Beals Wright

Beals Wright
Full name Beals Coleman Wright
Country (sports)  United States
Born December 19, 1879
Boston, MA, United States
Died August 23, 1961(1961-08-23) (aged 81)
Alton, IL, United States
Plays Left-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF 1956 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking No. 2 (1905, Karoly Mazak)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon F (1910AC)
US Open W (1905)
F (1901, 1906, 1908)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Wimbledon F (1907)
US Open W (1904, 1905, 1906)
F (1901, 1908, 1918
Medal record
Olympic Games – Tennis
1904 St. Louis Singles
1904 St. Louis Doubles

Beals Coleman Wright (December 19, 1879 – August 23, 1961) was an American tennis player who was active at the end of the 1890s and early 1900s. He won the singles title at the 1905 U.S. National Championships. Wright was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and the older brother of American tennis player Irving Wright.

1910 Wimbledon All Comers' Final against Tony Wilding

Biography

Beals was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the son of George Wright, shortstop for the Cincinnati Red Stockings and founder of the sporting goods store Wright & Ditson.[2] He was the nephew of baseball pioneer Harry Wright. In 1899 Beals Wright travelled with his father to California where he played at the Delmonte Tennis Championship in Monterey. George Wright managed the team the same year he coached at Harvard. Two Harvard University players participated in the DelMonte Tournament-the first time east coast players took on California tennis champions.

Wright played at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics and won gold medals in both the singles and doubles competition.[3] He also won three consecutive singles titles (1904–1906) at the tournament now known as the Cincinnati Masters, and reached the doubles final (with Edgar Leonard) in 1904.

Wright won the Canadian Tennis Championship, played in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in 1902, 1903 and 1904.[4] In 1902 he won the Niagara International Tennis Tournament, also played in Niagara-on-the-Lake, by defeating Harold Hackett in the final in five sets and the default of Raymond Little in the challenge round.[5]

Wright's most important victory came in 1905 when he won the men's singles title at the U.S. National Championships by defeating reigning champion Holcombe Ward in the Challenge Round in straight sets 6–2, 6–1, 11–9.[6]

Beals was the brother of Irving Wright, the 1917 and 1918 U.S. Championship men's doubles champion. Together they won the men's doubles title at the Canadian Tennis Championship four times (1902, 1903, 1904, 1905).[4]

Beals Wright was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1956. He died in Alton, Illinois.[7]

Playing style

In their book R.F. and H.L. Doherty - On Lawn Tennis (1903) multiple Wimbledon champions Reginald and Lawrence Doherty described Wright's playing style:

“ Beals Wright is certainly the best in America at low volleys, and is very good overhead. His volleying is distinctly superior to his ground strokes, and his forehand somewhat stronger than his backhand. He has a good service, which he follows up to the net. ”

On Lawn Tennis - 1903[8]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 4 (1 title, 3 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1901 U.S. National Championships Grass United States William Larned 2–6, 8–6, 4–6, 4–6
Winner 1905 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Holcombe Ward 6–2, 6–1, 11–9
Runner-up 1906 U.S. National Championships Grass United States William Clothier 3–6, 0–6, 4–6
Runner-up 1908 U.S. National Championships Grass United States William Larned 1–6, 2–6, 6–8

Doubles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1901 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Leo Ware United States Dwight Davis
United States Holcombe Ward 		3–6, 7–9, 1–6
Winner 1904 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Holcombe Ward United States Kreigh Collins
United States Raymond Little 		1–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1
Winner 1905 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Holcombe Ward United States Fred Alexander
United States Harold Hackett 		6–4, 6–4, 6–1
Winner 1906 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Holcombe Ward United States Fred Alexander
United States Harold Hackett 		6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
Runner-up 1907 Wimbledon Grass United States Karl Behr Australia Norman Brookes
New Zealand Anthony Wilding 		4–6, 4–6, 2–6
Runner-up 1908 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Raymond Little United States Fred Alexander
United States Harold Hackett 		1–6, 5–7, 2–6
Runner-up 1918 U.S. National Championships Grass United States Fred Alexander United States Vincent Richards
United States Bill Tilden 		3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 2–6

References

  1. ↑ Mazak, Karoly (2010). The Concise History of Tennis, p. 33.
  2. ↑ Baltzell, E. Digby (2013). Sporting Gentlemen : Men's Tennis from the Age of Honor to the Cult of the Superstar. Somerset, NJ: Transaction Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-1412851800.
  3. ↑ "Beals Wright Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on February 1, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
  4. 1 2 "Wright Brothers Win at Tennis" (PDF). The New York Times. July 13, 1902.
  5. ↑ Ohnsorg, Roger W. Robert Lindley Murray: The Reluctant U.S. Tennis Champion. Victoria, BC: Trafford On Demand Pub. p. 339. ISBN 978-1-4269-4514-4.
  6. ↑ Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 456. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  7. ↑ "Hall of Famers - Beals Wright". 1 International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  8. ↑ Doherty, R.F. (1903). R.F. and H.L. Doherty on Lawn Tennis (1st ed.). London: Lawn Tennis. p. 63.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.