New-York tribune., 1920-05-05
JaP Tennis Player Stars
In Straight Set Triumph
fiaines and Won Bernuth
Easy Victims i'm Semi
Final Match i'm Bronx
By Fred Hawthorne

The spell of the Orient" held sway
late yesterday afternoon on the courts
CT the University Heights Tennis Club.
and as result Ichiya Knmage, of
Japan. and Elliott H. Binzen, club
member, defeated Roland B. Haines and
Anton Won Bernuth, of Columbia Uni
versity, by a score of Ga 6--2 in the
semi-hnal round Of the annual doubles
lawn tennis tournament.
Binzen brought off several magnif-
cent kills" from close to the net when
the opposing pair tried to lob him into
back court, and his severe, twisting
service, with its battling bound. was
also a-yaluable asset during the match
Yet it was little Kumagae, smiling of
face but deadly of execution, who was
the dominating figure on the court.
kumagae gave a hint of what was
to come on the very first point. when he
took Halnes's service and shot it back
Tor clean ace with a tremendous.
sweeping forehand drive Squarely
between Haincs and Won Bernuth. down
the center of the court, the ball sped.
with both men making futile attempts
to reach it.
The games went along to dali in
the opening set, chilling wind and
leaden sky serving to take the keen
ness out OF the players until they were
thoroughly warmed to their work.
small but very devoted gallery adorned
the clubhouse veranda and watched
the swift overthrow of Haines and Won
Bernuth.
Errors in Abundance
All four men were guilty of errors
frequently IN those first eight games.
sometimes it was Kumagae, racing in
Tor one of his smashing overland vol
leys, who crashed the ball into the net
when kill looked certain; more
often 1t was Binzen, trying to finish
the point with one decisive smash Of
a lob, who came to grief, but both Won
bernuth and Haines were more erratic
IN their work.
Haines seemed to be trying too hard
on every shot- Every ball he "stroked"
with all his strength, and when he held
control it was very pretty to see hut ali
too frequently he threw the points
away by overdriving the court limits
OF catching the net. Won Bernuth's
game was softer and his service barely
more than pat so that it was easv
to score off his delivery, although the
very softness of the shot as the ball
fieated over the net. sometimes de-
cclVed humagae and Binzen, and they
lost Their chances by trying to kill"
After "4-all' had been called Kuma-
gae and Binzen began to get their
strokes working more smoothly and
surely, and then they swept through
the next two games fer the set at 6@4.
humagae does not play the typical
Amefcan net game, with the ball taken
well above the head, but he accom-
plIshed results almost as decisive BY
waiting until the ball was about shoul-
der nigh and then whipping it through
the openings for the ace. Several times
ne scored by driving straight through
me side court, the very speed Of the
shot catching the opponents mapping.
he second set found the Japanese
and Binzen travelling at a faster pace
and daines and Won Bernu.l were only
able 20 take two games in the second
and final set. 1t was dangerous to lob
now for BinzcA was more certain over
head, and when he was not scoring on
7pectacular kills little Kumagae was
running off the points with tremendous
drives and overland volleying
The final round match will not be
played until Sunday Afternoon at 2:3O
o'clock, according to the chairman of
he tournament committee kumagae
and Harold L. Taylor were the winners
OF this tournament last year, and this
time it looks as though the Japanese
and Binzen would bear off the honors.
although j. II. Steinkampf and Carl
Joliffe, who will fight it out for the
supremacy with kumagae and Binzen,
played some very excellent tennis on
their path to the final.