Joshua Pim
Dr Joshua Pim FRCSI (20 May 1869 – 15 April 1942) was a medical doctor and Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894. He won the Wimbledon men's doubles in 1890 and 1893.[2]
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| Full name | Joshua Francis Pim |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  |
| Born | 20 May 1869 Bray, Wicklow, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Died | 15 April 1942 (aged 72) Killiney, Dublin, Ireland |
| Turned pro | 1887 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1902 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 137–29 (82.53%) |
| Career titles | 37 [1] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1893, 1894) |
| US Open | 4R (1902) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1890, 1893) |
Family life
Joshua Pim, known as Josh, was born on 20 May 1869 at 1&2, Millward Terrace, Meath Road, Bray, County Wicklow.[3] His parents were Joshua, a barrister who served in the Royal Tyrone Fusiliers, and Susannah Maria, née Middleton.[4] His father died when Josh was barely two years old, leaving a widow and five young children.
As a child Pim lived for a while in Crosthwaite Park, Kingstown. In adulthood he moved with his wife Robin to Killiney. They had one son and three daughters. He died at Secrora, his home in Killiney, on 15 April 1942 aged 72, and was survived by his wife and four children. He was a keen swimmer and golfer, and a member of Killiney Golf Club.
Medical career
Pim studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians in London.[5] He was Medical Officer at St. Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown for 42 years.
Tennis
Pim was a member of Lansdowne club, then known as the All Ireland Lawn Tennis Club, where he was coached by Thomas Burke[6]
His first tennis triumph was in 1890, when he won both the English and Irish doubles championships alongside the Dubliner, Frank Stoker, a cousin of the writer Bram Stoker. He reached the semifinals of the English singles championship, but lost to Willoughby Hamilton from Kildare.
The following year he reached the Wimbledon men's singles final, and in 1892 (when he was suffering from typhoid) he reached the "challenge round", but he lost on both occasions to an English player, Wilfred Baddeley.[2]
In 1893, Pim returned to Wimbledon and won both the singles and (with Stoker) the doubles championships. In 1894 he won the singles again. In 1895 he competed in America rather than in England.[7]
In 1896, Harold Mahony won at Wimbledon, while Pim concentrated on his medical career, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons that year.
Pim played for Ireland against England in 1892, 1893, 1894 and 1896.
In 1902, he was summoned from retirement to be the token Irishman in the British Davis Cup squad to face America. Pim was derided for having put on excessive amounts of weight, despite the fact that he shed thirty pounds in six weeks. He lost both his matches and laid down his racket thereafter.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1891 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | | 4–6, 6–1, 5–7, 0–6 |
| Loss | 1892 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | | 6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1893 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | | 3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1894 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | | 10–8, 6–2, 8–6 |
Doubles (2 titles)
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partber | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1890 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | |
|
6–0, 7–5, 6–4 |
| Win | 1893 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | |
|
4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 2–6, 6–0 |
References
- "Joshua Francis Pim: Stats". tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
- "Wimbledon player profile – Joshua Pim". AELTC.
- "Places and People". Bray Town Council. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- Dublin Evening Press, 18 July 1857. Derry Standard, 26 May 1869.
- "Irish medical obituary". Irish Journal of Medical Science. 17 (9). September 1942.
- "History". Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club. 2007. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- Paret, J. Parmly (1904). Lawn Tennis. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-559-51073-1.
Sources
- Higgins, Tom. The History of Irish Tennis. Archived from the original on 29 September 2009.
