Ichiya
Kumagae
Male
Japan
1890-09-10
Omuta, Japan
1968-10-09
Omuta, Japan
Kumagae was born on 10 September 1890 in ?muta, Fukuoka Prefecture. He attended Keio University. In 1913, he, along with other members of the Keio University Tennis Club, pushed for the abandonment of soft tennis (which had been introduced into Japan in 1878) in favor of lawn tennis, which was popular internationally. Kumagae was sent to play in the 1913 Far Eastern Games held in Manila, marking the first overseas competition for a Japanese tennis player. He reached the singles semi-finals and the doubles finals, and his form was subsequently influenced by United States champion Bill Johnson, whose short stature had earned him the moniker "Little Bill".
Kumagae went on to win both singles and doubles at the 1915 Far Eastern Games in Shanghai. In 1916, he travelled to the United States with Hachishiro Mikami to compete in the U.S. National Championships, marking the first participation of a Japanese in one of the Grand Slam tournaments. Kumagae spent a total of three months in the United States, during which he competed in 60 tournaments. He won the singles title at the Newport Casino Invitational, defeating Bill Johnston, the 1915 U.S. National champion, in the final in five sets.[2] He did not lose a single match on a clay court, and lost only four matches on grass courts, rising to the U.S. rank of No. 5. Kumagae would go on to reach as high as No. 3 in the U.S. rankings in 1919.[3][4] He was ranked World No. 7 for 1919 by Karoly Mazak.[1]
After his return to Japan, Kumagae graduated from Keio University and went to work for Mitsubishi Bank, who sent him to work at the bank's New York branch. He continued to play tennis, and advanced to the semi-finals at the 1918 U.S. National Championships, but lost to local favorite and seven time winner Bill Tilden in three straight sets.[5] In 1919 Kumagae won the New York State championship and the Great Lakes championship, played in Buffalo, defeating Bill Tilden in the final of the latter.[6][7]
Kumagae is best known for his two Olympic silver medals at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics,[8] marking the first Olympic medals won by any Japanese athlete. In the men's singles event at the Antwerp Olympics, Kumagae lost to South African Louis Raymond in the final, 7?5, 4?6, 5?7, 4?6. With his partner Seiichiro Kashio in the doubles event, he lost to Oswald Turnbull and Maxwell Woosnam of Great Britain for the gold medal match, 2?6, 7?5, 5?7, 5?7.
Kumagae was Japan's first Davis Cup captain, including the runner-up finish in 1921.[9] Kumagae returned to Japan in 1922.[10]
He withdrew from the Davis Cup qualification matches in 1922, citing his age, and in 1924 published a book on tennis. He also served as a tennis instructor to Princess Nagako, the future Empress Kojun.
Following World War II, Kumagae was asked to coach the Japan National Team, which travelled to Louisville, Kentucky for a tournament in 1951. He wrote a technical manual on tennis in 1953. Kumagae died at his hometown of ?muta, Fukuoka on 16 August 1968.
1914 - 1921
18
63
50
1921 - Greenbrier Spring Tournament (Amateur)
1921 - United North and South tournament (Amateur)
1920 - Florida State Championship (Open)
1920 - New York Metropolitan Grass Court Championships (Amateur)
1920 - Eastern New York Clay Court Championships (Amateur)
1920 - Chevy Chase Club (Amateur)
1919 - Old Dominion Championship (Amateur)
1919 - Niagara International Tournament (Amateur)
1919 - New York State Championships (Open)
1919 - Great Lakes Championships (Amateur)
1919 - Brooklyn (Amateur)
1919 - Amackassin Club Invitation (Amateur)
1918 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1918 - New York Metropolitan Grass Court Championships (Amateur)
1918 - New York State Championships (Open)
1916 - Newport Casino (Amateur)
1916 - Orient Championship (Amateur)
1915 - Far East Championships (Amateur)
Round 1
Samuel Howard Voshell 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
w.o.
