The Power of a Soft Return

On July 5, 1975, Arthur Ashe walked onto Centre Court at the All England Club to face Jimmy Connors in the Wimbledon final. Connors was twenty-two, the defending champion, and heavily favored. Ashe was thirty-one, considered past his prime, and few believed he had a chance. But Ashe had a plan, and it was counterintuitive. Instead of matching Connors' ferocious power, Ashe did something no one expected.…