Reginald Doherty
Reginald "Reggie" or "R. F." Frank Doherty (14 October 1872 – 29 December 1910) was a British tennis player and the older brother of tennis player Laurence Doherty. He was known in the tennis world as "R.F." rather than "Reggie".[2] He was a four-time Wimbledon singles champion and a triple Olympic Gold medalist in doubles and mixed doubles.[3]
Full name | Reginald Frank Doherty | ||||||||||||||||
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Country (sports) | United Kingdom | ||||||||||||||||
Born | Wimbledon, London, England | 14 October 1872||||||||||||||||
Died | 29 December 1910 38) Kensington, England | (aged||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||
Int. Tennis HoF | 1980 (member page) | ||||||||||||||||
Singles | |||||||||||||||||
Career record | 21–5 | ||||||||||||||||
Highest ranking | No. 1 (1897, ITHF)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
Grand Slam Singles results | |||||||||||||||||
Wimbledon | W (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900) | ||||||||||||||||
US Open | F (1902Ch) | ||||||||||||||||
Doubles | |||||||||||||||||
Grand Slam Doubles results | |||||||||||||||||
Wimbledon | W (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905) | ||||||||||||||||
US Open | W (1902, 1903) | ||||||||||||||||
Team competitions | |||||||||||||||||
Davis Cup | W (1903, 1904, 1905, 1906) | ||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life
Doherty was born on 14 October 1872 at Beulah Villa in Wimbledon, Surrey, the oldest son of William Doherty, a printer, and his wife, Catherine Ann Davis.[4] Doherty began tennis early in life and as a boy at Westminster School showed great promise. At age 14 he won the boys' singles title at an open championship in Llandudno. Doherty was educated at the University of Cambridge (Trinity Hall), where he played for the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club.[5] In 1895 and 1895 he was part of the Cambridge team that beat Oxford and won the Scottish and Essex championships.
Career
Grand Slams
Doherty played in his first Wimbledon Championships in 1894 and lost in the first round to Clement Cazalet in four sets. In 1897 Doherty won his first singles Wimbledon title after beating reigning champion Harold Mahony in three straight sets (6–4, 6–4, 6–3). He successfully defended his title for the next three years (1898, 1899, 1900). In 1898 he did so by beating his brother in the Challenge Round in five sets (6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1). In 1901 he finally lost his Wimbledon crown when he was defeated in the Challenge Round by Arthur Gore in four sets (6–4, 5–7, 4–6, 4–6). He was also a runner-up at the US Championships in 1902 where he was beaten by the defending American champion William Larned in four sets (6–4, 2–6, 4–6, 6–8). Together with his brother Laurie he won eight Wimbledon Championships doubles titles and two US Championship doubles titles.
Davis Cup
Doherty represented the British Isles in the prestigious Davis Cup contest from 1902 to 1906. In 1902 he won the doubles match with his brother but lost the final and decisive singles match against American Malcolm Whitman in straight sets (1–6, 5–7, 4–6). In 1903 he contributed significantly to his team's first Davis Cup title against the United States by winning the doubles match and the decisive singles match against Robert Wrenn. Doherty won the Davis Cup trophy a further three times (1904, 1905, 1906) although in these years he only competed, and won, in the doubles matches.[6]
Olympics
Doherty won the doubles title (gold medals were not given at the 1900 Games) at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris with his brother.[7] He also competed in the singles tournament and reached the semifinal, where he was scheduled to play against his brother. Reggie withdrew, since the brothers refused to play each other before the final.[8] He also won the mixed doubles title with five-time Wimbledon champion Charlotte Cooper. Doherty did not compete in the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. In the 1908 Olympics in London Reggie again won the doubles title, this time with compatriot George Hillyard.[9]
R.F. Doherty was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980 together with his brother.[1]
Death
Doherty died of heart failure and neurasthenia on 29 December 1910 at age 38 at his home in Kensington a day after returning from a convalescence stay in a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland.[4][10]
According to his obituary in The New York Times, Doherty had "been in ill health for some time". The article further stated, he "held at various times every important championship the world of tennis has for a man to win. He was not beaten until he began to fail in health".[2] Both brothers apparently suffered from respiratory problems throughout their lives.[11]
