Colin Dowdeswell
Country (sports) |
Rhodesia (1972–1976) Switzerland (1977–1981) Great Britain (1982–1986) |
---|---|
Born |
London, England | 12 May 1955
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
Plays | Right-handed |
Prize money | $327,277 |
Singles | |
Career record | 113–171 |
Career titles | 1 |
Highest ranking | No. 31 (12 December 1983) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | 2R (1984) |
French Open | 2R (1977, 1978, 1979) |
Wimbledon | 2R (1977, 1978, 1979, 1982, 1986) |
US Open | 4R (1976, 1978) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 216–162 |
Career titles | 11 |
Highest ranking | No. 24 (24 March 1980) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
Australian Open | 3R (1984, 1985) |
French Open | QF (1977) |
Wimbledon | F (1975) |
US Open | SF (1976) |
Mixed doubles | |
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
French Open | F (1976) |
Wimbledon | QF (1976, 1980) |
US Open | SF (1984) |
Colin Dowdeswell (born 12 May 1955), is an English-born former professional tennis player who represented, at different times, Rhodesia, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom[1] and who achieved rank as UK No. 1. During his time on the world tour, he won 1 singles title and 11 doubles titles.[2] Perhaps the highlight of his career was reaching the men's doubles final of Wimbledon.
Early life
Dowdeswell was born in London but grew up in Rhodesia and went to university in South Africa.[3]
Tennis career highlights
Partnering Australian Allan Stone, Dowdeswell finished runner-up in doubles at Wimbledon in 1975. Unseeded, after two straight sets wins, they defeated the No. 7 seeds Tom Okker and Marty Riessen in the round of sixteen in four sets. They did likewise in eliminating the No. 3 seeds, Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan, in the quarterfinals. It took Dowdeswell and Stone then five sets to overcome the unseeded team of Dick Crealy and Niki Pilic in the semi-finals. They lost the final to another unseeded tandem, Vitas Gerulaitis and Sandy Mayer, 5–7, 6–8, 4–6.[4]
Dowdeswell achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 31 in 1983 and a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 24 in 1980.[2]
Grand Prix and WCT singles finals (4)
Titles (1)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 1974 | Dublin, Ireland | Outdoor | Sherwood Stewart | 3–6, 8–9 |
Winner | 1. | 1975 | Istanbul, Turkey | Outdoor | Ferdi Taygan | 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 2. | 1978 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Cliff Richey | 2–6, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 1983 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Johan Kriek | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1, 5–7, 3–6 |
Grand Slam, Grand Prix, and WCT doubles finals (28)
Titles (11)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1. | 1974 | Dublin, Ireland | Outdoor | John Yuill | Lito Álvarez Jorge Andrew |
6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 1. | 1975 | Birmingham, US | Carpet | John Yuill | Jürgen Fassbender Karl Meiler |
1–6, 6–3, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 2. | 1975 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Allan Stone | Vitas Gerulaitis Sandy Mayer |
5–7, 6–8, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 1975 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Ken Rosewall | Jürgen Fassbender Hans-Jürgen Pohmann |
4–6, 7–9, 1–6 |
Runner-up | 4. | 1975 | Istanbul, Turkey | Outdoor | John Feaver | Colin Dibley Thomaz Koch |
2–6, 2–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 1976 | Nuremberg, Germany | Carpet | Paul Kronk | Frew McMillan Karl Meiler |
6–7, 4–6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 1976 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | Paul Kronk | Wojtek Fibak Jacek Niedźwiedzki |
2–6, 3–6 |
Runner-up | 7. | 1976 | Cologne, Germany | Carpet | Mike Estep | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan |
1–6, 6–3, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 8. | 1977 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Jürgen Fassbender Karl Meiler |
4–6, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 9. | 1977 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Chris Kachel | Buster Mottram Roger Taylor |
6–7, 4–6 |
Winner | 2. | 1978 | Sarasota, US | Carpet | Geoff Masters | Byron Bertram Bernard Mitton |
2–6, 6–3, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 10. | 1978 | Lagos, Nigeria | Clay | Jürgen Fassbender | George Hardie Sashi Menon |
3–6, 6–3, 5–7 |
Winner | 3. | 1978 | Berlin, Germany | Clay | Jürgen Fassbender | Željko Franulović Hans Gildemeister |
6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 11. | 1978 | Toronto, Canada | Clay | Heinz Günthardt | Wojtek Fibak Tom Okker |
3–6, 6–7 |
Winner | 4. | 1979 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Heinz Günthardt | Raymond Moore Ilie Năstase |
6–3, 7–6 |
Winner | 5. | 1979 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Frew McMillan | Wojtek Fibak Pavel Složil |
6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 12. | 1980 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Heinz Günthardt | Bob Hewitt Frew McMillan |
4–6, 3–6 |
Winner | 6. | 1980 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Ismail El Shafei | Mark Edmondson Kim Warwick |
6–4, 6–4 |
Winner | 7. | 1980 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | Frew McMillan | Chris Lewis John Yuill |
6–3, 6–4 |
Runner-up | 13. | 1983 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | Wojtek Fibak | Pavel Složil Tomáš Šmíd |
7–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 14. | 1983 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Zoltan Kuharszky | Wojtek Fibak Pavel Složil |
5–7, 2–6 |
Winner | 8. | 1983 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Zoltan Kuharszky | Peter Elter Peter Feigl |
6–4, 7–5 |
Runner-up | 15. | 1984 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | Wojtek Fibak | Henri Leconte Pascal Portes |
6–2, 6–7, 6–7 |
Runner-up | 16. | 1984 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | Jakob Hlasek | Peter Doohan Brian Levine |
3–6, 4–6 |
Winner | 9. | 1985 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | Joakim Nyström | Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez |
6–4, 6–7, 7–6 |
Winner | 10. | 1985 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Christo van Rensburg | Amos Mansdorf Shahar Perkiss |
3–6, 7–6, 6–4 |
Winner | 11. | 1986 | Milan, Italy | Carpet | Christo Steyn | Brian Levine Laurie Warder |
6–3, 4–6, 6–1 |
Runner-up | 17. | 1986 | Nice, France | Clay | Gary Donnelly | Jakob Hlasek Pavel Složil |
3–6, 6–4, 9–11 |
Davis Cup
Dowdeswell participated in one Davis Cup tie for Rhodesia in 1976, posting a 2–0 record in singles and an 0–1 record in doubles. He participated in six Davis Cup ties for Great Britain from 1984 to 1986, posting an 0–2 record in singles and a 5–1 record in doubles.
Life outside tennis
Dowdeswell completed his tennis career in 1986 and began a successful career in financial services and private banking with Merrill Lynch.[2] Married with three children,[2] he currently resides in Monaco. He has also resided in Wimbledon.[1]
References
- 1 2 "ITF Men's Circuit Biography of Colin Dowdeswell". ITF Tennis. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- 1 2 3 4 "ATP.com Colin Dowdeswell profile". ATP.com. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
- ↑ Official website: Biography. Accessed 11 July 2014
- ↑ "1975 Wimbledon Men's Doubles drawsheet". ATP.com. Retrieved 20 October 2011.
External links
- Colin Dowdeswell at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Colin Dowdeswell at the International Tennis Federation
- Colin Dowdeswell at the Davis Cup
- http://colindowdeswell.com/