Billy Knight (tennis)

Billy Knight
Full name William Arthur Knight
Country (sports)  United Kingdom
Born (1935-11-12) 12 November 1935
Northampton, England
Turned pro 1952 (amateur tour)
Retired 1968
Plays Left-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record 0–0
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 2R (1954, 1957)
French Open QF (1959)
Wimbledon 4R (1957, 1959, 1961, 1964)
US Open 4R (1958, 1962)
Doubles
Career record 1–1
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open SF (1957)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open F (1957)
French Open W (1959)
Team competitions
Davis Cup SF (1963)

William Arthur Knight (born 12 November 1935) is a former tennis player from Great Britain who competed on the amateur tour in the 1950s and 1960s.

Tennis career

Juniors

Before focusing on tennis Knight also played table tennis and won the English singles title in 1951.[1] As a tennis junior he won both the 1953 Wimbledon and 1954 Australian Championships Boys' Singles tournaments.[2]

Amateur tour

Knight's best slam performance was reaching the quarter-finals of the 1959 French Championships. He won the mixed doubles at the same tournament, partnering Yola Ramírez.

He won the singles title at the German Championships in Hamburg in 1959.

Knight was a frequent member of the British Davis Cup team between 1955 and 1964, reaching the Inter-Zonal group in 1963.[3]

Grand Slam finals

Mixed doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1957 Australian Championships Clay United Kingdom Jill Langley Australia Fay Muller
Australia Mal Anderson
5–7, 6–3, 1–6
Winner 1959 French Championships Clay Mexico Yola Ramírez Australia Rod Laver
South Africa Renée Schuurman
6–4, 6–4

References

  1. "History of Northampton Table Tennis League". Northampton Table Tennis League.
  2. Tournament Profile: Australian Open, ITF Juniors
  3. Ball, Robert (1963). "Not Quite All Right, Jack", Sports Illustrated, 7 October 1963.


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