planning a trip to New York in order to get a chance of meeting him. This would make the American event practically a world championship.
Interest in court-tennis is likely to have another stimulus in the shape of a visit from Peter Latham, the veteran expert who from 1895 to 1905 held the professional championship, and who recently regained the title from a younger rival, C. Fairs. All in all, the game seems to be about to enjoy something of a "boom" in America. This present year, by the way, will be somewhat unpleasantly memorable in the annals of British sport for the number of championships carried off by foreign athletes who have made England their hunting ground.
Originally published in Munsey's Magazine. September 1907.
