The sun., 1916-08-20
JOHNSTON BOWS
10. KUMAGAE IN
NEWPORT FINAL
American Tennis Champion
Beaten in Five Set Test
of Endurance.
NATIONS BEST IN
DOUBLES ALSO LOSE

NEWfphis 80 NUS
Kumasae OF japan may never achieve
the American lawn tennis championship. |
bu, he did the next best thing to II this
afternoon. lie defeated the American
champion. In the final OF the invitation
singles at the Newport Casino. the slim.
snewy. ~tireless son Of the Orient scored
over Johnston in a Ave set battle that
had the big gallery on the qui vive from
star, to finish. The tally was 81. 81,
81. 2-e. 81. twenty-nine game. to
;wenty-seven
II was a sad day ali around for Cal
ifornia. and Johnston in particular. Even
In the final Of the doubles. in which he and
Clarence J. Griffin were regarded as GER
,sin winners. the national title holder
had to taste OF tile dregs OF defeat.
Johnston anu ~,;r..!in. who hold the
American doubles championship. were
thoroughly ou,played by Joseph J. ARM
strong and Wallace +. Johnson. the Phil
adelphia team winning at IS, GO.
S-l. IS. 81.
America is now confronted with a
very serious possibility OF having a Jap
anese national champion. kumagae. on
MS showing against Johnston. has it in
hin TO beat the best this country can
send against him. 1t IL doubtful IL
Johnston will be able to stop him in
another encounter. II will take the sem
attonal. resouroeful. powerful Nc
Loushlin Of old to halt the progress Of
The nerveless japanese
Test Of Endurance.
In the points that count In tennis
technique. Kumagae was to-day out
elassed by Johnston. In ability to. go
after and get almost anything. to main
tain the eeverest rallies with tireless
energy. to. stand under the hottest fire
With calm stolidity. kumagae was head
and Shoulders above the stripping who
holds the national supremacy.
In the NTH set the match developed
purely into a physical test. and hf1e
Johnston pulled between rallies apd well
coined every chance to get his wind. the
Japanese phenomenon did not breathe
hard enough to have caused a candle
light to flicker. Az one tennis veteran
remarked. Kumagae is simply super
human. At least SO he appears to the
American. In the Orient they build
many such men.
The match was one of the hardest
fought contests ever seen on the Casino
courts. both players using every atom OF
tennis. strategy and skill at their COM
maud. Kumagae's superiority In the
opening set was unquestionable. for the
national champion was apparently I'M
able TO handle the swift. accurate strokes
Of his opponent. The next set was also
Z { aory for the Japanese. but Johnston
Was now playing in something like his
top notch form and sixteen games were
necessary before the star from Toxic
emerged a winner of the set.
Continuing his brilliant play In the
following set, Johnston was a victor and
IN the fourth set seemed to have the
japanese at his mercy. allowing him
only one game. The gallery looked for
a victory for Johnston in the fifth and
deciding set. but Kumagae had some
th.ng in reserve;
Hot Rallies Numerous.
Stimulating rally followed rally and
Kumagse WAS always the steadier The
japanese played a plodding game. He
vas quick to take advantage OF errors
In tactics or execution and piled up 1853
o. his zoo aces on n~dsplays by the
Champion. OF the 1873 aces scored by
Johnston li2 were made on kumagae's
errors.
Though he was not sensational. Kun
aEe made up for that lack of brilliancy
BY his wonderful gets. Time and again
' 'f'N' wv
seemingly Tor a sure ace. only to have
he lite Japanese bob up and whip the
ball back. To say the least. II wal
Mighty dl~scouraging to battle against an
Opponent Of that stamp.
Yet Johnston never backed away. He
never showed that he feared the Jap
anese, The Californian fought hard for
every ace, Time and again. when 1t
looked as II he would be overcome by
n N Efaa.NHAR .,aa al Innn-
,'on organized a flashing rally apd beat
his man back.
The biggest surprise about the upset
was the inability Of Johnston even to
hold his own against the forcing tactics
o' the little brown man. Experts here
last night agl eed that .Johnston's varied
game, especially his attack at the net
would he more than kumagae wouid ne
aSe 10 handle. Kumagac showed them
to-lay that ne could handle anything
NAT came his way.
F"r"hR nd u Boomerang.
Johnston found his great forehand a
Boomerang. which the japanese smashed
back at him with rife shit force and I'M
fanny effect, That more than anything
else took the big gallery by surprise. a
capacity crowd was in attendance ana
" was apparently there for tennis pur-
poses, This was In marked contrast
With conditions on previous days. when
va gathering. In the gallery put some
" ne players off their game and even
no"ned he voices OF the umpires and
"e men ~ the sidc lines.
ne "0'ning set made II apparent that
.''hs'nu dtd ~ Respect NJ its full worth
". s*'il with which the Japanese brings
VI MS passing shots, He tried 10 get
" he 7c' and he mo, the fate that has
Ne'ak"n all ~ the men who fail to take
.o account that Kuinagae rarely misses
court
johnston 'riod 10 come crouching into
""e range 10 shoot across the short.
,''pp'g Shnt| mo she corners by which
=, nas won against the famous men OF
80. american courts. Kuinagae was
,tt"t There. IL. unl!mhcrcd his rapid
,Ie guns gains Johnston, giving him
W. 'as', Smashing ball. which the Ameri-
l."ln his .eagerress cut down into the
Nu,'r or completely failed to handle.
"umasae ran this yet out with nve
s."ss IN q row. II stood as q mOnu
ny. TO his sensational recoveries. to. his
"uess OF anticipation and the ma