The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-06-11
To This Country to Compete IN
the American Champion
ship Tournament.

-" ~ W" history OF International
lawn tennis the far East will make a
bid for premier honOrS this autumn
when the Japanese racquet stars. X.
knmaEHi and II. Mikami, appear in
the American championship tourna-
mont at ForrcSt Hills, l.. l.. In August.
Those two leading tennis players OF
tho Orient are already ON their way
TO this country for a three months
campaign on the United States courts
ana their Invasion will DO awaited
win great interest by all followers OF
tennis, since their records Indicate
mat both play a game which ranks
them with the Lending tennis experts
Of this country.
while tho complete itinerary OF the
Japanese players Will not DO known
until they roach tho Pacific eoast. n
~ certain that they will proceed east
ward by easy stages. playing at the
leading clubs In exhibition and tourna-
ment matches as the occasion Offers.
san ~FrnnciHco. Los Angeles, ChfcaRo
n PitisburE and New York will be
gIVcn an opportunity 10 sec the Jam
hneSe In action on the courts before
INC national championships and after
me ttlilar tournament. Kumagni and
MIkami return TO the Pacific coast by
"onther route playing occasional
matches prior to ombarking for Japan,
Apparently this will bc the only In
vHS'on OF foreign athletes during tho
coming season and because OF the
prominence and ability OF the Japnn-
ESQ., should attract far more than
usual attention to the leading court
tournaments Of tho summer since both
kumaEAi and MikRmi have several
times demonstrated their ability 10
mold their " acroBB the not with the
ranking players Of the United tsatos.
AZ far back as 1913 Kumagai. then a
student at Keio University, appeared
at tho far eastern championships and
fought his way to tho Bemi-fnals where
ne was defeated by Elia Fottreli rs,
So S. 4-6. Ga, on a match which
was carried over into the second day.
Later with u partner no lost 20 Fottreii
and William Johnston. present Ameri-
can champion. In n double match by
scores Of 6-2, Cd, 6-2.
Two years before KamaEai Ind ney-
er seen u tennis racquet or ball and
his first game was played with n dia-
carded racquet OF an English resident
OF Japan and u rod rubber bail such
RB small children amuse themselves
win by bouncing on the sidewalks.
Sone Idea OF his progress within the
last three years al DO gained from
tho fact that last January he returned
10 Manila and won tho Championship
OF tho Orient from n icId which I'M.
cluded Clarence Griffin, number Reycn
In the United States, ranking for last
last season, and Ward Dawson, who Is
"anked In the third ten for the same
period.
When the semi-nnaI round was
reached there remained Rumagai and
Mikami. representing Japan and
1rltin and Dawson from the United
states. Griffin defeated Mikami rs.
3-6. SO. 6-l while Kumagai won from
Dawson at Ga. Ga. SO. When Grimm
met KumagRi in the final round the
air proved very evenly matched and
While the JapaneBe expert won In
straight sets II was only after a ter
rthc court battle with two sets a OF
three going TO deuce. the scores being
1913. SO. 1913. During the American
season. Grimm had won matches
from r. Norris. Williams, irving
Wright, George NJ. Church, Ward and
Fottrell and worked his way into the
NTH round Of the national Champion
ship tourney where he was put out by
Johnston. the ultimate winner. In a
hard four-Bet match.
Kumagai and MikamI will play IN
both the doubles and singles nj tho
Forrest Hills national championship.
Dawson and Griffin defeated them Ia
the final round Of the Orient doublea
by scores Of Ga. e.. 1913, the Japan
ese being rather weak in the team
work so necessary to win In doubles
play. or the two Kumagai is the bot
tor player. having a puzzling left hand
service and n terrific fore and back
hand drive, coupled with an
ability to make returns from almost
any angle and portion Of court. He
does not conserve his energy In play
but Is apparently tireless upon the
court and a master OF tennic tactics.
Experts are already predicting that ono
or both OF the Japanese players will
prove q sensation at the titular tourna-
ment and upset many OF the American
racquet stars before the finals ore
reached