@@ -, +, @@ 
    Proposed fix for Bug 54920: do not set column and row separatedely, but use a reference for newComment()
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/model/CommentsTable.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/model/CommentsTable.java	
@@ -126,9 +126,9 @@ public class CommentsTable extends POIXMLDocumentPart {
         return commentRefs.get(cellRef);
     }
 
-    public CTComment newComment() {
+    public CTComment newComment(String ref) {
         CTComment ct = comments.getCommentList().addNewComment();
-        ct.setRef("A1");
+        ct.setRef(ref);
         ct.setAuthorId(0);
         
         if(commentRefs != null) {
--- a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFDrawing.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/java/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/XSSFDrawing.java	
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.apache.poi.openxml4j.opc.PackageRelationship;
 import org.apache.poi.openxml4j.opc.TargetMode;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.ClientAnchor;
 import org.apache.poi.ss.usermodel.Drawing;
+import org.apache.poi.ss.util.CellReference;
 import org.apache.poi.util.Internal;
 import org.apache.poi.xssf.model.CommentsTable;
 import org.apache.xmlbeans.XmlCursor;
@@ -298,9 +299,10 @@ public final class XSSFDrawing extends POIXMLDocumentPart implements Drawing {
                     ca.getCol2() + ", 0, " + ca.getRow2() + ", 0";
             vmlShape.getClientDataArray(0).setAnchorArray(0, position);
         }
-        XSSFComment shape = new XSSFComment(comments, comments.newComment(), vmlShape);
-        shape.setColumn(ca.getCol1());
-        shape.setRow(ca.getRow1());
+        String ref = new CellReference(ca.getRow1(), ca.getCol1()).formatAsString();
+		XSSFComment shape = new XSSFComment(comments, comments.newComment(ref), vmlShape);
+//        shape.setColumn(ca.getCol1());
+//        shape.setRow(ca.getRow1());
         return shape;
     }
 
--- a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/model/TestCommentsTable.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/model/TestCommentsTable.java	
@@ -187,12 +187,12 @@ public class TestCommentsTable extends TestCase {
 
     public void testRemoveComment() throws Exception {
         CommentsTable sheetComments = new CommentsTable();
-        CTComment a1 = sheetComments.newComment();
-        a1.setRef("A1");
-        CTComment a2 = sheetComments.newComment();
-        a2.setRef("A2");
-        CTComment a3 = sheetComments.newComment();
-        a3.setRef("A3");
+        CTComment a1 = sheetComments.newComment("A1");
+//        a1.setRef("A1");
+        CTComment a2 = sheetComments.newComment("A2");
+//        a2.setRef("A2");
+        CTComment a3 = sheetComments.newComment("A3");
+//        a3.setRef("A3");
 
         assertSame(a1, sheetComments.getCTComment("A1"));
         assertSame(a2, sheetComments.getCTComment("A2"));
--- a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFComment.java	
+++ a/src/ooxml/testcases/org/apache/poi/xssf/usermodel/TestXSSFComment.java	
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public final class TestXSSFComment extends BaseTestCellComment  {
         assertEquals(1, sheetComments.getCTComments().getAuthors().sizeOfAuthorArray());
         assertEquals(1, sheetComments.getNumberOfAuthors());
 
-        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment();
+        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment("A1");
         CTShape vmlShape = CTShape.Factory.newInstance();
 
         XSSFComment comment = new XSSFComment(sheetComments, ctComment, vmlShape);
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ public final class TestXSSFComment extends BaseTestCellComment  {
     public void testGetSetCol() {
         CommentsTable sheetComments = new CommentsTable();
         XSSFVMLDrawing vml = new XSSFVMLDrawing();
-        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment();
+        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment("A1");
         CTShape vmlShape = vml.newCommentShape();
 
         XSSFComment comment = new XSSFComment(sheetComments, ctComment, vmlShape);
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public final class TestXSSFComment extends BaseTestCellComment  {
     public void testGetSetRow() {
         CommentsTable sheetComments = new CommentsTable();
         XSSFVMLDrawing vml = new XSSFVMLDrawing();
-        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment();
+        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment("A1");
         CTShape vmlShape = vml.newCommentShape();
 
         XSSFComment comment = new XSSFComment(sheetComments, ctComment, vmlShape);
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ public final class TestXSSFComment extends BaseTestCellComment  {
 
     public void testAuthor() {
         CommentsTable sheetComments = new CommentsTable();
-        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment();
+        CTComment ctComment = sheetComments.newComment("A1");
 
         assertEquals(1, sheetComments.getNumberOfAuthors());
         XSSFComment comment = new XSSFComment(sheetComments, ctComment, null);