lawn-tennis matches between Oxford and Cambridge universities
have been played annually; and almost every county in
England, besides Scotland, Wales and districts such as “Midland
Counties,” “South of England,” &c., have their own championship
meetings. Tournaments are also played in winter at Nice,
Monte Carlo and other Mediterranean resorts where most of the
competitors are English visitors.
The results of the All England championships have been as
follows:—
Year. | Gentlemen’s Singles. | Year. | Gentlemen’s Singles. |
1877 | S. W. Gore | 1894 | J. Pim |
1878 | P. F. Hadow | 1895 | W. Baddeley |
1879 | J. T. Hartley | 1896 | H. S. Mahony |
1880 | J. T. Hartley | 1897 | R. F. Doherty |
1881 | W. Renshaw | 1898 | R. F. Doherty |
1882 | W. Renshaw | 1899 | R. F. Doherty |
1883 | W. Renshaw | 1900 | R. F. Doherty |
1884 | W. Renshaw | 1901 | A. W. Gore |
1885 | W. Renshaw | 1902 | H. L. Doherty |
1886 | W. Renshaw | 1903 | H. L. Doherty |
1887 | H. F. Lawford | 1904 | H. L. Doherty |
1888 | E. Renshaw | 1905 | H. L. Doherty |
1889 | W. Renshaw | 1906 | H. L. Doherty |
1890 | W. J. Hamilton | 1907 | N. E. Brookes |
1891 | W. Baddeley | 1908 | A. W. Gore |
1892 | W. Baddeley | 1909 | A. W. Gore |
1893 | J. Pim | 1910 | A. F. Wilding |
Year. | Gentlemen’s Doubles. |
1879 | L. R. Erskine | and | H. F. Lawford |
1880 | W. Renshaw | ” | E. Renshaw |
1881 | W. Renshaw | ” | E. Renshaw |
1882 | J. T. Hartley | ” | R. T. Richardson |
1883 | C. W. Grinstead | ” | C. E. Welldon |
1884 | W. Renshaw | ” | E. Renshaw |
1885 | W. Renshaw | ” | E. Renshaw |
1886 | W. Renshaw | ” | E. Renshaw |
1887 | P. B. Lyon | ” | H. W. W. Wilberforce |
1888 | W. Renshaw | ” | E. Renshaw |
1889 | W. Renshaw | ” | E. Renshaw |
1890 | J. Pim | ” | F. O. Stoker |
1891 | W. Baddeley | ” | H. Baddeley |
1892 | H. S. Barlow | ” | E. W. Lewis |
1893 | J. Pim | ” | F. O. Stoker |
1894 | W. Baddeley | ” | H. Baddeley |
1895 | W. Baddeley | ” | H. Baddeley |
1896 | W. Baddeley | ” | H. Baddeley |
1897 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1898 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1899 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1900 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1901 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1902 | S. H. Smith | ” | F. L. Riseley |
1903 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1904 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1905 | R. F. Doherty | ” | H. L. Doherty |
1906 | S. H. Smith | ” | F. L. Riseley |
1907 | N. E. Brookes | ” | A. F. Wilding |
1908 | M. J. G. Ritchie | ” | A. F. Wilding |
1909 | A. W. Gore | ” | H. Roper Barrett |
1910 | M. J. G. Ritchie | ” | A. F. Wilding |
Year. | Ladies’ Singles. | Year. | Ladies’ Singles. |
1884 | Miss M. Watson | 1898 | Miss C. Cooper |
1885 | Miss M. Watson | 1899 | Mrs Hillyard |
1886 | Miss Bingley | 1900 | Mrs Hillyard |
1887 | Miss Dod | 1901 | Mrs Sterry (Miss C. Cooper) |
1888 | Miss Dod | 1902 | Miss M. E. Robb |
1889 | Mrs Hillyard (Miss Bingley) | 1903 | Miss D. K. Douglass |
1890 | Miss Rice | 1904 | Miss D. K. Douglass |
1891 | Miss Dod | 1905 | Miss M. Sutton |
1892 | Miss Dod | 1906 | Miss D. K. Douglass |
1893 | Miss Dod | 1907 | Miss M. Sutton |
1894 | Mrs Hillyard | 1908 | Mrs Sterry |
1895 | Miss C. Cooper | 1909 | Miss D. Boothby |
1896 | Miss C. Cooper | 1910 | Mrs Lambert Chambers (Miss |
1897 | Mrs Hillyard | | Douglass) |
Year. | Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Doubles. |
1888 | E. Renshaw | and | Mrs Hillyard |
1889 | J. C. Kay | ” | Miss Dod |
1890 | J. Baldwin | ” | Miss K. Hill |
1891 | J. C. Kay | ” | Miss Jackson |
1892 | A. Dod | ” | Miss Dod |
1893 | W. Baddeley | ” | Mrs Hillyard. |
1894 | H. S. Mahony | ” | Miss C. Cooper |
1895 | H. S. Mahony | ” | Miss C. Cooper |
1896 | H. S. Mahony | ” | Miss C. Cooper |
1897 | H. S. Mahony | ” | Miss C. Cooper |
