Roger Taylor (tennis)

Last updated

Roger Taylor
MBE
Roger Taylor (tennis).jpg
Roger Taylor at the 1969 Dutch Open
Country (sports)Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom
Residence Wimbledon, London, England
Born (1941-10-14) 14 October 1941 (age 83)
Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Height1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro1967 (amateur from 1958)
Retired1982
PlaysLeft-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record776–489 [1]
Career titles31 [1]
Highest rankingNo. 8 (1970, Lance Tingay ) [2]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open SF (1970)
French Open QF (1973)
Wimbledon SF (1967, 1970, 1973)
US Open QF (1964)
Other tournaments
WCT Finals QF (1973)
Doubles
Career record189–140
Career titles10
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open QF (1962)
French Open 3R (1963)
Wimbledon QF (1968, 1969, 1973)
US Open W (1971, 1972)

Roger Taylor MBE (born 14 October 1941) is a British former tennis player. Born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. He achieved success at several Grand Slam tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1973, the semi-finals of Wimbledon during the same year and winning back to back US Open men's doubles titles in 1971 and 1972. He also enjoyed particular success in 1970, again reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon, where he achieved a big upset win over defending champion Rod Laver en route, and the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Taylor also reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 1967. His career-high ranking was world No. 7 in 1967, [3] though Taylor was also ranked world No. 8 in 1970 before the ATP rankings began. [2]

Contents

He was active from 1958 to 1982 and won 31 career singles titles, [1] of those toward the end of his career included 6 Grand Prix tour singles titles and 10 doubles titles. [4]

He was also ranked British No 1 1973 and 1974. Additionally, Taylor scored 29 wins and 11 losses at the Great Britain Davis Cup team. He is a member of the AELTC.

Tennis career

He played his first singles tournament at the South of France Championships in 1958. [1] He won his first singles title in 1959 at the Lee-on-Solent Open. [1] Taylor was the sole British member of the so-called Handsome Eight signed by Lamar Hunt to compete in his newly created World Championship Tennis tour in 1968. He was shown how to play tennis by his mother, Lilian, and he used to play in the various parks across Sheffield, such as Weston Park. He often practised by hitting a tennis ball against a wall.

Taylor endeared himself to millions of viewers during his 1973 Wimbledon quarterfinal match against the 17-year-old Wimbledon debutant Björn Borg. Having already been declared the match winner by the umpire following his match-point serve which was disputed by Borg, Taylor voluntarily offered to replay the point. The linesman then questioned by the umpire as to whether he wished to reconsider his decision, changed his "in" call to "out" and the umpire requested that the point be replayed as a "let". Taylor subsequently went on to win the match, but lost to eventual champion Jan Kodeš in the semifinals. He won his final singles title at the Fairfield Open Indoors in March 1975. [1]

He played his final singles tournament at the Caribbean Championships in 1982. [1] He retired from professional tennis in 1983 and following his retirement he operated tennis holidays. He was Great Britain's Davis Cup captain from February 2000 until January 2004. Taylor also captained the British ladies Wightman Cup team; steering them to their last victory in the competition in 1978. He was awarded an MBE in the 1977 Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours.

He is currently active on the ITF Seniors Tour and has a singles ranking of 54 as at 2020 in the over 75's category. He won the 70+ title at Woking's Veterans Open Tournament in 2012. In 2019, he teamed up with Australia's Gordon Waygood to win the Men's 75 Doubles title at the British Open Seniors Clay Court Championships.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (2 titles)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win 1971 US Open Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe Flag of the United States.svg Stan Smith
Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen 		6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
Win 1972 US Open Grass Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cliff Drysdale Flag of Australia (converted).svg Owen Davidson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe 		6–4, 7–6, 6–3

Career finals

Singles (Open era): 19 (9 titles, 10 runner-ups)

Finals by surface
Hard (4–2)
Grass (2–3)
Clay (1–3)
Carpet (2–2)
ResultNo.YearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1.1968 Port Elizabeth WCT, South AfricaHard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Roche 10–8 [5]
Loss1.1969 Hilversum, NetherlandsClay Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker 8–10, 9–7, 4–6, 4–6 [5]
Loss2.1969 Madrid, SpainCarpet Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver 3–6, 3–6 [5]
Win2.1970 Auckland, New ZealandGrass Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker 6–4, 6–4, 6–1 [5]
Loss3.1970 Leicester, EnglandGrass Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker 1–6, 8–10 [5]
Loss4.1970 Hilversum, NetherlandsClay Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker 6–4, 0–6, 1–6, 3–6 [5]
Loss5.1970 Toronto, CanadaClay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver 0–6, 6–4, 3–6 [5]
Win3.1970 Midland, U.S.Hard Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe 2–6, 7–6, 6–1 [5]
Win4.1971 Palermo, ItalyClay Flag of France.svg Pierre Barthès 6–3, 4–6, 7–6, 6–2 [5]
Loss6.1971 Newport, U.S.Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall 1–6, 8–9 [5]
Win5.1972 Haverford, U.S.Hard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mal Anderson 6–4, 6–0, 6–4 [5]
Win6.1973 Copenhagen, DenmarkHard Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen 6–2, 6–3, 7–6 [5]
Loss7.1973 Chicago WCT, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Arthur Ashe 6–3, 6–7, 6–7 [5]
Loss8.1973 San Juan, Puerto RicoHard Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Alex Metreveli 4–6, 4–6, 6–0, 5–7 [5]
Loss9.1973 Cleveland WCT, U.S.Hard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall 3–6, 4–6 [5]
Loss10.1973 Queen's Club, EnglandGrass Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Ilie Năstase 8–9, 3–6 [5]
Win7.1973 Newport, U.S.Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Giltinan 9–8, 8–6 [5]
Win8.1975 Roanoke, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Vitas Gerulaitis 7–6, 7–6 [5]
Win9.1975 Fairfield, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Sandy Mayer 7–5, 5–7, 7–6 [5]

Doubles titles: Open era (8)

No.DateTournamentSurfacePartneringOpponentScore
1.Jan 1969 Hobart Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mal Anderson Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Roche
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Stolle 		7–5, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4
2.Feb 1969 Auckland Grass Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Ray Moore Flag of Australia (converted).svg Mal Anderson
Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Toomas Leius 		13–15, 6–3, 8–6, 8–6
3.Aug 1969 Hilversum Unknown Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jan Kodeš
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jan Kukal 		6–3, 6–2, 6–4
4.Jul 1971 Newport Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Clifton
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Paish 		7–5, 3–6, 6–2
5.Sep 1971 US Open Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe Flag of the United States.svg Stan Smith
Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen 		6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
6.Sep 1972 US Open Grass Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cliff Drysdale Flag of Australia (converted).svg Owen Davidson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe 		6–4, 7–6, 6–3
7.Apr 1973 Vancouver Unknown Flag of France.svg Pierre Barthès Flag of the United States.svg Tom Gorman
Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen 		5–7, 6–3, 7–6
8.Jul 1977 Kitzbühel Clay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Buster Mottram Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Colin Dowdeswell
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Chris Kachel 		7–6, 6–4

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Players:Taylor, Roger" . The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  2. 1 2 United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 428.
  3. ↑ "The Baltimore Sun, 12 September 1967". newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ "Roger Taylor". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 30 June 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Roger Taylor [GBR] - Titles/Finals". tennisabstract.com. Retrieved 10 November 2024.
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