Gerald Patterson

Gerald Leighton Patterson MC[3] (17 December 1895 – 13 June 1967) was an Australian tennis player.

Gerald Patterson
Country (sports) Australia
Born(1895-12-17)17 December 1895
Preston, Australia
Died13 June 1967(1967-06-13) (aged 71)
Melbourne, Australia
Turned pro1914 (amateur tour)
Retired1928
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1989 (member page)
Singles
Career record267–63 (80.9%)[1]
Career titles28[1]
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1919, A. Wallis Myers)[2]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenW (1927)
French Open4R (1928)
WimbledonW (1919, 1922)
US OpenSF (1922, 1924)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1914, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927)
WimbledonF (1922, 1928)
US OpenW (1919)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
WimbledonW (1920)

Patterson was active in the decade following World War I. During his career he won three Grand Slam tournaments in the singles event as well as six titles in the doubles competition and one title in mixed doubles. He was born in Melbourne, educated at Scotch College and Trinity Grammar School and died in Melbourne on 13 June 1967.[4][5] He was the co-World No. 1 player for 1919 along with Bill Johnston.

History

Tall and well-built, Gerald Patterson played a strong serve-and-volley game. At Wimbledon 1919, Patterson beat 41-year-old Norman 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) beating Randolph Lycett in the final. In 1927, Patterson was five championship points down in the Australian singles final against Jack 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 in Davis Cup and 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 the Sport Australia Home of Fame in December 1986.[7] This was followed by induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in August 1997.[8]

Patterson was the nephew of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and father of racing driver Bill Patterson.[4] Patterson was awarded the Military Cross for bravery as an officer in Royal Field Artillery in 1917 at Messines.

Grand Slam finals
Gerald Patterson playing a forehand stroke

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1914Australasian ChampionshipsGrass Arthur O'Hara Wood4–6, 3–6, 7–5, 1–6[9]
Win1919WimbledonGrass Norman Brookes6–3, 7–5, 6–2[10]
Loss1920WimbledonGrass Bill Tilden6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 4–6[10]
Loss1922Australasian ChampionshipsGrass James Anderson0–6, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6[9]
Win1922WimbledonGrass Randolph Lycett6–3, 6–4, 6–2[10]
Loss1925Australasian ChampionshipsGrass James Anderson9–11, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6[9]
Win1927Australian ChampionshipsGrass John Hawkes3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16, 6–3[9]

Doubles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runners-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1914Australasian ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Campbell Rodney Heath
Arthur O'Hara Wood		7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3[11]
Win1919U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Norman Brookes Vincent Richards
Bill Tilden		8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2[12]
Win1922Australasian ChampionshipsGrass John Hawkes James Anderson
Norman Peach		8–10, 6–0, 6–0, 7–5[11]
Loss1922WimbledonGrass Pat O'Hara Wood James Anderson
Randolph Lycett		6–3, 9–7, 4–6, 3–6, 9–11[13]
Loss1922U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Pat O'Hara Wood Vincent Richards
Bill Tilden		6–4, 1–6, 3–6, 4–6[12]
Loss1924Australasian ChampionshipsGrass Pat O'Hara Wood James Anderson
Norman Brookes		2–6, 4–6, 3–6[11]
Loss1924U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Pat O'Hara Wood Howard Kinsey
Robert Kinsey		5–7, 7–5, 9–7, 3–6, 4–6[12]
Win1925Australasian ChampionshipsGrass Pat O'Hara Wood James Anderson
Fred Kalms		6–4, 8–6, 7–5[11]
Loss1925U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass John Hawkes R. Norris Williams
Vincent Richards		2–6, 10–8, 4–6, 9–11[12]
Win1926Australasian ChampionshipsGrass John Hawkes James Anderson
Pat O'Hara Wood		6–1, 6–4, 6–2[11]
Win1927Australian ChampionshipsGrass John Hawkes Ian McInness
Pat O'Hara Wood		8–6, 6–2, 6–1[11]
Loss1928WimbledonGrass John Hawkes Jacques Brugnon
Henri Cochet		11–13, 4–6, 4–6[13]
Loss1928U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass John Hawkes John Hennessey
George Lott		2–6, 1–6, 2–6[12]
Loss1932Australian ChampionshipsGrass Harry Hopman Jack Crawford
Edgar Moon		10–12, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6[11]

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1920WimbledonGrass Suzanne Lenglen Elizabeth Ryan
Randolph Lycett		7–5, 6–3[14]

Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)

Events with a challenge round: (WC) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (FA) all comers' finalist

(OF) only for French players

Grand Slam191419151916191719181919192019211922192319241925192619271928 Titles / Played
Australian F A not held 3R1 A A F A A F 1R W 1R 1 / 7
French OF not held OF A A A 4R 0 / 1
Wimbledon A not held WC CR A W A A A A A 4R 2 / 4
U.S. A A A A A 4R A A SF A SF A A A A 0 / 3
0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 0 1 / 3 0 / 1 0 / 0 1 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 1 1 / 1 0 / 3 3 / 15

1Patterson was the first tennis player to play in three Grand Slam singles tournaments within one calendar year.

References
  1. "Gerald Patterson career match record". thetennisbase.com. The Tennis Base. Retrieved 15 October 2017.
  2. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 422.
  3. "Gerald Leighton Patterson". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010. Retrieved 19 January 2010.
  4. Virginia O'Farrell. "Patterson, Gerald Leighton (1895–1967)". Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition.
  5. "The Unofficial Sister School" (PDF). The Trinity Grammarian. 28 (2): 4. July 2013.
  6. "Gerald Patterson". www.tennis.co.nf.
  7. "Gerald Patterson". Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
  8. "Australian Tennis Hall of Fame". Tennis Australia.
  9. "Australian Open Results Archive / Men's Singles". Australian Open official website. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  10. "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Singles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  11. "Australian Open Results Archive / Men's Doubles". Australian Open official website. Archived from the original on 21 September 2015. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  12. "U.S. Open Past Champions / Men's Doubles". US Open official website. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  13. "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Doubles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
  14. "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Mixed Doubles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 24 September 2015.
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