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I arrived home from France and England July 12th and journeyed at once to Providence where I took charge of the Rhode Island State Championship at the Agawam Hunt Club. Zenzo Shimidzu had accompanied me to America on the Olympic and made his first tournament appearance two days after landing at Greenwich, Conn., before coming to Providence.
Let us look at the records of some of the American players, and a few of our visitors. W. M. Johnston Beat V. Richards 2, Williams , Kumagae, Shimidzu, Roland Roberts, Davis and others. Lost to Washburn, Tilden, Roberts. R. N. Williams 2d. Beat Richards, Shimidzu, Kumagae , Voshell and others. Lost to Johnston , Richards, J. O. Anderson, Kumagae.
Ichiya Kumagae arrived to play doubles with Shimidzu in preparation for the Davis Cup. Then the fun began. Shimidzu again fell before the net attack of Voshell, who was himself defeated by the calm quiet steadiness of Washburn. Garland went out at my hands.
Ishiya Kumagae Beat Williams, Voshell, Anderson, Hawkes. Lost to Johnston, Tilden, Williams, Richards. Zenzo Shimidzu Beat Wallace Johnson , Anderson, Hawkes, Niles. Wallace Johnson Beat Watson, Washburn, Anderson. Lost to Tilden, Shimidzu . Watson Washburn Beat Williams, Johnston, Voshell. J. O. Anderson of Australia Beat R. N. Williams, Tilden, Hawkes, Lowe.
Although America won all five matches, Shimidzu came within two points of defeating me in straight sets and carried Johnston to a bitter four set struggle. The Cup is safe for another year but the new blood infused into the competition by such men as Shimidzu, Alonzo, Woosnam, Anderson and Hawkes shows clearly that America must keep working or we will fall from our present position.
Lost to Wallace Johnson, Kumagae, Shimidzu. S. H. Voshell Beat Shimidzu , Davis. W. E. Davis Beat Richards, R. Kinsey, Lowe. These few records show how useless comparative scores may be. If another season like 1921 strikes American tennis, the ranking will need either clairvoyance or a padded cell.
It proved too much for even Washburn to stand, and the Philadelphian won the next two sets and with it the match. Many people considered it a great upset. Personally I expected it, as I know how dangerous Johnson may be. The Johnston-Richards match and my meeting with Shimidzu came on the third day.
Willis E. Davis, second string of the California team, was unexpectedly defeated by N. W. Niles, who himself went the long road via Shimidzu. The little Japanese star scored another important victory when he defeated W. F. Johnson. Williams met Johnston in the challenge round with chances bright. Somehow Little Bill has Dick's number these days and again decisively defeated him.
The East-West matches in Chicago proved more or less of an anti-climax. Johnston was ill and unable to compete, while Wallace Johnson, Williams, Washburn and Shimidzu could not play. Several remarkable matches featured the three days' play in the Windy City.
He is one of the greatest hard-court players in the world, and one of the most dangerous opponents at any time on any surface. Shimidzu is to-day as dangerous as Kumagae. He, too, is a baseline player, but lacks Kumagae's terrific forehand drive. Shimidzu has a superior backhand to Kumagae, but his weak service rather offsets this.
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