Roger Taylor (tennis)

Roger Taylor

Roger Taylor at the 1969 Dutch Open
Country  United Kingdom
Residence Wimbledon, London, England
Born 14 October 1941
Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro 1967 (amateur tour from 1960)
Retired 1980
Plays Left-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record 274-214 (78.10%)
Career titles 6
Highest ranking No. 8 (1970, Lance Tingay)[1]
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 record 189-140
Career titles 10
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open QF (1962)
French Open 3R (1963)
Wimbledon QF (1968, 1969, 1973)
US Open W (1971, 1972)
Last updated on: March 23, 2012.

Roger Taylor (born 14 October 1941) is a British former tennis player. Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, he won 6 singles titles and 10 doubles titles during his career.[2] 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 ATP singles ranking was World No. 11, though Taylor was ranked World No. 8 in 1970 before the ATP rankings began.[1]

Tennis career

Taylor was the sole British member of the so-called Handsome Eight (he was noted particularly for his massive eyebrows) signed by Lamar Hunt to compete in his newly created World Championship Tennis tour in 1968.

Notably, in a scene reminiscent of a bygone age of sportsmanship now all but absent in professional sport, Taylor endeared himself to millions of viewers during his 1973 Wimbledon quarter final 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.

He retired from professional tennis in 1980. 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.

Grand Slam men's doubles titles (2)

No. Year Championship Surface Partnering Opponent in final Score
1. 1971 US Open Grass Australia John Newcombe United States Stan Smith
United States Erik Van Dillen
6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
2. 1972 US Open Grass South Africa Cliff Drysdale Australia Owen Davidson
Australia John Newcombe
6–4, 7–6, 6–3

Career titles

Singles (6)

No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score in the final
1. 1963 Surrey Grass Court Championships Grass India Jaidip Mukerjea 10-8, 9-11, 10-8
2. 1967 Surrey Grass Court Championships Grass United Kingdom Bobby Wilson 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. 18 April 1971 Palermo Clay France Pierre Barthes 6-3 4-6 7-6 6-2
4. 17 February 1973 Copenhagen Open Hard United States Marty Riessen 6-2 6-3 7-6
5. 2 February 1975 Roanoke International Tennis Tournament Indoor United States Vitas Gerulaitis 7-6 7-6
6. 2 March 1975 Fairfield Indoor Carpet United States Sandy Mayer 7-5 5-7 7-6

Doubles (8)

No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponent in the final Score
1. 5 January 1969 Hobart Grass Australia Mal Anderson Australia Tony Roche
Australia Fred Stolle
7-5 6-3 4-6 1-6 6-4
2. 3 February 1969 Auckland Grass South Africa Ray Moore Australia Mal Anderson
Soviet Union Tomas Lejus
13-15 6-3 8-6 8-6
3. 1 August 1969 Hilversum Unknown Netherlands Tom Okker Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš
Czechoslovakia Jan Kukal
6-3 6-2 6-4
4. 10 July 1971 Newport Grass Australia Ken Rosewall United Kingdom John Clifton
United Kingdom John Paish
7-5 3-6 6-2
5. 12 September 1971 US Open Grass Australia John Newcombe United States Stan Smith
United States Erik Van Dillen
6-7 6-3 7-6 4-6 7-6
6. 10 September 1972 US Open Grass South Africa Cliff Drysdale Australia Owen Davidson
Australia John Newcombe
6-4 7-6 6-3
7. 1 April 1973 Vancouver Unknown France Pierre Barthes United States Tom Gorman
United States Erik Van Dillen
5-7 6-3 7-6
8. 17 July 1977 Kitzbühel Clay United Kingdom Christopher Mottram Switzerland Colin Dowdeswell
Australia Chris Kachel
7-6 6-4

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 428.
  2. "Roger Taylor". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 2009-06-30.