Brian Norton

Brian Norton
Full name Brian Ivan Cobb Norton
Country (sports) South Africa South Africa
Born (1899-10-10)10 October 1899
Robben Island, South Africa
Died 16 July 1956(1956-07-16) (aged 56)
Santa Clara, CA, USA
Singles
Highest ranking No. 7 (1921, A. Wallis Myers)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon F (1921Ch)
US Open SF (1923)
Other tournaments
WHCC 2R (1920, 1923)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Wimbledon SF (1921, 1922)
US Open W (1923)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon SF (1920)

Brian Ivan Cobb Norton (10 October 1899 – 16 July 1956), nicknamed "Babe", was a South African male tennis player. He was born in Cape Province, South Africa, and died in Santa Clara, California, United States. At Wimbledon 1921, Norton beat Frank Hunter and Manuel Alonso Areizaga,[2] before having two championship points in the Challenge Round against Bill Tilden but losing in five sets. Norton is one of only two men to hold championship point in a Grand Slam mens singles final and yet not win a title (the other was Guillermo Coria at the 2004 French Open).[3] Norton won the 1923 U.S. National Championships doubles, alongside Tilden. In the singles that year, Norton beat R. Norris Williams in a five set quarter final before losing to Tilden in the semi finals.[4]

After Norton, the next South African citizen to reach the gentlemen's singles final at Wimbledon would be Kevin Anderson 97 years later in 2018. Although another South African-born tennis player, Kevin Curren, had also reached the Wimbledon final in 1985 against Boris Becker (Germany), Curren played as a US (American) citizen.

He competed in the singles and doubles events at the 1920 Summer Olympics.[5] Norton was ranked World No. 7 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph in 1921 and 1922.[1][6]

In 1921 he won the singles title at the South of England Championships after a five-set victory in the final against Mohammed Sleem.[7]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up1921Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Bill Tilden6–4, 6–2, 1–6, 0–6, 5–7

Doubles (1 title)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1923 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Bill Tilden United States Richard Williams
United States Watson Washburn		 3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 5–7, 6–2

References

  1. 1 2 "Tilden First on Tennis Star List", The Pittsburgh Press, 4 December 1921.
  2. ↑ "Wimbledon 1921". www.tennis.co.nf.
  3. ↑ "Wimbledon Championships Won From Match Point Down". www.tennis.co.nf.
  4. ↑ "U. S. Open 1923". www.tennis.co.nf.
  5. ↑ "Olympics – Players – Brian Norton". SportsReference.
  6. ↑ "Half World's Best Racqueteers Yankees Says British Expert", The Deseret News, 12 April 1922.
  7. ↑ "Curious Lawn Tennis Final". The Express And Telegraph. LVIII, (17, 490). South Australia. 17 November 1921. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.