New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-06-05
Mrs. Morris and Mrs.
Briggs Defeat Miss Hol-
den and Mrs. HUMPHREYS
By Fred Hawthorne

ieAiS a n uuldSat, q Japan, won tne
Eastern New York State lawn tennis
championship yesterday afternoon on
the clay courts OF the Amackassin Club
of fonkers, by defeating Vincent Rich
ards, the seventeen year-old marvel. by
score OF 6-l, Sc, 6-S. Ct. His
victory gave kumagae permanent pos
session of the big challenge trophy
for he already had two legs on il.
In the women's championship dou-
bles Mrs Lewis Gouverneur Morris
and Mrs. Benjamin F. Briggs defeated
Miss Bessie Holden and Mrs. Albert
Hun. phries by a score of 81. 10,
and Mrs. Samuel f. Waring and Mrs
Edward Y. Lynch Vanquished Mrs
Percy Wilbourn and Mrs. g. r. Hirsch
a. c.. 6-3, in the Sem final round.
Mrs. Briggs and Mrs. Lynch Will meet
at 2:45 o'clock this afternoon. in the
final round OF the womens singles, for
The champ onship.
1t has been my good fortune to see
much fine tennis on clay courts within
any of it was as full of brilliance,
sustained through four full sets. as
this match that saw kumagae triumph
over young Richards. Did all those
who watched the struggle realize, /
wonder, just how remarkable display
of perfect control of stroke and Won
derful court covering, they were wit
Messing?
Machine for Accuracy
kumagae yesterday, was like H. G.,
Wels's thinking machine in that he
WAS a machine for accuracy, equipped
with brain of lightning speed that
directed every movement, every stroke
Richards was slow to fall into the
full SWING of his game-he never did
quite achieve it, in fact--and he had
need Of all the tennis he knew to hold
the little Japanese in check.
There are times in most matches on
the courts when there Is a reasonable
hope that your opponent will fall into
a temporary slump and make errors,
but that hope was never fulfilled for
Richards yesterday. kumagae abso-
lutely refused to make mistakes at
critical moments, consequently the
schoolboy had to make every shot an
earning shot. He was never safe IN
less he "killed" the ball, and this he
was not able to do for any sustained
period.
kumagae's game was simplicity itself
when analyzed, and speed and control
were his main offensive weapons. Not
since his great days of 1916 have l
going with such dizzy pace, accom-
panied by excessive top-spin. That
drive was the basis of his attack, and
it served MIN we'll.
Throughout most of the match kuma-
gaze kept Richards on the strict de-
fcnsive by the terrific speed and SPLEEN
did depth of these drives, and he backed
them Up by very severe overhead
game. 1t was not the American style
of smashing; rather an overland VOL
ley, but there was great power behind
these shots, and in the first set the com
bination kept Richards glued to his
baSellne.
First Set Runaway Affair
The schoolboy started by trying to
gain his favorite volleying position,
but he soon gave this up as TOO danger
Gus. IN the face Of those uncanny shots
that kumagae kept lodging past him
Then Richards fell back on a half chop
drive, thinking to slow his opponent
up, but the Japanese was not to be
stayed by such methods. and continued
10 rip his great drives through the
tlniest of openings. The first set WAS
almost runaway affair
The calling in of foot-fault Judge
after the fourth game Of the match
tended to disturb Richards, and the
boy was also the victim of some rather
loose line calling, yet he never lost his
nerve, even when Kumagae scored two
or three points on net-rolls. think
Richards still expected 70 win, even up
TO the !inal point, when Kumagae
smashed q short lob sharply across the
court for kill
The start of the second set saw Rich
ards playing with more confidence; he
was working his way TO the net posi-
ton and bringing off rare volleys,
with almost unbelievably sharp angles
on the shots, and held the lead at 81
and 6--5 on games, twice being within
point OF squarlng the match.
But Kumagae maintained MS unerr
ing passing shots and took the last
twJ games for the set at 81. The
third, and Richards went into the fray
with his determination unfagging.
There was nothing TO choose now be
between them. Richards's great volley-
ing against Kumagae's uncanny driving
ard Aawless lobbing. AT 6-5 on games
for Richards, Kumacae squared the
referred to, but then Richards took
the last 30 for the set, at SIS.
The schoolboy's great chance came in
the last set, when he held the lead az
ia on games and was going superbly,
annoying kumagae with a draw"
shot that was difficult TO stroke"
But the Japanese simply would not
make mistakes, and the next three
games went to him, giving him the set,
match and championship.