1898 | H. S. Mahony | ” | Miss C. Cooper |
1899 | C. H. L. Cazelet | ” | Miss Robb |
1900 | H. L. Doherty | ” | Miss C. Cooper |
1901 | S. H. Smith | ” | Miss Martin |
1902 | S. H. Smith | ” | Miss Martin |
1903 | F. L. Riseley | ” | Miss D. K. Douglass |
1904 | S. H. Smith | ” | Miss E. W. Thompson |
1905 | S. H. Smith | ” | Miss E. W. Thompson |
1906 | F. L. Riseley | ” | Miss D. K. Douglass |
1907 | N. E. Brookes | ” | Mrs Hillyard |
1908 | A. F. Wilding | ” | Mrs Lambert Chambers (Miss D. K. Douglass) |
1909 | H. Roper Barrett | ” | Miss Morton |
1910 | S. N. Doust | ” | Mrs Lambert Chambers |
In the United States lawn-tennis was played at Nahant,
near Boston, within a year of its invention in England, Dr
James Dwight and the brothers F. R. and R. D. Sears being
mainly instrumental in making it known to their countrymen.
In 1881 at a meeting in New York of representatives of thirty-three
clubs the United States National Lawn-Tennis Association
was formed; and the adoption of the English rules put an end
to the absence of uniformity in the size of the ball and height
of the net which had hindered the progress of the game. The
association decided to hold matches for championship of the
United States at Newport, Rhode Island; and, by a curious
coincidence, in the same year in which W. Renshaw first won
the English championship, R. D. Sears won the first American
championship by playing a volleying game at the net which
entirely disconcerted his opponents, and he successfully defended
his title for the next six years, winning the doubles throughout
the same period in partnership with Dwight. In 1887, Sears
being unable to play through ill-health, the championship went
to H. W. Slocum. Other prominent players of the period were
the brothers C. M. and J. S. Clark, who in 1883 came to England
and were decisively beaten at Wimbledon by the two Renshaws.
To a later generation belong the strongest single players, M. D.
Whitman, Holcombe Ward, W. A. Larned and Karl Behr.
Holcombe Ward and Dwight Davis, who have the credit of introducing
the peculiar “American twist service,” were an exceedingly
strong pair in doubles; but after winning the American
doubles championship for three years in succession, they were
defeated in 1902 by the English brothers R. F. and H. L.
Doherty. The championship singles in 1904 and 1905 was won
by H. Ward and B. C. Wright, the latter being one of the finest
players America has produced; and these two in partnership
won the doubles for three years in succession, until they were
displaced by F. B. Alexander and H. H. Hackett, who in
their turn held the doubles championship for a like period.
In 1909 two young Californians, Long and McLoughlin, unexpectedly
came to the front, and, although beaten in the final
round for the championship doubles, they represented the
United States in the contest for the Davis cup (see below)
in Australia in that year; McLoughlin having acquired a
service of extraordinary power and a smashing stroke with
a reverse spin which was sufficient by itself to place him in
the highest rank of lawn-tennis players.
Winners of United States Championships.
Year. | Gentlemen’s Singles. | Year. | Gentlemen’s Singles. |
1881 | R. D. Sears | 1896 | R. D. Wrenn |
1882 | R. D. Sears | 1897 | R. D. Wrenn |
1883 | R. D. Sears | 1898 | M. D. Whitman |
1884 | R. D. Sears | 1899 | M. D. Whitman |
1885 | R. D. Sears | 1900 | M. D. Whitman |
1886 | R. D. Sears | 1901 | W. A. Larned |
1887 | R. D. Sears | 1902 | W. A. Larned |
1888 | H. W. Slocum | 1903 | H. L. Doherty |
1889 | H. W. Slocum | 1904 | H. Ward |
1890 | O. S. Campbell | 1905 | B. C. Wright |
1891 | O. S. Campbell | 1906 | W. J. Clothier |
1892 | O. S. Campbell | 1907 | W. A. Larned |
1893 | R. D. Wrenn | 1908 | W. A. Larned |
1894 | R. D. Wrenn | 1909 | W. A. Larned |
1895 | F. H. Hovey | 1910 | W. A. Larned |