Charles P. Dixon
Charles Percy Dixon (7 February 1873 – 29 April 1939) was a male tennis player from Great Britain. He was a four-time Olympic medallist and led a successful British team to victory in the Davis Cup.[2]
| Full name | Charles Percy Dixon |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | United Kingdom |
| Born | 7 February 1873 Grantham, England |
| Died | 7 April 1939 (aged 66) London, England |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 303/99 (75.38%) |
| Career titles | 34 |
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (1913, A. Wallis Myers)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1912) |
| Wimbledon | F (1901AC, 1911AC) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1912) |
| Wimbledon | W (1912, 1913) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1912) |
Biography edit
Dixon was born on 7 February 1873 in Grantham, Lincolnshire. At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London he won a bronze medal in the men's doubles event. In the 1912 Summer Olympics he won three medals in the indoor tennis events: gold in the mixed doubles, silver in men's singles and bronze in men's doubles.[3][4]
From 1929 to 1932 he represented the International Club of Great Britain against France at Queens and at Auteuil in 1932 and 1933. After retiring from tournaments, he coached juniors and umpired at Wimbledon, becoming President of the Umpire's Association. He died on 29 April 1939.[3]
Tennis tournaments edit
Dixon was born in 1873, the year that Major Walter Clopton Wingfield defined the first rules for lawn tennis. Dixon reached his first all comers final at Wimbledon in 1901, beating Harold Mahony before losing to Arthur Gore.[5] A decade later, in 1911, Dixon reached the all comers final again, beating Major Ritchie and Max Decugis before losing to Herbert Roper Barrett.[5] He won the doubles with Roper Barrett in 1912 and 1913.
His career included victories in international tournaments overseas include the Ostend International tournament (1905), the Doubles at the Championship of Dieppe (Championnat de Diepper) (1908) won partnering with M.J.G. Ritchie[6] In the UK he won the Surrey Championships (1911) on grass, defeating Anthony Wilding in four sets.[7]
He also won the Dulwich Farm Hard Courts on clay at Dulwich four times from (1909–1910, 1912–1913).[8] He also won the Drive Club Tournament at the Drive Club, Fulham that was played on hard cement courts three times (1908-1910).
Dixon was better known at the time for his many successes when representing Britain in the Davis Cup: starting in the 1909 Cup in Philadelphia, he led the British team to victory in the 1912 Cup in Australia.[3] He was also a member of the English Drive Club team in South Africa in 1910–1911.
He won the 1913 Doubles title at the Russian Open Tennis Championship, partnering Albert D Prebble, and was runner up in the singles.[9]
Grand Slam finals edit
Doubles (3 titles, 1 runner-ups) edit
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1912 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Herbert Roper Barrett | Max Decugis André Gobert | 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5 |
| Win | 1912 | Australasian Championships | Grass | James Cecil Parke | Alfred Beamish Gordon Lowe | 6–4, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Win | 1913 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Herbert Roper Barrett | Heinrich Kleinschroth Friedrich Wilhelm Rahe | 6–2, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1914 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Herbert Roper Barrett | Norman Brookes Anthony Wilding | 1–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–8 |
References edit
- ^ United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 422.
- ^ "Charles P. Dixon". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Charles P. Dixon, 64, Former Tennis Star. Helped Win Wimbledon Doubles Title for England in 1912". The New York Times. 1 May 1939. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
- ^ . sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
- ^ a b "Wimbledon player archive – Charles Dixon". AELTC.
- ^ Championnat de Diepper, La Presse, p3, 3 August 1908
- ^ "Lawn Tennis". Evening Post. 29 May 1911. p. 7.
- ^ "1877 to 2012 Finals Results". stevegtennis.com. Steve G Tennis. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
- ^ The early Russian Lawn Tennis Championships (1907–14) by Mark Ryan
External links edit
- Charles P. Dixon at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Charles P. Dixon at the International Tennis Federation
- Charles P. Dixon at the Davis Cup
- at Olympics at Sports-Reference.com (archived)