Rodney Heath
For the football player, see Rodney Heath (American football).
 | |
| Full name | Rodney Wilfred Heath |
|---|---|
| Country |
 Australia |
| Born |
15 June 1884 Edgbaston, Great Britain |
| Died |
26[1] October 1936 (aged 52) Melbourne, Australia |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (1911, Karoly Mazak)[2] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1905, 1910) |
| French Open | 1R (1925) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1911) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1906, 1911) |
| Wimbledon | F (1919) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1911) |
Rodney Wilfred Heath (15 June 1884 – 26[3] October 1936) was an Australian male tennis player.
Personal
He was the second son of F.W. Heath who was the official timekeeper at the Victorian Racing Club and Victorian Amateur Turf Club. In June 1915 Heath left Australia to join the Royal Flying Corps in England and was promoted to the rank of major two years later.[4][5] In 1916 he was injured when he crash-landed his plane after flying into a snowstorm en route from England to France.[6]
Tennis career
Heath was the Men's Singles champion at the inaugural Australasian Championships in 1905 defeating Albert Curtis in four sets. He won again it five years later, in 1910, after a victory in the final against Horace Rice in three straight sets.[7][8][9]
In 1911 he played in the Davis Cup challenge round in New Zealand against the United States and defeated William Larned in four sets.[10]
In 1919 he reached the final of the Wimbledon Men's Doubles tournament with Randolph Lycett.
Grand Slam Titles
- Singles:
- Australasian Championships Champion: 1905, 1910
- Doubles:
- Australasian Championships Champion: 1906 with Tony Wilding, 1911 with Randolph Lycett
- Australasian Championships Runner-up: 1910 with J. L. Odea, 1914 with Pat O'Hara Wood
Grand Slams finals
Singles
Titles (2)
| Result | Year | Championship | Opponent | Score |
| Winner | 1905 | Australian Championships | Arthur Curtis | 4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1910 | Australian Championships | Horace Rice | 6–4, 6–3, 6–2 |
Doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Tournament | Partner | Opponents | Score |
| Winner | 1906 | Australian Championships | Anthony Wilding | Cecil C. Cox Harry Parker | 6–2, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1911 | Australian Championships |  Randolph Lycett | John Addison Norman Brookes | 6–2, 7–5, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 1919 | Wimbledon | Randolph Lycett | Pat O'Hara-Wood Ron Thomas | 4–6, 2–6, 6–4, 2–6 |
References
- ↑ http://www.db4tennis.com/players/male/rodney-heath
- ↑ Mazak, Karoly (2010). The Concise History of Tennis, p. 39.
- ↑ http://www.db4tennis.com/players/male/rodney-heath
- ↑ "Death of MR. R. W. Heath.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1956) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 27 October 1936. p. 9.
- ↑ "PERSONAL.". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957) (Melbourne, Vic.: National Library of Australia). 23 June 1915. p. 8.
- ↑ "Rod. Heath's Accident.". The Farmer and Settler (Sydney, NSW : 1906 - 1957) (Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia). 20 April 1916. p. 4.
- ↑ Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed. ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 355, 357, 692, 693. ISBN 978-0942257700.
- ↑ "Inter-state Tennis. Australasian Championship.". The Age. 27 November 1905. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- ↑ "Player Profiles – Rodney Heath". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 3 August 2012.
- ↑ "Davis Cup Player Profile – Rodney Heath". ITF. Retrieved 12 August 2012.
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