New-York tribune., 1918-07-22
plav Is Marked by an Amaz-
ing, Almost Mechanical,
Accuracy
By Fred Hawthorne

..n +xo hours and a half of Cruel
i;,r struggle under sun that beat
,own on the clay courts with pitiless
i.nsity. Ichiva Kumagae. of Japan, the
attending champion. defeated Seiichiro
vssbio also of Japan, in the challenge
.,nnd Of the New York State champion
shin lawn tennis tournament on the
.,ov courts of the Yahnundasis Golf
Club this afternoon.
In the fight to retain his title Kuma-
40. was forced to four long drawn out
Gets at 4-6. GO. 6-3. 81, in which
there were seventeen deuce games.
The rallies from deep court were so
,rotracted and there was so little of
me rushing, smashing style Of play
that we in this country have come to
regard as an essential accompaniment
"a championship tennis that the in
.prest OF the large gallery waned some
what after the third set, and when
Miss Molla Bjurstedt, national woman
champion, began an exhibition match
with Harold Taylor, of Brooklyn. the
former Metropolitan junior champion,
on nearby court, there followed a
general movement to the other court
BY the spectators. anxious to see the
wonderful Morse girl perform.
Miss Bjurstodt was defeated at rs,
rs, but the meteoric, hard-hitting
game that she played and the manner
in which she raced about the court
after Taylor's shots brought enthu-
siastie applause from the gallery,
Challenge Round Remarkable
Yet there were remarkable features
about the challenge round match be-
tween Kumagae and Kashio. Here
we're two Japanese payers meeting in
challenge round match to decide one
Of the important titles on American
courts. Such a thing had never hap
psned before in the history of the
game in this country, and may never
be seen again, yet Kashio had arrived
at the high position gained by going
through a strong field of American
players until he finally faced his
eountryman from the Far East in the
decisive test
Neither kumagae nor kashio pos
sesses a single stroke that is executed
in the generally accepted manner sup
posed by critics TO be indispensable to
the best form, but here they were, con-
testing between themselves tor the
championship. What was the secret
that had enabled these two little men
from the other side of the Pacific to
meet in the challenge round? Ac
curacy- amazing, almost mechanical
accuracy-and tireiess court covering
under a burning sun.
Unless some man like Robert Lind
ley Murray, OF California;; William T.
Tiden, I'd, of PMladelphia; Frederick
P Alexander or Charles S. Garland, of
Pittsburgh. comes down to the ma
tlonal chan. plonship tournament at
Forest Hills next month prepared to
give battle to Kumagae and Kashio it
is not beyond the bound of possibility
that the blue ribbon event of American
courts viii De claimed by native of
Japan.
FinaIists Much Alike
Kumagae and his challenger took the
court about O'clock, bowlng and smil-
ing their way through tae lines of
spectators gathered about the cham
pionshlp stretch of clay. Both are
about the same height, although ku-
magae is far sturdler in build and
wears glasses. Another distinguishing
character between the two is that the
champion is left handed. Otherwise
lney might we'll have been twins, even
'helr styles of play being similar to a
remarkable degree.
Both Ichiya and Seiichiro wore
lleavy golf caps throughout the match,
eoth rarely spoke wnile playing and
Ootn showed d marked affection for ice
water consuming two large pitchers of
me mud IN the course of the four sets.
:, hdWln Fuller Torrey, secretary of
Me united States National Lawn Ten
lS ASSOCIATION and chairman of the
Vcai tournament committee, to whose
euor'S the great success of the tourna-
nient was due, climbed into the high
umpire s chair, the lInesmen took their
appointed places and the match began,
WIN humagae starting the service.
Challenger Wins First
The champion lost the first two
games, after both had gone to deuce
several times. Kashlo placed low, fly
ing drives, both fore and backhand,
aown the side lines with astonishing
accuracy OF placement. kumagae hung
III me back OF his court at first, ap-
pasfehtly we'll satisfied 20 meet Kashio
~. ~ .he !atter's own style of play, but
mneh ne discovered that the challenger
SSF 100 steady and machine-like to
guilty OF errors, he changed and
se ssegah to go to the net, intent upon
sta'shlng of the points with volleying
he was fairly successful at this and
mougnt the games to ALL, but Kashio
sa "as hitting the lines in deadly fashion
Sasnp Saa Kept catching the champion with
,,eautlul passing shots as Kumagae at
emmpled to cut the bal off on the full
s9eney. Kashio won the eighth game
aver aver long rally from the base line.
Itopped the ninth when Kumagae
saafged to the net and smothercd his
iltt.ufhs, and then won the tenth, giving
AN the hrst set at ca.
Asain the champion started the SER