R.F. and his brother had been urged to take up lawn tennis by their father, reportedly for health reasons.[2]
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runners-up)
Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1897 | Wimbledon | Grass | Harold Mahony | 6–4, 6–4, 6–3 | [12] |
Win | 1898 | Wimbledon | Grass | Laurence Doherty | 6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1 | [12] |
Win | 1899 | Wimbledon | Grass | Arthur Gore | 1–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 | [12] |
Win | 1900 | Wimbledon | Grass | Sydney Smith | 6–8, 6–3, 6–1, 5–7, 11–9 | [12] |
Loss | 1901 | Wimbledon | Grass | Arthur Gore | 6–4, 5–7, 4–6, 4–6 | [12] |
Loss | 1902 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | William Larned | 6–4, 2–6, 4–6, 6–8 | [13] |
Doubles: 13 (10 titles, 3 runners-up)
Career tournaments
Titles by surface |
---|
Clay (18–4) |
Grass (14–12) |
Hard (1–0) |
Wood (3–0) |
Singles titles
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in final | Score |
1. | 1895 | Essex Championships,[16] Colchester, England | Grass | Herbert Ramon Yglesias | 6–3, 6–1, 6–0 |
2. | 1895 | Scottish Championships,[17] Moffat, Scotland | Grass | Richard Millar Watson | walkover |
3. | 1895 | Welsh Covered Court Championships,[18] Llandudno, Wales | Wood | William S. N. Heard | walkover |
4. | 1895 | Exmouth, Exmouth, England | Grass | Harry S. Barlow | 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 |
5. | 1896 | Baden Baden International, Baden-Baden, Germany | Clay | Count Voss | 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 |
6. | 1896 | East of England Championships, England | Grass | Edward Roy Allen | 6–4, 8–6 |
7. | 1896 | Essex Championships, Colchester, England | Grass | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
8. | 1896 | Scottish Championships,[17] Moffat, Scotland | Grass | Edward Roy Allen | 13–11, 6–4 retired. |
9. | 1896 | The Homburg Cup, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany | Clay | William M. Cranston | walkover |
10. | 1896 | Welsh Covered Court Championships,[18] Llandudno, Wales | Wood | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
11. | 1897 | Baden Baden International, Baden-Baden, Germany | Clay | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
12. | 1897 | Wimbledon Championships, London, England | Grass | Wilberforce Eaves | 6–3, 7–5, 2–0 ret |
13. | 1897 | South of France Championships, Nice, France | Clay | Count Voss | 6–2, 6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
14. | 1897 | The Homburg Cup, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany | Clay | George Hillyard | walkover |
15. | 1897 | Monte-Carlo Cup,[19] Monte Carlo, France | Clay | Conway W. Blackwood Price | 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 |
16. | 1897 | Scottish Championships,[20] Moffat, Scotland | Grass | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
17. | 1897 | Cannes Championships, Cannes, France | Clay | M.G. Gongoltz | 6–2, 6–4, 6–3 |
18. | 1897 | Welsh Covered Court Championships,[18] Llandudno, Wales | Wood | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
19. | 1898 | Wimbledon Championships, London, England | Grass | Laurence Doherty | 6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1 |
20. | 1898 | The Homburg Cup, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany | Clay | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
21. | 1898 | Monte-Carlo Cup,[19] Monte Carlo, France | Clay | Count Voss | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 4–0 Retired. |
22. | 1899 | Irish Championships Dublin, Ireland | Grass | Harold Mahony | 6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 |
23. | 1899 | Wimbledon Championships London, England | Grass | Arthur Gore | 1–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3 |
24. | 1899 | Monte-Carlo Cup,[19] Monte Carlo, France | Clay | Count Voss | 6–2 Ret. |
25. | 1899 | Heiligendammer Cup, Heiligendammer, Germany | Clay | Georg Wantzelius | 6–2, 6–1, 6–2 |
26. | 1899 | The Homburg Cup, Bad Homburg vor der Höhe, Germany | Clay | Clarence Hobart | 3–6, 4–6, 6–0, 6–3, 6–4 |
27. | 1899 | South of France Championships, Nice, France | Clay | Count Voss | 6–0, 6–0 6–0 |
28. | 1900 | Irish Championships Dublin, Ireland | Grass | Arthur Gore | 6–4, 7–5, 7–9, 7–9, 6–3 |
29. | 1900 | Wimbledon Championships London, England | Grass | Sydney Howard Smith | 6–8, 6–3, 6–1, 6–2 |
30. | 1901 | Irish Championships Dublin, Ireland | Grass | Laurence Doherty | 6–4, 4–6 ret. |
31. | 1902 | Monte-Carlo Cup,[19] Monte Carlo, France | Clay | George Hillyard | 6–1, 6–4, 6–3 |
32. | 1902 | Paris International Championships, Paris, France | Clay | Paul Lebreton | walkover |
33. | 1903 | Monte-Carlo Cup,[19] Monte Carlo, France | Clay | Frank Riseley | 6–1, 14–16 Ret. |
