Federer's predecessor of the Titanic

the best tennis players in the world battle If from today for the title at the US Open, all eyes will be on Roger Federer . Here, the five times winner of New York has a nearly-forgotten predecessors: The first Swiss-born Victor of the tournament is not Basel, but Richard Norris Williams II. of This won on 1. September 1914 in Newport, in the state of Rhode Island in the American championship, the predecessor tournament of the Open. His greatest Triumph as he had done two years previously – as he survived the sinking of the Titanic.

Williams came in 1891, in Geneva, to the world. Due to health problems of his father, Duane, the parents of Philadelphia were moved to Switzerland, in order to have easier access to therapeutic baths. Duane Williams taught his son Tennis, in 1911, the Scion was the first Swiss champion. In the autumn of 1912, he wanted to play at Harvard University to study and Tennis.

"no noise, completely silent"

As the father of the maiden voyage of the Titanic, heard, booked two first-class tickets. Richard and Duane Williams were acting the 274 pass, the on 10. April 1912 in Cherbourg on Board went. As the ship rammed four days later, around midnight, an iceberg, were both ripped from sleep. Soon Chaos prevailed on the Titanic, this supposedly "unsinkable" luxury liner. Only Richard helped and Duane Williams other passengers boats in the rescue. Then it was clear to them: For no boat was left. The bow of the Titanic disappeared in the water. Before you jumped into the ice-cold Atlantic ocean, was Duane Williams beaten to death by a collapsing chimney. Richard Williams climbed on to a railing, jumped into the deep and swam.

Only twelve weeks after the disaster, Richard Williams played a tennis tournament.

From some distance he saw the Titanic at 2.20 PM going to – "without noise, completely silent," he later recalled. Williams, a rescue, reaching a boat that tipped over in the water engine. Next to him, about 30 more people clung to the wooden hull. Only 13 of them survived.

for the frostbite

marked saved As the passenger ship Carpathia Williams, he was cool after hours in the ocean completely under. His legs were red lilac, he could no longer feel them. A ship's doctor suggested an Amputation. But Williams shook his head: "My legs I need."

He was right. Only twelve weeks after the disaster, Richard Williams played a tennis tournament. It came to him that the dress code is white, rubbed long pants feeds, as his legs remained of the frostbite is characterized – life. Two years later, he won Championships in the US, in 1916, a second Time, in 1924, he was Mixed-the Olympic champion.

His grandson, Quincy Williams later described him as a "humble man who loved to talk about themselves". A lot of white in Quincy's memoirs, really remember he can father not to his Gross, who died in 1968. 56 years after the most famous ship disaster in history, 54 according to an almost forgotten victory.

Created: 26.08.2019, 06:11 PM