Gerald Battrick

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Gerald Battrick
Internationale tenniskampioenschappen te Hilversum, G Battrick met beker, Bestanddeelnr 924-7801.jpg
Gerald Battrick holding the trophy at the 1971 Dutch Open
Country (sports)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Born(1947-05-27)27 May 1947
Bridgend, Wales
Died26 November 1998(1998-11-26) (aged 51) [1]
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro1972 (amateur from 1964) [1]
Retired1976
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record528–373
Career titles27
Highest rankingNo. 28 (27 March 1972) [2]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 3R (1970)
French Open 4R (1968)
Wimbledon 3R (1971)
US Open 2R (1969, 1971, 1974, 1976)
Doubles
Career record97–134
Career titles1
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1970)
French Open QF (1968, 1970)
Wimbledon QF (1975)
US Open 2R (1973)

Gerald Battrick (27 May 1947 [3] – 26 November 1998) was a Welsh tennis player who reached as high as No. 3 in Britain (and world No. 28), winning at least 6 titles.

Contents

Personal life

Gerald Battrick was born on 27 May 1947 in Bridgend, Glamorgan, where his father was the Medical Officer. [1] Like many other British tennis players of the time, including Mark Cox and Paul Hutchins, he attended Millfield School in Somerset. As a boy, one of his tennis rivals (both in Bridgend and at school) was J. P. R. Williams, who won the 1966 British Junior Championships at Wimbledon before turning his attention to rugby union. [1] [4]

After retiring from tennis in 1976, Battrick lived and worked in Hamburg before returning to Bridgend to open a tennis academy. He was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 1997, and died at the Princess of Wales Hospital, Bridgend, on 26 November 1998. [4]

Tennis career

Juniors

Battrick won the junior titles of Great Britain, Belgium and France and represented Britain in the Davis Cup. In 1965, he won the French Open Boys' Singles. [3]

Pro tour

In 1971 he won the singles title at the Dutch Open in Hilversum, defeating Australian Ross Case in the final in three straight sets. He also won the British Hard Court Championships in Bournemouth, winning the final against Željko Franulović in four sets. In doubles, Battrick reached the quarterfinals of the French Open in 1968 and 1970 and at Wimbledon in 1975.

He played for the Great Britain Davis Cup team in 1970 and 1971 compiling a record of two wins and three losses. In 1972 Battrick joined Lamar Hunt's World Championship Tennis circuit. [1]

World Team Tennis

Battrick played for the co-ed Pittsburgh Triangles of World TeamTennis in 1974 and 1975. He was part of the Triangles 1975 league championship team.

Career finals

Singles (Open Era): 7 (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Finals by surface
Hard (1–2)
Grass (0–0)
Clay (2–1)
Carpet (1–0)
ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–1Mar 1970 Caracas, VenezuelaHard Flag of the United States.svg Tom Gorman 2–6, 4–6, 6–3, 4–6
Win1–1Mar 1970 Willemstad, CuraçaoHard Flag of Spain (1945-1977).svg Juan Gisbert Sr. 2–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–4
Loss1–2Apr 1970 Kingston, JamaicaHard Flag of Germany.svg Christian Kuhnke 4–6, 0–6
Win2–2 May 1971 Bournemouth, UKClay Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Željko Franulović 6–3, 6–2, 5–7, 6–0
Win3–2 Aug 1971 Hilversum, NetherlandsClay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ross Case 6–3, 6–4, 9–7
Win4–2Nov 1971 London, UKCarpet (i) Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bob Hewitt 6–3, 6–4
Loss4–3 Apr 1973 Clemmons, U.S.Clay Flag of Chile.svg Jaime Fillol Sr. 2–6, 4–6

Doubles (1 title, 4 runner-ups)

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1Aug 1968Kitzbühel, AustriaClay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Bobby Wilson Flag of Germany.svg Wilhelm Bungert
Flag of Germany.svg Jürgen Fassbender
3–6, 5–7
Loss0–2Feb 1971Caracas, VenezuelaClay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Curtis Flag of Brazil.svg Thomaz Koch
Flag of Brazil.svg José Edison Mandarino
4–6, 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 6–7
Win1–2Aug 1973Columbus, U.S.Hard Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Stilwell Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Dibley
Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Pasarell
6–4, 7–6
Loss1–3Sep 1973Chicago, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Stilwell Flag of Australia (converted).svg Owen Davidson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe
7–6, 6–7, 6–7
Loss1–3Nov 1973London, UKCarpet (i) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Stilwell Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Cox
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Owen Davidson
4–6, 6–8

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Edwards, Bill (8 January 1999). "Obituary: Gerald Battrick". The Independent. London. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  2. "Gerald Battrick: Rankings". ultimatetennisstatistics.com. Retrieved 8 December 2024.
  3. 1 2 "Gerald Battrick". Association of Tennis Professionals . Retrieved 3 October 2010.
  4. 1 2 Huws, Richard E. (11 January 2017). "BATTRICK, Gerald (1947-1998), tennis player". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Retrieved 23 January 2025.