Herbert Lawford
Lawford, standing, on the right side | |
Full name | Herbert Fortescue Lawford |
---|---|
Country (sports) | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
Born | (1851-05-15)15 May 1851 Bayswater, Middlesex England |
Died | 20 April 1925(1925-04-20) (aged 73) Dess, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in) |
Turned pro | 1878 (amateur tour) |
Retired | 1890 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Int. Tennis HoF | 2006 (member page) |
Singles | |
Career titles | 17[1] |
Highest ranking | No. 1 (1887, ITHF)[2] |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Wimbledon | W (1887) |
Doubles | |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Wimbledon | 1R (1884) |
Herbert Fortescue Lawford (15 May 1851 – 20 April 1925) was a former world No. 1 tennis player from Scotland who won the Men's Singles championship at Wimbledon in 1887, and was runner-up a record 5 times (shared with Arthur Gore).
Career
In the 1887 final, the native of Bayswater defeated Ernest Renshaw (also of Great Britain) in five sets: 1–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4. He reached the finals of Wimbledon in 1880, 1884–86, and 1888.
Lawford won the first major men's doubles tennis tournament, the Oxford University Men's Doubles Championship, in 1879 partnering Lestocq Robert Erskine.[3] This event was a precursor to the Wimbledon men's doubles championship, introduced in 1884, and it was played over the best of seven sets ending in a score of 4–6, 6–4, 6–5, 6–2, 3–6, 5–6, 7–5.[a] In 1885 he won the singles title at the inaugural British Covered Court Championships.
Birth of the topspin: the Lawford-stroke
Lawford is said to be the first person to introduce "topspin" to the game of tennis. His formidable forehand was called 'the Lawford stroke'. Lawford made a more substantial contribution in technically advancing the game. He unveiled the “Lawford forehand,” introducing topspin into the sport with that revolutionary shot. Aggressive and unwavering, he was equipped with power, speed and uncanny accuracy. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.[2]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title, 5 runners-up)
Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1880 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | John Hartley | 3–6, 2–6, 6–2, 3–6 |
Loss | 1884 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | William Renshaw | 0–6, 4–6, 7–9 |
Loss | 1885 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | William Renshaw | 5–7, 2–6, 6–4, 5–7 |
Loss | 1886 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | William Renshaw | 0–6, 7–5, 3–6, 4–6 |
Win | 1887 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Ernest Renshaw | 1–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
Loss | 1888 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Ernest Renshaw | 3–6, 5–7, 0–6 |
Notes
- ^ Some sources show the result of the final set as 10–8
References
External links
- Herbert Lawford at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Herbert Lawford at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- v
- t
- e
- 1877: Spencer Gore
- 1878: Frank Hadow
- 1879: John Hartley
- 1880: John Hartley
- 1881: William Renshaw
- 1882: William Renshaw
- 1883: William Renshaw
- 1884: William Renshaw
- 1885: William Renshaw
- 1886: William Renshaw
- 1887: Herbert Lawford
- 1888: Ernest Renshaw
- 1889: William Renshaw
- 1890: Willoughby Hamilton
- 1891: Wilfred Baddeley
- 1892: Wilfred Baddeley
- 1893: Joshua Pim
- 1894: Joshua Pim
- 1895: Wilfred Baddeley
- 1896: Harold Mahony
- 1897: Reginald Doherty
- 1898: Reginald Doherty
- 1899: Reginald Doherty
- 1900: Reginald Doherty
- 1901: Arthur Gore
- 1902: Laurence Doherty
- 1903: Laurence Doherty
- 1904: Laurence Doherty
- 1905: Laurence Doherty
- 1906: Laurence Doherty
- 1907: Norman Brookes
- 1908: Arthur Gore
- 1909: Arthur Gore
- 1910: Anthony Wilding
- 1911: Anthony Wilding
- 1912: Anthony Wilding
- 1913: Anthony Wilding
- 1914: Norman Brookes
- 1919: Gerald Patterson
- 1920: Bill Tilden
- 1921: Bill Tilden
- 1922: Gerald Patterson
- 1923: Bill Johnston
- 1924: Jean Borotra
- 1925: René Lacoste
- 1926: Jean Borotra
- 1927: Henri Cochet
- 1928: René Lacoste
- 1929: Henri Cochet
- 1930: Bill Tilden
- 1931: Sidney Wood
- 1932: Ellsworth Vines
- 1933: Jack Crawford
- 1934: Fred Perry
- 1935: Fred Perry
- 1936: Fred Perry
- 1937: Don Budge
- 1938: Don Budge
- 1939: Bobby Riggs
- 1946: Yvon Petra
- 1947: Jack Kramer
- 1948: Bob Falkenburg
- 1949: Ted Schroeder
- 1950: Budge Patty
- 1951: Dick Savitt
- 1952: Frank Sedgman
- 1953: Vic Seixas
- 1954: Jaroslav Drobný
- 1955: Tony Trabert
- 1956: Lew Hoad
- 1957: Lew Hoad
- 1958: Ashley Cooper
- 1959: Alex Olmedo
- 1960: Neale Fraser
- 1961: Rod Laver
- 1962: Rod Laver
- 1963: Chuck McKinley
- 1964: Roy Emerson
- 1965: Roy Emerson
- 1966: Manuel Santana
- 1967: John Newcombe
- 1968: Rod Laver
- 1969: Rod Laver
- 1970: John Newcombe
- 1971: John Newcombe
- 1972: Stan Smith
- 1973: Jan Kodeš
- 1974: Jimmy Connors
- 1975: Arthur Ashe
- 1976: Björn Borg
- 1977: Björn Borg
- 1978: Björn Borg
- 1979: Björn Borg
- 1980: Björn Borg
- 1981: John McEnroe
- 1982: Jimmy Connors
- 1983: John McEnroe
- 1984: John McEnroe
- 1985: Boris Becker
- 1986: Boris Becker
- 1987: Pat Cash
- 1988: Stefan Edberg
- 1989: Boris Becker
- 1990: Stefan Edberg
- 1991: Michael Stich
- 1992: Andre Agassi
- 1993: Pete Sampras
- 1994: Pete Sampras
- 1995: Pete Sampras
- 1996: Richard Krajicek
- 1997: Pete Sampras
- 1998: Pete Sampras
- 1999: Pete Sampras
- 2000: Pete Sampras
- 2001: Goran Ivanišević
- 2002: Lleyton Hewitt
- 2003: Roger Federer
- 2004: Roger Federer
- 2005: Roger Federer
- 2006: Roger Federer
- 2007: Roger Federer
- 2008: Rafael Nadal
- 2009: Roger Federer
- 2010: Rafael Nadal
- 2011: Novak Djokovic
- 2012: Roger Federer
- 2013: Andy Murray
- 2014: Novak Djokovic
- 2015: Novak Djokovic
- 2016: Andy Murray
- 2017: Roger Federer
- 2018: Novak Djokovic
- 2019: Novak Djokovic
- 2021: Novak Djokovic
- 2022: Novak Djokovic
- 2023: Carlos Alcaraz