New-York tribune., 1918-08-04
Youth Plays
Brilliantly, but
ku1nagae Wins
Japanese to Meet X e
Taylor Today ir, Metro.
politan Final
By Fred Hawthorne

boy star, will fight it out at I o'clock
annual Metropolitan singles lawn tennis
championship tournament, on the turf
courts OF the Crescent Athletic Club
in Bay Ridge, for the title. Kumagse
earned his bracket yesterday by de-
defeating Vincent Richards, national
boy champion, in straight sets, st 60.
g, 6-3, in the semi-fnal round,
while Taylor went through by default,
Seichiro Kashio, of Japan, who was 70
have been his opponent, having been
taken suddenly i'll.
Kumagae explained yesterday that
Kashio was attacked by acute indiges-
tion Friday. arg had been taken to St.
Luke's Hospital. where he now is. It
may be q week or ten days before he Is
seen on the courts again
In the semi-fnal round of the dou
! bles, Charles Chambers and Henry "
Mollenhauer defeated Royal d. Richey
ard Cecil Donaldson, at Is, 6-3, ana
will play Dr. William Rosenhaum and
/ Fred c. Baggs for the title this after
noon, Immediately after the finish of
/ the singles match.
Defeated, young Richards gained
more prestige by his play yesterday
than was ever his in victory. For a
period in each Of the three sets he
amazed the big gallery by the brilliancy
of his work. Even the Unconditional
kumagae seemed surprised at the daz-
zllng display of placing and low vol
leying given by the sixteen-year-old
/ boy on the other side Of the net
Spectators Cheer
The spectators. frankly partisan in
I their desire 20 see America triumphant
over Japan, applauded Richardss every
effort with storms of handclapping and
/ shouting, and some were even guilty OF
thus showing their feelings when
kumagae made errors. but IN the main
II was a well behaved gallery and the
( htCle japanese was given has tribute
whom the last point had been scored
and he and Richards clasped hands over
the net.
The match began on the Champion
ship" stretch OF turf. with Kumagae
serving, and hot sun beating down on
the court The first game went to the
Japanese without much effort, Richards
hndlng the net several times as be
tried to handle kumsgaes service.
The second and third games also
were scored by the Oriental wizard,
but both went to deuce before Kumagae
was able TO gain the winning points.
Richards was gradually gaining control
Of his strokes, and with control came
confidence. and he began TO charge for
the net position TO engage in stirring
voIIeying exchanges with MS opl onent.
Boy Thrills Onlookers
In the fourth game the 0oy champion
gave the spectators thrill and
glimpse of the latent possibilities of
his game. He WAS mixing up his serv-
ice craft.ly, now whipping over a hard,
straight ball down the centre line and
now shooting over reverse twist that
KUmagae found trouble IN handling
C.eanly.
At the net Richards was Touchard
n beauty Of stroke. IN deadly place
ment and in the unrufied, careless.
coolnoss with which he entered into
the ightnlng-tast rallies, whether from
the back Of the court or well within
the service court lines. After the
points had gone TO deuce twice, Rich
ards won the game, and then delighted
the gallery by breaking through Ku-
m2gae's service in the fifth and taking
hat game. bringing the tally TO "a
IN the fore gner's favor.
It looked then as thoagh Richards
was about 10 tie the score up and give
Kumagae n bitter struggle for the set
But il was not to be, for the schoolboy
faltered little and < 4n7 p gae, scenting
real danger from this fair-hdired strip
ing who was outgeneraling him a the
net, buckled down to his work and be
gan to drive X terrific power put
ting his back into the strokes and send
ing the ball catapulting into Richards's
court with 50 much speed. and with
such uncannY skill Of place u Mt, thai
the American youth was iterally swept
off the court. losing the next three
games, the last az love. which gave
Kumagae he fret set at g..
Kumagae Is Aroused
The Japanese started service IN the
second set, but Richards, moving up TO
the net with great speed, smOtheTed his
opponents returns b. beautiful, low
volIeying across the court, winning this
game and the next. But TINS only
served 10 unleash new speed and deter
mination IN Kumagae and he fairly
raced about MS court as he took Rlch
ards's shots and sent them crashing
back Vow the swarthy little man was
coming IN 70 the ner 70 volley himself
and to smash. and Richards was being
beaten down by sheer speed and hare
hitting. Kumagae taking the last SIX
xanes in q row for tne ser a. e.
As matter of fact. It was the abil-
ity CT Kumagae 20 stroke the bal
with greater power that meant inertia
bic defeat for Richards. The school
boz could not compete against the
storm of vicious drives that ripped
through mis- court. He lacked the
power to finish of his shots, as Kums-
gae was doing.
But Richards fought just as hard IN
the third and fral set and although he
must have realized that defeat was TO
be his portion he never let Up in his
attack. and won The frs, the fourth
and the seventh games. chiefly by the
most sparkling play from midcourt.
Kunarae won the last pon. IN the
final game OF beautiful shot down
the sidel;ne for a placement ace. tax
jng the ball on the full volley as he
came racing n to the net.
The point score follows.
FIRST SET
Een.ss' ss--,!r. $500 ssGsss
SD~oNO SIT
gan.sas gn,a. = SO - -