was a Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese tennis

Tennis

Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...

 player and the first Japanese Olympic medalist. Born in Omuta

Omuta, Fukuoka

is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.As of January 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 127,126 and the density of 1,558.87 persons per km²...

, Fukuoka Prefecture

Fukuoka Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan located on Kyūshū Island. The capital is the city of Fukuoka.- History :Fukuoka Prefecture includes the former provinces of Chikugo, Chikuzen, and Buzen....

, he is best known for his two Olympic silver medals at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics

1920 Summer Olympics

The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium....

. It was Kumagae and Zenzo Shimizu

Zenzo Shimizu

Zenzo Shimizu was a tennis player from Japan.Shimizu graduated from the Tokyo Higher Commerce School . He reached the "Challenge Round" final of the Wimbledon Championships in 1920, where he lost to Bill Tilden 4–6, 4–6, 11-13...

 who together established the earliest period of Japanese tennis.

In the men's singles event at the Antwerp Olympics, Kumagae lost to South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

n Louis Raymond

Louis Raymond

Louis Raymond was a male tennis player from South Africa. At the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium, he defeated Ichiya Kumagai in the finals to win the gold medal....

 in the final, 7–5, 4–6, 5–7, 4–6. With his partner Seiichiro Kashio

Seiichiro Kashio

Seiichiro Kashio was a male tennis player from Japan. He graduated from Tokyo Higher Commercial School ....

, he lost to Oswald Turnbull

Oswald Turnbull

Oswald Graham Noel Turnbull was a male tennis player from Great Britain. He is best known for his gold medal in the men's doubles event at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.-References:*...

 and Maxwell Woosnam

Maxwell Woosnam

Maxwell "Max" Woosnam was an English sportsman is sometimes referred to as the 'Greatest British sportsman' in recognition of his achievements ....

 of Great Britain

Great Britain

Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

 for the gold medal match, 2–6, 7–5, 5–7, 5–7.

Kumagae was also semifinalist in US Open 1918, the first Grand Slam semifinalist from Japan. He was Japan

Japan Davis Cup team

The Japan Davis Cup team represents Japan in Davis Cup tennis competition and are governed by the Japan Tennis Association.Japan finished as runners-up in 1921, their first year of competition. They currently compete in the Asia/Oceania Zone of Group I...

's first Davis Cup

Davis Cup

The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...

 captain, including the runner-up finish in 1921

1921 International Lawn Tennis Challenge

The 1921 International Lawn Tennis Challenge was the 16th edition of what is now known as the Davis Cup. In the playoff finals, newcomers Japan surprised Australia , 4-1, but would fall to defending champions the United States in the challenge round...

.

External links

• HickokSports Olympic Tennis Records
• The Art of Lawn Tennis (Bill Tilden
  Bill Tilden
  William Tatem Tilden II , nicknamed "Big Bill," is often considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time. An American tennis player who was the World No. 1 player for seven years, he won 14 Majors including ten Grand Slams and four Pro Slams. Bill Tilden dominated the world of...
  
  , see Chapter 14)