George Worthington (tennis)

George Allan Worthington (10 October 1928 – 8 December 1964) was an Australian male tennis player who was active in the 1940s and 1950s.

George Worthington
Full nameGeorge Allan Worthington
Country (sports) Australia
Born(1928-10-10)10 October 1928
Sydney, Australia
Died8 December 1964(1964-12-08) (aged 36)
Westminster, London
Turned pro1956 (amateur tour from 1945)
Retired1960
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record319-115 (73.5%) [1]
Career titles25 [1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenQF (1949, 1950, 1951, 1954)
French Open3R (1950, 1955)
Wimbledon4R (1949, 1953)
US Open3R (1950)
Professional majors
Wembley ProQF (1957)
French Pro1R (1958, 1959)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenF (1947)
WimbledonSF (1955)
US OpenF (1949)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1951, 1952, 1955)
WimbledonSF (1949, 1950, 1953)

Career

Worthington won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Championships in 1951, 1952 and 1953 together with Thelma Coyne Long.[2][3]

He was twice runner-up with compatriot Frank Sedgman in Grand Slam men's doubles championship. In 1947 they lost the final of the Australian Championship against Adrian Quist and John Bromwich in straight sets and in 1949 in the U.S. National Championship they met the same fate against fellow Australians John Bromwich and Bill Sidwell.[4][5]

He won a number of career singles titles including the British Pro Championships 6 times consecutively from 1957 to 1962, the Slazenger Pro Championships two times, (1957, 1962), the Sydney Metropolitan Championships three times, (1950, 1953-54), and the Surrey Championships one time, (1953), the East of England Championships one time, (1949) and the New Zealand Championships one time, (1950). [6]

After his active playing career he became coach at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club and coached both the English Davis Cup team and Wightman Cup team.[7]

According to Ken Rosewall, he was "an excellent player in practice. He was known as the 'Champion of Practice'".[8]

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (2 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1947 Australian Championships Grass Frank Sedgman Adrian Quist
John Bromwich		 1–6, 3–6, 1–6
Loss 1949 U.S. National Championships Grass Frank Sedgman John Bromwich
Bill Sidwell		 4–6, 0–6, 1–6

Mixed doubles (3 titles)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1951 Australian Championships Grass Thelma Coyne Long Clare Proctor
Jack May		 6–4, 3–6, 6–2
Win 1952 Australian Championships Grass Thelma Coyne Long Gwen Thiele
Tom Warhurst		 9–7, 7–5
Win 1955 Australian Championships Grass Thelma Coyne Long Jenny Staley
Lew Hoad		 6–2, 6–1

References
  1. "George Worthington: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  2. "George Worthington Match History". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  3. Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 376. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  4. "Worthington, George". Grand Slam History. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  5. Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 373, 477. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  6. "George Worthington: Tournament results". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
  7. "Former Davis Cup Man Dies". The Age. 9 December 1964. p. 24. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
  8. Peter Rowley, Ken Rosewall, Rosewall. Twenty years at the top, London 1976, p. 93.
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