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Wallace Johnson
3-6
6-4
6-3
6-1
Final
Dick Williams jr 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
3-6
6-4
6-4
6-1
Final
Vincent (Vinnie) Richards 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
divided
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Cedric Aylwin Major
6-2
7-5
6-4
Round 1
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
José María Alonso de Areyzaga
7-5
6-3
6-3
Round 2
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Victor Auguste de Laveleye
6-0
6-1
6-0
Round 3
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Albert T.E. Lammens
7-5
6-1
6-4
Quarterfinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
George Dodd
7-5
6-1
6-1
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Charles Winslow
6-2
6-2
6-2
Final
Louis Raymond 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
5-7
6-4
7-5
6-4
Final
Theodore M. Banks Jr. 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
?
Challenge Round
Percy Kynaston 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
w.o.
Round 2
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
E.E. Wise
6-2
6-2
Round 3
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
John Hennessey
6-4
6-1
Quarterfinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Albert I. Gore
6-1
6-1
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Seiichiro Kashio
4-6
6-0
6-2
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Craig Biddle
6-1
6-3
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Vincent (Vinnie) Richards
6-1
8-6
6-8
6-4
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Samuel Howard Voshell
6-0
6-1
6-3
Round 1
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Stephen V. Brubans
6-0
6-0
6-1
Round 2
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Ludlow Van Deventer
6-2
6-3
6-3
Round 3
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Robert Leroy jr
6-3
6-4
7-5
Round 4
Bill Tilden 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
6-4
6-1
1-6
4-6
6-2
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Frank J. Hall
-0
6-1
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Hugh Grigsby Whitehead
6-0
6-1
6-1
Final
Bill Tilden 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
1-6
6-2
6-3
6-4
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Samuel Howard Voshell
10-8
6-1
6-3
Round 2
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
R.G. Tewkesbury
6-0
6-0
Quarterfinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
James Henry (Harry) Bickle
6-2
6-2
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Walter Kenneth Wesbrook
6-4
6-1
Final
Vincent (Vinnie) Richards 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
5-7
6-3
6-3
9-7
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Charles Stedman (Chuck) Garland
6-3
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Round 2
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Ranolf Innes-Taylor
6-1
6-1
Quarterfinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Robert L. James
6-2
6-2
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Harold L. Taylor
6-2
6-3
6-0
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Vincent (Vinnie) Richards
6-1
6-4
6-4
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Bill Tilden
6-2
10-8
8-6
Final
Bill Tilden 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
6-4
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Alfred D. Hammett
6-0
6-1
Round 2
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Murray Vernon
6-0
6-1
Quarterfinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Leonard A. Beekman
6-3
6-2
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Craig Biddle
6-3
6-2
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Samuel Howard Voshell
6-2
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Walter Lacy Pate
6-0
6-4
6-0
Round 3
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
George William Wightman
6-3
6-2
6-2
Round 4
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Beals Wright
8-6
3-6
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Lyle Evans (Louis) Mahan
4-6
6-3
6-0
6-1
Semifinals
Bill Tilden 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
6-2
6-2
6-0
Round 3
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
P.H. Kane
6-0
6-0
Quarterfinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Thomas Hammond Hall
6-0
6-0
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Harold L. Taylor
6-1
6-2
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Harold Augustus Throckmorton
6-4
6-2
4-6
6-3
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Harold L. Taylor
6-2
6-3
6-1
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Harold L. Taylor
6-2
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Danforth Geer Jr.
6-0
6-0
6-0
Round 2
George Church 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
6-3
6-3
6-1
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Bill Johnston
6-1
9-7
5-7
2-6
9-7
Semifinals
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Henry Ward (Ward) Dawson
6-4
6-4
6-2
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Clarence James (Peck) Griffin
10-8
6-3
10-8
Final
Ichiya Kumagae 1 *
Philipp Harding Klimanek
6-2
6-2
6-0
Semifinals
Elia Francis Fottrell 1 *
Ichiya Kumagae
5-7
6-4
4-6
6-4
6-2