New-York tribune., 1921-01-02

ne OElClaI ranking Tor lJ~u, as IS
sued last night by the national asso-
citation, contains several startling fea-
lures as regards the placing OF the
first ten men. and the womens' ranking
list also contains some rather surpris
ing selections. although in no such
degree as in the case of the men.
Here is the way the national ranking
committee rates the first twenty players
OF the country:
1-William I. Tilden. I'd. c-Wil-
liam NJ. Johnston; 3-Richard Norris
Williams, I'd; 4-Ichiya Kumagac:
5-Willis f. Davis; 6-Clarence J.
Griffin; Watson NJ. Washburn:
S-Charles s. Garland; 9-Nathaniel
W. Niles; 1o-Wallace F. Johnson:
1l-Roland Roberts; 12--yincent
Richards; 1S-S. Howard Voshen;
l4-Dean Mathcy; 15-G. Co,ket
Gamer; l6-Harold A. Throckmortor:
i7-francis r. Hunter; lS-Wa,ter
1. Hayes; 19-Richard Harte; 90
Craig Bddle.
Inc members of the committee are
Abraham Bassford jr., chairman: Wal.
ter Merrill Hall, Samuel Hardy; Ma
thaniel W. Niles; Paul W. Gibbons
and K. F. Woods
16l Men Players Ranked in Singles
One hundred and sixty-one men
players are ranked in the singlcs y
greater number than ever before. and
TO obtain these results, the committee
was compelled to pore over the tour
nament records of some 5000 plavcrs
from all sections of the country. There
is no question but that the committee
labored hard and long in its efforts
TO properly rank the players, but, still
adhering to the weird mathematical
SYSTEM the results obtained seen,
'ar from logical and fair.
Solely for purposes of comparison. 7
shall repeat my own ranking of the
iirst ten players published in The
Tribune Of Sunday, December 5. 1t
was as follows:
1-Tilden, Johnston, a-Wi,-
liams. 4-Davis, 5-Washburn, s."
Griffin, 7-Johnson. 8ERichards,
SIRoberts, 10-Garland.
Without attempting to 90 into q
.eNgthy discussion of the official rank
ing, let US take up some of the more
striking instances of the committee's
work. lchiya Kumagae at No. 4. for
example.
There is small room for argument as
. humagae's actual standing as g
player and l feel myself that only
Il n c tA7
really superior to the little Japanese
last season; but what of tournament
records for the season?
Beaten Only by Williams
Il IS true that Kumagae enioved
remarkable series of successes in 1920
lie won every tournament in which
ne competed, taking the titles in the
FLORIDA, Eastern New York and Metro
pciltan championship Journeys, among
others, and his only defeat in th;s
country was at the hands of Wlliama
r the Church Cup matches, ] believe.
Z was.
But all thes tournament wore plaved
on clay courts and Kumagac never once
competed on turf, which is the true
test, after all is said and done. lor
cur national championship always has
been decided upon grass courts. More
man this, the Japanese star left th.s
country before the final six weeks Of
important tournament play began. He
was not a Longwood, nor at Newport,
nor at southampton, nor at tho ma
tional at Forest Hills, and it does not
seem either fair or logical that he
should be placed ahead of men Ike
DAVIS, Washburn, Griffin, Johnson and
the remaining members OF the first ten
group, who went through the veal fire
Of competitive play.
am arguing now on the professed
line OF reasoning of the ranking com
inittee which declares that only actual
performance counts and not the COM
nittees opinions of the players re-
iativc ability.
The next example Of the horrors Of
the mathematical system" Of ranking
comes in the placing Of Garland at the
10. position. By no stretch Of the
imagination can fathom the pro-
cesses that led the committee 10 place
Garland so high in the scale. when
named him for the last place in the
irst ten group, I felt that the Pitts
burgh player was getting the benefit
OF every doubt.
Garland Rated Too Highly
What did Garland really do2 His
Ioublcs pay was wretched all season
and his singles game onIy nir higher
IN quality. This was so patent 70 ell
f7ss..@s~ss...-ss ss.srsrN