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.The most remarkable was the splendid victory of J.O.Anderson over me in five sets, the final one of which hung up a world's record for tournament play by going to 19-17.Frank T.Anderson defeated Robert Kinsey in five sets, a splendid performance, while S.H.Voshell scored over W.E.Davis.
The Ranking Committee faces a hard task on the season's play.Let us look at the records of some of the American players, and a few of our visitors.
1.W.M.Johnston Beat V.Richards 2, Williams (2), Kumagae, Shimidzu, Roland Roberts, Davis and others.Lost to Washburn, Tilden, Roberts.
2.R.N.Williams 2d.Beat Richards, Shimidzu, Kumagae (2), Voshell and others.Lost to Johnston (2), Richards, J.O.Anderson, Kumagae.
3.Vincent Richards Beat Tilden, Richards, Kumagae (2), Shimidzu (2), (in exhibition at Toronto), Voshell, Hawkes, Lost to Johnston (2), Williams, Davis.
4.Ishiya Kumagae Beat Williams, Voshell, Anderson, Hawkes.Lost to Johnston, Tilden, Williams, Richards.
5.Zenzo Shimidzu Beat Wallace Johnson (2), Anderson, Hawkes, Niles.Lost to Johnston, Tilden (2), Voshell (2).Richards (2) (in exhibitions).
6.Wallace Johnson Beat Watson, Washburn, Anderson.Lost to Tilden, Shimidzu (2).
7.Watson Washburn Beat Williams, Johnston, Voshell.Lost to Wallace Johnson, Tilden, Atherton Richards (a most sensational upset).
8.J.O.Anderson of Australia Beat R.N.Williams, Tilden, Hawkes, Lowe.Lost to Wallace Johnson, Kumagae, Shimidzu.
9.S.H.Voshell Beat Shimidzu (2) , Davis.Lost to Richards, Williams, Washburn, Neer (an upset), Allen Behr (a gift).
10.W.E.Davis Beat Richards, R.Kinsey, Lowe.Lost to Niles, L.B.Rice (an upset), R.Kinsey, Voshell and Tilden.
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.
These upsets are part of the zest of the game and it is due to the very uncertainty of tennis that the public is daily becoming more enthusiastic about the game.I believe next year will see even a greater interest taken in it than was shown this.
Second in importance only to the big events themselves was the season in junior tennis.
Little Miss Helen Wills, in her first Eastern season, won the junior championship for girls and brought to the game one of the most delightful personalities that has appeared in many years.Her success at her early age should prove a great boom to girls' tennis all over America.
Vincent Richards passes from the junior ranks this year but leaves a successor who is worthy to wear his mantle in the person of Arnold W.Jones of Providence.Jones should outclass the field in 1922, by as wide a margin as did Richards this year.
Arnold Jones has had a remarkable record.He won the boys' championship of America in 1919.In 1920 he carried Richards to a close match in the National junior Singles, taking one set.He was ranked "two" for the year.
