New-York tribune., 1919-04-24
Many Believe the Jap
Star Will Regain For.
mer High Standing
Rv Fred Hawthorne

4 question that is interesting many
followers oi lawn tennis in the East
Is: rs Ichiya kumagac coming back
this season and regain the high rank
nc he hcid during his first visit to
,his coluntry. in 1862"
The apparent reason for this re-
wal of interest in the little man
from Japan lies in the fact that he
recently defeated Vincent Richards.
the national indoor champion. in the
sem-fnal round Of the North and
South tournament at Pinehurst. Two
months previously Kumagae had been
beaten by the sixteen-year old cham
vion in the covered court tournament
in Philadelphia. His poor showing on
the latter occasion gave rise. in Ger
tain quarters. to the idea that the
foreigners game was on the decline
and that never again would he figure
as realT formidable opponent to our
top-ranking men.
Kumaeae did much to dissipate this
opinion through his easy victory at
Pinehurst. lie swept through the
match with case. driving with all IF
the old sting on his forehand that usod
70 mark his work, and he covered his
court with fine speed and keen antici-
nation OF his opponents returns.
lid not witness this match. hence
can only draw my conclusions from
me comparative score and hearsay evil
dence, 1t seems, however, that Kuma-
gae, in addition 20 his strong back
court play also went to the net with
greater frequency than usual, and was
quite successful in smothering Rich
Tds's attempted passing shots, besides
smashing obs with accuracy and Sc
verify.
Goes Down to Defeat
Two or three DAYS later, however. in
me final round Of the same tourna
nsnt, Rumagae went down todefeat nj
ne hands o. william r. TiIden "a
ossiona clay court CHAMPION. nevNr
hsyihg q charee a. winni1r from his
-al rival q wa practically 81 repeti
ION 81 tn niatth betwsen Tfi4Aa an4
rs jshatsss ~ Forest Hills IN ~
tstista Hfits lest gbAr! the Phr4
4sifb'tt tHfrufhttiv sr9tHhtfrh T.
Mss@s hy Ais bssg aHd t4t4 NtiiHk
sAa tis rhs tA4s Hst sil4ee
4 is it9e fHsss fHei# hat Ms Hpsi
ais* p4t eqtel4si9As - ~ Wheilst
lhe isNaAess gong te ba as atrQDe .
psSei ~ 1912 ~ be wa 10 l9l6. Wien
pc Aas placed at AQ. ~ iAe uAtiopal
pnkne list riaHkly, do bot believe
%, knWataei i1 1915, made remark
able record on American courts, win
nng many titles and Defeating. among
others, William NJ. Johnston, of Cali
iofnla, national champion Of 1915.
but IN those days there was the ele-
meni of surprise in the situation. The
Japanese came TO the United States
with what was practically a new game.
Inc outstanding feature Of his play
was wonderful accuracy and This.
combined with unusual steadness and
peculiar loop" forehand drive, did
much to carry hun along to success
over all but the strongest net play
ers.
Rarely, il ever, did Kumagae at
Tempt 10 come TO the net during his
CAMPAIGN of 1916 He was 50 steady
rom the back of the court. and his
iorclng shots carried such pace" that
MS base line in order to win his
points Woe betide the net PLAYER
who faced the Japanese when his net
attack was not going at its best johns
ion faltered Just a trihe in the match
al the Newport Casino. and Kumagae.
oTving with beautiful accuracy, passed
me Californian repeatedly for the
points
In 1917 The man from the Far East
returned to his native land and it
vas not until last year that he re-
,,efned to this country. He won the
New York State championship singles
a. the lahnundasis Golf Club of Utica
rom poor field, and that was about
MS most important victory There
aver he met with several defeats, and
me reason was not far to seek.
Learns American Game
:. hqmagse, during his absence from
me United states, had evidently deter
m'ned to learn the American net game,
ana when he made his reappearance it
vas with style of game that was
neither FISH, flesh nor fowl" He had
.2s' mucn OF ms deadly accuracy from
ne oacK Of the court; he did not make
use OF ms battling "loop' drive so fire.
sueh'ly, and his strokes did not seem
carry the same sting that they f%r-
merry aid. To Offset these losses the
japanese had only very modre net
game and the combination was not
'ulne'entiy good TO carry him through
asa'nsi men he had easily beaten two
years before.
u mad become evident, by the end of
& ~s isIa season, that Kumagae would
e,her nave 70, acquire the American
asl-Fushing lyle Of play OF fall back
apon his original deep driving attack
I ne hoped 10 meet with his former
'~ecesses or our courts. There are
sns. thus early in the present season,
,ns' the man from Japan has material I
improved his game at the net, but it /
- not &c, strong enough to prevail +
sss'nst our "hrst ten" string, and do /
ael look for Kumagae TO gain a rank /
g IN That elect group in 1919, pro
',eed tnat the rest Of our greatest
payers return 10 championship com