Ashley Cooper (tennis)
 Ashley Cooper in 1958 | |
| Full name | Ashley John Cooper |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 Australia |
| Residence | Australia |
| Born |
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 | Neale Fraser |
6–3, 9–11, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 1957 | Wimbledon | Grass | Lew Hoad |
2–6, 1–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 1957 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Malcolm Anderson |
8–10, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1958 | Australian Championships (2) | Grass | Malcolm Anderson |
7–5, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1958 | Wimbledon | Grass | Neale Fraser |
3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 13–11 |
| Winner | 1958 | U.S. Championships | Grass | 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 | Lew Hoad | Don Candy Robert Perry | 5–7, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 1957 | Australian Championships | Grass | Malcolm Anderson | Lew Hoad Neale Fraser | 3–6, 6–8, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1957 | French Championships | Clay | Malcolm Anderson | Don Candy Mervyn Rose | 6–3, 6–0, 6–3 |
| Winner | 1957 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Neale Fraser | Gardnar Mulloy Budge Patty | 4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3 |
| Winner | 1958 | Australian Championships | Grass | Neale Fraser | Roy Emerson Robert Mark | 7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
| Runner-up | 1958 | Wimbledon | Grass | Neale Fraser |  Sven Davidson Ulf Schmidt | 4–6, 4–6, 6–8 |
| Winner | 1958 | French Championships | Clay | Neale Fraser | Robert Howe.svg.png){kind=small} Abe Segal | 3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
References
- 1 2 United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 427.
- ↑ "Ashley Cooper, Helen Wood Will Wed Today". The News and Courier (Charleston, S.C.). AP. 2 January 1959. p. 5B. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
- ↑ "ATP Player Profile". ATP. Retrieved 15 April 2012.
- ↑ "Ashley Cooper AO". Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- ↑ It's an Honour – Officer of the Order of Australia
- ↑ "Mr Ashley Cooper AO". Queensland Sport Hall of Fame. qsport.org.au. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ashley Cooper (tennis). |
- Ashley Cooper at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Ashley Cooper at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Ashley Cooper at the Davis Cup
- Ashley Cooper at the International Tennis Federation
- Australian Open Hall of Fame
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