Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics – Men's singles

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Men's singles tennis
at the Games of the I Olympiad
1896 Olympic tennis.jpg
Singles final in 1896 Olympic tennis
Venue Neo Phaliron Velodrome
Athens Lawn Tennis Club
DatesApril 8, 1896 (first round)
April 9, 1896 (quarterfinals)
April 10, 1896 (semifinals)
April 11, 1896 (final)
Competitors13 from 6 nations
Medalists
Gold medal icon.svg John Pius Boland
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain
Silver medal icon.svg Dionysios Kasdaglis
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece
Bronze medal icon.svg Momčilo Tapavica
Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary
Bronze medal icon.svg Konstantinos Paspatis
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece
1900  
Men's singles
Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics
Events
Singles men
Doubles men
Summer Olympics ·  1900  

The men's singles was one of two tennis events on the Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics programme. The sixteen entrants were seeded into a single-elimination tournament, with only thirteen or fifteen of the players actually competing. They represented six nations. [1]

Background

This was the first appearance of the men's singles tennis. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics where tennis has been on the program: from 1896 to 1924 and then from 1988 to the current program. Demonstration events were held in 1968 and 1984.

None of the leading players of the time, such as Wimbledon champion Harold Mahony, U.S champion Robert Wrenn, William Larned or Wilfred Baddeley, participated. [2] [3]

Competition format

Under ancient Greek single-elimination tournament rules, there were no brackets as under modern single-elimination rules; instead, all participants in a round were paired off with one bye if a round had an odd number of participants left. This format could result in a semifinals round with only 3 competitors (as happened in both the 1896 wrestling and doubles tennis events, which started with 5 wrestlers/pairs: the first round had two matches, with one wrestler/pair having a bye, and the second round had only one match, with another wrestler/pair having a bye; a modern tournament would have had one match in the first round with three byes, leading to two semifinals). The organizers avoided this problem in the singles tennis by dividing the players into four groups, with each group playing a single elimination tournament and the winner of each group advancing to the semifinals. [3]

No bronze medal match was held; both semifinal losers are now considered bronze medal winners (the current medal system was not used at the time).

Schedule

DateTimeRound
GregorianJulian
Wednesday, 8 April 1896Wednesday, 27 March 1896Round 1
Thursday, 9 April 1896Thursday, 28 March 1896Round 1 continued
Quarterfinals
Friday, 10 April 1896Friday, 29 March 1896Quarterfinals continued
Semifinals
Saturday, 11 April 1896Saturday, 30 March 189614:00Final

Draw

Key

Finals

The International Society of Olympic Historians gives only thirteen players; according to them Frank and George Marshall did not participate.

 
First roundQuarter-finalsSemi-finalsFinal
 
                      
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  K Akratopoulos  (GRE)
 
 
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  D Kasdaglis  (GRE)
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Dionysios Kasdaglis  (GRE)
 
 
 
Flag of France.svg J. Defert (FRA)
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  D Kasdaglis  (GRE)
 
 
 
Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  M Tapavica  (HUN)Bronze medal.svg
 
Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Momčilo Tapavica  (HUN)
 
 
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Dimitris Frangopoulos  (GRE)
 
Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  M Tapavica  (HUN)
 
 
 
 
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  George Marshall  (GBR)
 
 
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Frank Marshall (GBR)
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  D Kasdaglis  (GRE)Silver medal.svg31
 
 
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  JP Boland  (GBR)Gold medal.svg66
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Evangelos Rallis  (GRE)
 
 
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Demetrios Petrokokkinos  (GRE)
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  E Rallis  (GRE)
 
 
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  JP Boland  (GBR)
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  John Boland  (GBR)626
 
 
 
Flag of the German Empire.svg  Friedrich Traun  (GER)062
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  JP Boland  (GBR)
 
 
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  K Paspatis  (GRE)Bronze medal.svg
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Konstantinos Paspatis  (GRE)
 
 
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  George Robertson  (GBR)
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  K Paspatis  (GRE)
 
 
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  A Akratopoulos  (GRE)
 
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Aristidis Akratopoulos  (GRE)
 
 
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Edwin Flack  (AUS)
 

Results summary

RankPlayerNationRound of 16QuarterfinalsSemifinalsFinal
Gold medal icon.svg John Pius Boland Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Flag of the German Empire.svg  Traun  (GER)
W 6–0, 2–6, 6–2
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Rallis  (GRE)
W
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Paspatis  (GRE)
W
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Kasdaglis  (GRE)
W 6–3, 6–1
Silver medal icon.svg Dionysios Kasdaglis Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece Flag of France.svg Defert (FRA)
W
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  K Akratopoulos  (GRE)
W
Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Tapavica  (HUN)
W
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Boland  (GBR)
L 6–3, 6–1
Bronze medal icon.svg Konstantinos Paspatis Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Robertson  (GBR)
W
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  A Akratopoulos  (GRE)
W
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Boland  (GBR)
L
Did not advance
Momčilo Tapavica Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Hungary Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Frangopoulos  (GRE)
W
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  G Marshall  (GBR)
W
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Kasdaglis  (GRE)
L
Did not advance
5 Aristidis Akratopoulos Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Flack  (AUS)
W
Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Paspatis  (GRE)
L
did not advance
Konstantinos Akratopoulos Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece ByeFlag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Kasdaglis  (GRE)
L
did not advance
Evangelos Rallis Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Petrokokkinos  (GRE)
W
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Boland  (GBR)
L
did not advance
8J. DefertFlag of France.svg  France Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Kasdaglis  (GRE)
L
did not advance
Edwin Flack Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Australia Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  A Akratopoulos  (GRE)
L
did not advance
Dimitris Frangopoulos Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece Flag of Hungary (1867-1918).svg  Tapavica  (HUN)
L
did not advance
George S. Robertson Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Paspatis  (GRE)
L
did not advance
Friedrich Traun Flag of the German Empire.svg  Germany Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Boland  (GBR)
L 6–0, 2–6, 6–2
did not advance
Demetrios Petrokokkinos Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Greece Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg  Rallis  (GRE)
L
did not advance
Frank MarshallFlag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  G Marshall  (GBR)
LDNS
did not advance
George Marshall Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain Flag of the United Kingdom.svg F Marshall (GBR)
LDNS
did not advance

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References

  1. "Athens 1896 Tennis Singles Men Results". Olympics.com. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
  2. "Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics". Olympedia. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  3. 1 2 "Singles, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 18 December 2020.