Gerald Patterson

Gerald Patterson
MC
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%)
Career titles28
Highest rankingNo. 1 (1919, A. Wallis Myers)
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)

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

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. He was the co-World No. 1 player for 1919 along with Bill Johnston.

Playing career

Tall and well-built, 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.

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. This was followed by induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in August 1997.

Personal life

Patterson was the nephew of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and father of racing driver Bill Patterson. In 1917, Patterson was awarded the Military Cross for "conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty" as an officer in the Royal Field Artillery at Messines.

Grand Slam finals

Gerald Patterson playing a forehand stroke

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1914 Australasian Championships Grass Australia Arthur O'Hara Wood 4–6, 3–6, 7–5, 1–6
Win 1919 Wimbledon Grass Australia Norman Brookes 6–3, 7–5, 6–2
Loss 1920 Wimbledon Grass United States Bill Tilden 6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 4–6
Loss 1922 Australasian Championships Grass Australia James Anderson 0–6, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6
Win 1922 Wimbledon Grass United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Randolph Lycett 6–3, 6–4, 6–2
Loss 1925 Australasian Championships Grass Australia James Anderson 9–11, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6
Win 1927 Australian Championships Grass Australia John Hawkes 3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16, 6–3

Doubles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1914 Australasian Championships Grass Australia Ashley Campbell Australia Rodney Heath
Australia Arthur O'Hara Wood
7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
Win 1919 U.S. National Championships Grass Australia Norman Brookes United States Vincent Richards
United States Bill Tilden
8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2
Win 1922 Australasian Championships Grass Australia John Hawkes Australia James Anderson
Australia Norman Peach
8–10, 6–0, 6–0, 7–5
Loss 1922 Wimbledon Grass Australia Pat O'Hara Wood Australia James Anderson
United Kingdom Randolph Lycett
6–3, 9–7, 4–6, 3–6, 9–11
Loss 1922 U.S. National Championships Grass Australia Pat O'Hara Wood United States Vincent Richards
United States Bill Tilden
6–4, 1–6, 3–6, 4–6
Loss 1924 Australasian Championships Grass Australia Pat O'Hara Wood Australia James Anderson
Australia Norman Brookes
2–6, 4–6, 3–6
Loss 1924 U.S. National Championships Grass Australia Pat O'Hara Wood United States Howard Kinsey
United States Robert Kinsey
5–7, 7–5, 9–7, 3–6, 4–6
Win 1925 Australasian Championships Grass Australia Pat O'Hara Wood Australia James Anderson
Australia Fred Kalms
6–4, 8–6, 7–5
Loss 1925 U.S. National Championships Grass Australia John Hawkes United States R. Norris Williams
United States Vincent Richards
2–6, 10–8, 4–6, 9–11
Win 1926 Australasian Championships Grass Australia John Hawkes Australia James Anderson
Australia Pat O'Hara Wood
6–1, 6–4, 6–2
Win 1927 Australian Championships Grass Australia John Hawkes Australia Ian McInness
Australia Pat O'Hara Wood
8–6, 6–2, 6–1
Loss 1928 Wimbledon Grass Australia John Hawkes France Jacques Brugnon
France Henri Cochet
11–13, 4–6, 4–6
Loss 1928 U.S. National Championships Grass Australia John Hawkes United States John Hennessey
United States George Lott
2–6, 1–6, 2–6
Loss 1932 Australian Championships Grass Australia Harry Hopman Australia Jack Crawford
Australia Edgar Moon
10–12, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1920 Wimbledon Grass France Suzanne Lenglen United States Elizabeth Ryan
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Randolph Lycett
7–5, 6–3

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

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 Career SR
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
SR 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.


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