William Clothier
 | |
| Full name | William Jackson Clothier |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 |
| Born |
September 27, 1881 Sharon Hill, PA, United States |
| Died |
September 4, 1962 (aged 80) Philadelphia, United States |
| Plays | Right-handed (1-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1956 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (1906, Karoly Mazak)[1] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1905) |
| US Open | W (1906) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1912) |
William 'Bill' Jackson Clothier (September 27, 1881, Sharon Hill – September 4, 1962, Philadelphia) was an American tennis player.
Biography
Clothier reached the singles final of the United States Championships three times. In his first final appearance in 1904 he lost in three straight sets to compatriot Holcombe Ward. Two years later, in 1906, Clothier achieved his greatest success by emphatically beating Beals Wright in the final in three straight sets at the Newport Casino. This despite breaking his pelvic bone in a riding accident earlier that year.[2] His last final appearance came in 1909 when he lost in five sets to William Larned who claimed his fifth singles title.[3]
He was a member of the winning USA Davis Cup Team in 1905 and 1909 and won both his singles matches in the 1909 final against the British Isles.[4]
Together with his son, William J. Clothier II, they two won the national father-son title twice.[5]
Clothier was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1956 and he was elected as its first President in 1954.[6]
Clothier also played amateur ice hockey from 1900–1904 with the Quaker City Hockey Club in Philadelphia and the Harvard Crimson intercollegiate team in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Playing style
In their book R.F. and H.L. Doherty - On Lawn Tennis (1903) multiple Wimbledon champions Reginald and Lawrence Doherty described Clothier's playing style:
| “ | Clothier has copied Whitman, but is not so good. His twist service is much the same as Whitman's, and he always follows it up to the net, He volleys well, and is especially severe overhead. His volleying is considerably superior to his ground strokes. | ” |
On Lawn Tennis - 1903[7]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title, 2 runners-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1904 | U.S. Championships | Grass | .svg.png){kind=small} | 8–10, 4–6, 7–9 |
| Winner | 1906 | U.S. Championships | Grass | | 6–3, 6–0, 6–4 |
| Runner-up | 1909 | U.S. Championships | Grass | | 1–6, 2–6, 7–5, 6–1, 1–6 |
Mixed doubles: (1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1912 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | | | 4–6, 6–2, 9–11 |
References
- ↑ Mazak, Karoly (2010). The Concise History of Tennis, p. 34.
- ↑ "Clothier Beats Wright for the Tennis Title" (PDF). The New York Times. 30 Aug 1906. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ↑ "Champion Larned Retains his Title" (PDF). The New York Times. 28 Aug 1909. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ↑ "Davis Cup - Profile William Clothier". ITF. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ↑ "William Clothier, 86, Spy and Tennis Star". The New York Times. 3 Nov 2002. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ↑ "Hall of Famers - William Clothier". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
- ↑ Doherty, R.F. (1903). R.F. and H.L. Doherty on Lawn Tennis (1st ed.). London: Lawn Tennis. pp. 62–63.