Gerald Patterson
Country (sports) | Australia |
---|---|
Born | Preston,Australia | 17 December 1895
Died | 13 June 1967 Melbourne,Australia | (aged 71)
Turned pro | 1914(amateur tour) |
Retired | 1928 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Int. Tennis HoF | 1989(member page) |
Singles | |
Career record | 267–63 (80.9%)[1] |
Career titles | 28[1] |
Highest ranking | No.1(1919,A. Wallis Myers)[2] |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | W(1927) |
French Open | 4R (1928) |
Wimbledon | W(1919,1922) |
US Open | SF (1922,1924) |
Doubles | |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | W(1914,1922,1925,1926,1927) |
Wimbledon | F (1922,1928) |
US Open | W(1919) |
Mixed doubles | |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
Wimbledon | W(1920) |
Gerald Leighton PattersonMC[3](17 December 1895 – 13 June 1967) was an Australiantennisplayer.
Patterson was active in the decade following World War I. During his career he won threeGrand Slamtournaments in the singles event as well as six titles in the doubles competition and one title in mixed doubles. He was born inMelbourne,educated atScotch CollegeandTrinity Grammar Schooland died in Melbourne on 13 June 1967.[4][5]He was the co-World No. 1player for 1919 along withBill Johnston.
Playing career
[edit]Tall and well-built, Patterson played a strongserve-and-volleygame. At Wimbledon 1919, Patterson beat 41-year-oldNorman Brookes,who was defending champion (Brookes' 1914 title was the last held before World War 1) in the Challenge Round. At Wimbledon 1922, the Challenge Round was abolished and Patterson won the title (the first to be held at the current site at Church Road) beatingRandolph Lycettin the final. In 1927, Patterson was five championship points down in the Australian singles final againstJack Hawkes,but won in five sets.[6]
Patterson was known as the "Human Catapult" for his powerful serve that many of the top players had trouble returning. He also enjoyed great success representing Australia inDavis Cupand amassed a 32–14 win–loss record (singles 21–10, doubles 11–4) and was part of the winning team in 1919. Patterson played Davis Cup in 1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1928 and finally as captain in 1946. He was a player ahead of his time, playing with a steel racquet strung with wire in 1925.
He was inducted into theSport Australia Home of Famein December 1986.[7]This was followed by induction into theInternational Tennis Hall of Famein 1989 and theAustralian Tennis Hall of Famein August 1997.[8]
Personal life
[edit]Patterson was the nephew of Australian opera singerDame Nellie Melbaand father of racing driverBill Patterson.[4]In 1917, Patterson was awarded theMilitary Crossfor "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" as an officer in theRoyal Field ArtilleryatMessines.[9]
Grand Slam finals
[edit]Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)
[edit]Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1914 | Australasian Championships | Grass | Arthur O'Hara Wood | 4–6, 3–6, 7–5, 1–6 | [10] |
Win | 1919 | Wimbledon | Grass | Norman Brookes | 6–3, 7–5, 6–2 | [11] |
Loss | 1920 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bill Tilden | 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 4–6 | [11] |
Loss | 1922 | Australasian Championships | Grass | James Anderson | 0–6, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 | [10] |
Win | 1922 | Wimbledon | Grass | Randolph Lycett | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 | [11] |
Loss | 1925 | Australasian Championships | Grass | James Anderson | 9–11, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6 | [10] |
Win | 1927 | Australian Championships | Grass | John Hawkes | 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16, 6–3 | [10] |
Doubles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runners-up)
[edit]Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title)
[edit]Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1920 | Wimbledon | Grass | Suzanne Lenglen | Elizabeth Ryan Randolph Lycett |
7–5, 6–3 | [15] |
Grand Slam singles performance timeline
[edit]W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | DNQ | A | NH |
Events with a challenge round: (WC) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (FA) all comers' finalist
(OF) only for French players
Tournament | 1914 | 1915 | 1916 | 1917 | 1918 | 1919 | 1920 | 1921 | 1922 | 1923 | 1924 | 1925 | 1926 | 1927 | 1928 | SR | W–L | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Australian | F | A | not held | 3R1 | A | A | F | A | 2R | F | 1R | W | QF | 1 / 8 | 21–6 | 77.8 | ||
French | OF | not held | OF | A | A | A | 4R | 0 / 1 | 2–1 | 66.7 | ||||||||
Wimbledon | A | not held | WC | CR | A | W | A | A | A | A | A | 4R | 2 / 4 | 17–2 | 89.5 | |||
U.S. | A | A | A | A | A | 4R | A | A | SF | A | SF | A | A | A | A | 0 / 3 | 10–3 | 76.9 |
Win–loss | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 11–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 13–2 | 0–0 | 5–2 | 5–1 | 0–1 | 6–0 | 7–3 | 3 / 16 | 50–12 | 80.6 |
1Patterson was the first tennis player to play in three Grand Slam singles tournaments within one calendar year.
References
[edit]- ^ab"Gerald Patterson career match record".thetennisbase.The Tennis Base.Retrieved15 October2017.
- ^United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972).Official Encyclopedia of Tennis(First Edition), p. 422.
- ^"Gerald Leighton Patterson".International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived fromthe originalon 30 March 2010.Retrieved19 January2010.
- ^abVirginia O'Farrell.Patterson, Gerald Leighton (1895–1967).Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition.
- ^"The Unofficial Sister School"(PDF).The Trinity Grammarian.28(2): 4. July 2013.
- ^"Gerald Patterson".tennis.co.nf.
- ^"Gerald Patterson".Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
- ^"Australian Tennis Hall of Fame".Tennis Australia.
- ^"24 August 1917".The London Gazette.Retrieved22 November2022.
- ^abcd"Australian Open Results Archive / Men's Singles".Australian Open official website.Archived fromthe originalon 10 September 2015.Retrieved24 September2015.
- ^abc"Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Singles".Wimbledon official tournament website.Retrieved24 September2015.
- ^abcdefg"Australian Open Results Archive / Men's Doubles".Australian Open official website.Archived fromthe originalon 21 September 2015.Retrieved24 September2015.
- ^abcde"U.S. Open Past Champions / Men's Doubles".US Open official website.Archived fromthe originalon 25 October 2007.Retrieved24 September2015.
- ^ab"Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Doubles".Wimbledon official tournament website.Retrieved24 September2015.
- ^"Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Mixed Doubles".Wimbledon official tournament website.Retrieved24 September2015.
External links
[edit]- 1895 births
- 1967 deaths
- Australasian Championships (tennis) champions
- Australian Championships (tennis) champions
- Australian male tennis players
- Tennis players from Melbourne
- International Tennis Hall of Fame inductees
- United States National champions (tennis)
- Wimbledon champions (pre-Open Era)
- People educated at Scotch College, Melbourne
- People educated at Trinity Grammar School, Kew
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's singles
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles
- Grand Slam (tennis) champions in men's doubles
- Australian recipients of the Military Cross
- World number 1 ranked male tennis players
- People from Preston, Victoria
- Royal Field Artillery officers
- Australian military personnel of World War I
- Military personnel from Melbourne
- Australian people of Scottish descent
- Australian people of English descent
- Sportsmen from Victoria (state)