34. | 1903 | Paris International Championships, Paris, France | Clay | Max Decugis | 6–4, 6–3, 8–6 |
35. | 1904 | Monte-Carlo Cup,[19] Monte Carlo, France | Clay | Josiah Ritchie | 6–1, 7–5, 3–6, 7–5 |
36. | 1909 | South African Championships,[21] Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Lionel Escombe | 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 |
Singles finals
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in final | Score |
1. | 1895 | Colchester Championships, Colchester, England | Grass | Charles Gladstone Allen | walkover |
2. | 1896 | Irish Championships, Dublin, Ireland | Grass | Harold Mahony | 6–2, 6–2, 6–4 |
3. | 1896 | Queen's Club Championships, London, England | Grass | Harold Mahony | 11–9, 6–4, 6–4 |
4. | 1896 | Sussex Championships, Exmouth, England | Grass | Wilfred Baddeley | 6–1, 6–2, 6–3 |
5. | 1897 | Irish Championships, Dublin, Ireland | Grass | Wilberforce Eaves | 6–4, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2 |
6. | 1897 | Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament, Manchester, England | Grass | Wilfred Baddeley | 6–2, 7–5, 2–6, 6–0 |
7. | 1898 | South of France Championships, Nice, France | Clay | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
8. | 1898 | Irish Championships, Dublin, Ireland | Grass | Harold Mahony | 6–3, 8–6, 6–3 |
9. | 1898 | Scottish Championships, Moffat, Scotland | Grass | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
10. | 1899 | Championship of Europe, Bad Homburg, Germany | Clay | Harold Mahony | walkover |
11. | 1900 | South of France Championships, Nice, France | Clay | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
12. | 1901 | Wimbledon Championships, London, England | Grass | Arthur Gore | 4–6, 7–5, 6–4, 6–4 |
13. | 1902 | U.S. National Championships, Newport, RI, USA | Grass | William Larned | 4–6, 6–2, 6–4, 8–6 |
14 | 1902 | South of France Championships, Nice, France | Clay | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
15. | 1902 | Irish Championships, Dublin, Ireland | Grass | Laurence Doherty | walkover |
16 | 1905 | East Grinstead, East Grinstead, England | Grass | Roderick James McNair | walkover |
References
- "Hall of Famers – Reggie Doherty". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "Famous Tennis Player Dead: R.F. Doherty, Once American Champion, Passes Away in London", The New York Times, 30 December 1910
- "Reginald Doherty". Olympedia. Retrieved 31 December 2020.
- Wray Vamplew. "Doherty, (Hugh) Laurence [Laurie] (1875–1919), tennis player". Oxford University Press.
- "Doherty, Reginald Frank (DHRY894RF)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
- "Davis Cup Player Profile". ITF. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "Reginald Doherty Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
- Grasso, John (16 September 2011). Historical dictionary of tennis. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 86. ISBN 9780810872370. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "All the Medallists since 1896". Olympic Movement. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
- "Late Mr. Doherty". Northern Advocate (New Zealand). Northland. 14 February 1911. p. 3.
- Hugh Laurence Doherty (UK) Archived 9 December 2012 at Archive.today
- "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Singles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- "US Open Past Champions / Men's Singles". US Open official website. Archived from the original on 22 February 2009. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Doubles". Wimbledon. AELTC.
- "US Open Past Champions / Men's Doubles". US Open official website. Archived from the original on 25 October 2007. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
- "Late Mr. Doherty". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. Northern Advocate, 14 February 1911. Retrieved 6 October 2016.
- "A Great Lawn Tennis Player: Death of Mr. R. F. Doherty". paperspast.natlib.govt.nz. The Dominion. 11 February 1911. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- Kinsey, Albert. "The Craigside Hotel Hydro Band". genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/. BBC Radio Times Regional Programme Western, 9 July 1936. Retrieved 2 September 2016.
- Schneiderman, E. Digby Baltzell ; with a new introduction by Howard G. (2013). Sporting gentlemen : men's tennis from the age of honor to the cult of the superstar. Somerset, NJ: Transaction Publishers. p. 73. ISBN 9781412851800.
- "Games and Players:Notable Tennis Record". news.google.com. The Glasgow Herald, 18 April 1951. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
- "Reggie Doherty-Biography". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 5 October 2016.
External links
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