Ashley Cooper (tennis)

For other people of the same name, see Ashley Cooper (disambiguation).
Ashley Cooper

Ashley Cooper in 1958
Full name Ashley John Cooper
Country (sports)  Australia
Residence Australia
Born (1936-09-15) 15 September 1936
Melbourne, Vic, Australia
Turned pro 1959 (amateur tour from 1953)
Retired 1962
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF 1991 (member page)
Singles
Career record 69–16
Highest ranking No. 1 (1957, Lance Tingay)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open W (1957, 1958)
French Open SF (1958)
Wimbledon W (1958)
US Open W (1958)
Other tournaments
TOC QF (1959)
Professional majors
US Pro SF (1959, 1960)
Wembley Pro QF (1959, 1960, 1961, 1962)
French Pro SF (1962)
Doubles
Career record 0–3
Highest ranking No. 1 (1957)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open W (1958)
French Open W (1957, 1958)
Wimbledon F (1958)
US Open W (1957)
Team competitions
Davis Cup W (1957)

Ashley John Cooper AO (born 15 September 1936) is a former world champion tennis player from Australia. He was ranked the World No. 1 amateur player for 1957 and 1958 by Lance Tingay.[1]

Cooper played his best year in 1958, becoming one of only eleven men (as of 2013) to win three of the four Grand Slam events in the same year. He won singles at the Australian, British, and American championships and was a semifinalist at the French championship, losing to Luis Ayala 11–9, 6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 5–7.

The right-handed Cooper was the top ranked player in both 1957—when he was a Wimbledon and Forest Hills finalist, and Paris semi-finalist—and in 1958. Cooper played on the Australian Davis Cup team that won the cup in 1957, and were finalists in 1958. In 1959, he married Helen Wood, Miss Australia 1957, and turned professional.[2][3]

Upon retiring as a player, Cooper has served as a tennis player development administrator with Tennis Queensland, where he has been based for nearly fifty years. He presently also sits on the Board of Directors for Tennis Australia.

Cooper was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 1987 and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.[4] In the Queen's Birthday Honours List of 2007, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his service to tennis.[5]

In 2009 Cooper was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.[6]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: (4 titles – 2 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Winner 1957 Australian Championships Grass Australia Neale Fraser 6–3, 9–11, 6–4, 6–2
Runner-up 1957 Wimbledon Grass Australia Lew Hoad 2–6, 1–6, 2–6
Runner-up 1957 U.S. Championships Grass Australia Malcolm Anderson 8–10, 5–7, 4–6
Winner 1958 Australian Championships (2) Grass Australia Malcolm Anderson 7–5, 6–3, 6–4
Winner 1958 Wimbledon Grass Australia Neale Fraser 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 13–11
Winner 1958 U.S. Championships Grass Australia Malcolm Anderson 6–2, 3–6, 4–6, 10–8, 8–6

Doubles: (4 titles – 3 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1956 French Championships Clay Australia Lew Hoad Australia Don Candy
United States Robert Perry
5–7, 3–6, 3–6
Runner-up 1957 Australian Championships Grass Australia Malcolm Anderson Australia Lew Hoad
Australia Neale Fraser
3–6, 6–8, 4–6
Winner 1957 French Championships Clay Australia Malcolm Anderson Australia Don Candy
Australia Mervyn Rose
6–3, 6–0, 6–3
Winner 1957 U.S. Championships Grass Australia Neale Fraser United States Gardnar Mulloy
Australia Budge Patty
4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3
Winner 1958 Australian Championships Grass Australia Neale Fraser Australia Roy Emerson
Australia Robert Mark
7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5
Runner-up 1958 Wimbledon Grass Australia Neale Fraser Sweden Sven Davidson
Sweden Ulf Schmidt
4–6, 4–6, 6–8
Winner 1958 French Championships Clay Australia Neale Fraser Australia Robert Howe
South Africa Abe Segal
3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 7–5

References

  1. 1 2 United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 427.
  2. "Ashley Cooper, Helen Wood Will Wed Today". The News and Courier (Charleston, S.C.). AP. 2 January 1959. p. 5B. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  3. "ATP Player Profile". ATP. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
  4. "Ashley Cooper AO". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
  5. It's an Honour – Officer of the Order of Australia
  6. "Mr Ashley Cooper AO". Queensland Sport Hall of Fame. qsport.org.au. Retrieved 26 January 2014.

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