New-York tribune., 1920-06-01
Jap Puts Out Hunter i'm
Title Tourney Four
Others Near Semi-Final
By Fred Hawthorne

Events moved swiftly in the Eastern
New York State championship lawn
tennis tournament, on the clay courts
of the Amackassin Club of Yonkers,
yesterday, with five players entering
the round before the semi-hnal in the
mems singles. 1chiya Kumagae, New
York State, Cuban and Florida cham
pion; Leonard Beekman, Alex 1ler, Ell
liot Fl. Binzen and r. S. Stoddart were
the men who came through to the far
thest brackets.
This afternoon the women's singles
will begin, with thirty-four leading
Metropolitan players in the draw, and
tomorrow the mems doubles will get
under way.
The tournament committee in charge
of this event, headed by Chairman
Beavers, has set a mark for other tour
nament committees to shoot at. With
only eight courts, the original field of
12S that began play on Saturday after
noon had been weeded down to just
twelve last evening. Sixty matches
were played Sunday, and Yesterday the
work had progressed so we'll that Mr..
Beavers had time to pu on two ex-
hibition matches. In the first of these
Vincent Richards defeated Harold A.
Throckmorton in a one set affair, by
Francis r. Hunter played a doubles
match against Throckmorton and Leon
ard Beekman
Hunter Nearly Takes Set
Kumagae's work was the feature yes
terday, for the sturdy Japanese wizard
was hitting the ball with tremendous
!,
back Of the court. His first opponent,
in the third round, was Francis T. Hun-
ter, the old Cornell star, who was de-
feated by q score of 7-5, 6-1.
Although beaten, Hunter came very
close to taking the first set from Ku-
na@at; in fact, he only needed one
point when he led at 5-3 on games a.lU
1910 on points, but it was not to be. In
his anxiety to score the point, Hunter
ever a hard hitter, sent a forehanI
drive sizzling through Kumagae's court.
1t was coming like a rifle bullet, but
the Japanese judged it perfectly and
allowed it to pass him, and on it few,
to land some six inches back of the
base line.
Hunter never again got another
chance at the set, for Kumagae put on
a little more speed, ran out the next
two games for the set at 7--5, and
then won the next three games IN the
second set before his opponent could
call a temporary halt by taking the
fourth game. Once more the man from
the Far East played at an irresistible
clip and won the last three games, CIV
ing him the set at 6-1, and the match.
Jap Wins Another
Commander Walter S. Anderson was
the next contender to face Kumugae,
but he yielded by score Of 90, 6-l,
with the japanese playing at an even
faster pace than before. The winners
chief weapon of attack was his power
full forchand "loop" drive. Anderson,
as Hunter had done before him, at
tempted to force the net position but
this was a dangerous and as it proved
a fatal experiment against kumagae' s
deadly passing shots.
BlnZen, IN the opposite side of the
draw, gained his place by conquering
Allen Behr in hard three-set en-
counter, with the sets going at IS
S., 6-2. Behr's playing this season
has been decided Improvement over
last year, for he has added pace" to
his shots and is always q conscientious
worker on the courts.
Binzen was slow to warm to his task
whereas Behr was off to quick start
taking the opening set by fine driving
and strong vollcying to back it up. The
second set was bitterly fought, with
both men willing to take chances at the
net position tc bring off the winning
shots. Binzen's severe reverse twist
service was going better at this stage
of the match. and his overhead play
gained in severity. and after the games