Eric Sturgess

Eric Sturgess

Full name	Eric William Sturgess
Country (sports)	South Africa
Born	10 May 1920 Johannesburg, South Africa
Died	14 January 2004 (aged 83) Sunninghill, South Africa
Plays	Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	62–15
Highest ranking	No. 6 (1948, John Olliff)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	SF (1950)
French Open	F (1947, 1951)
Wimbledon	SF (1951)
US Open	F (1948)
Doubles
Career record	0–1
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	F (1950)
French Open	W (1947)
Wimbledon	F (1951, 1952)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open	F (1950)
French Open	W (1947, 1949)
Wimbledon	W (1949, 1950)
US Open	W (1949)

Eric William Sturgess (10 May 1920 – 14 January 2004) was a South African male tennis player and winner of six Grand Slam doubles titles. He also reached the singles final of a Grand Slam tournament three times but never won. Sturgess was ranked World No. 6 by John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph in both 1948 and 1949.^[1][2]

Biography

Eric Sturgess was born in Johannesburg, South Africa where he attended Parktown Boys' High School.^[3] Sturgess joined the South African Air Force on the outbreak of World War II and became an instructor with No 4 Spitfire Squadron, SAAF. In October 1944 he was shot down by anti-aircraft fire, captured on landing and sent to the air force officers' prison camp, Stalag Luft III, in eastern Germany. In January 1945 he was transported to Stalag IIIA at Luckenwalde which was liberated two months later by the advancing Russian forces.^[3]

He reached the singles final of the 1947 and 1951 French Championships but lost to Hungarian József Asbóth (6–8, 5–7, 4–6) and Jaroslav Drobný (6–3, 6–3, 6–3) respectively. In 1947 he won the doubles competition with countryman Eustace Fannin. In 1948 he reached the singles final at the U.S. National Championships but lost to American Pancho Gonzales.^[4]

In 1947 and 1948 he won the British Hard Court Championships played in Bournemouth. He won the first three Swedish Open tournaments (1948, 1949, 1950), played in Båstad. Sturgess won a record 11 singles titles at the South African Championships between 1939 and 1957.

By the end of his career Sturgess had reached fifteen Grand Slam finals (three in singles, six in doubles and six in mixed doubles). He won four titles (the 1947 French Championships doubles title, the 1949 French Championships mixed doubles title and the 1949 and 1950 Wimbledon mixed doubles title).^[4]

He represented South Africa in the Davis Cup competition in six ties, compiling a 13–5 record in singles and doubles.^[5]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (3 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1947	French Championships	Clay	Jozsef Asboth	6–8, 5–7, 4–6
Runner-up	1948	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Pancho Gonzales	2–6, 3–6, 12–14
Runner-up	1951	French Championships	Clay	Jaroslav Drobný	3–6, 3–6, 3–6

Doubles (1 title, 5 runner-ups)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1947	French Championships	Clay	Eustace Fannin	Tom Brown Bill Sidwell	6–4, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
Runner-up	1949	French Championships	Clay	Eustace Fannin	Pancho Gonzales Frank Parker	3–6, 6–8, 7–5, 3–6
Runner-up	1950	Australian Championships	Grass	Jaroslav Drobný	John Bromwich Adrian Quist	3–6, 7–5, 6–4, 3–6, 6–8
Runner-up	1950	French Championships	Clay	Jaroslav Drobný	Bill Talbert Tony Trabert	2–6, 6–1, 8–10, 2–6
Runner-up	1951	Wimbledon	Grass	Jaroslav Drobný	Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman	6–3, 2–6, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6
Runner-up	1952	Wimbledon	Grass	Vic Seixas	Ken McGregor Frank Sedgman	3–6, 5–7, 4–6

Mixed doubles (5 titles, 1 runner-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1947	French Championships	Clay	Sheila Piercey Summers	Jadwiga Jędrzejowska Chistian Caralulis	6–0, 6–0
Winner	1949	French Championships	Clay	Sheila Piercey Summers	Jean Quertier Gerry Oakley	6–1, 6–1
Winner	1949	Wimbledon	Grass	Sheila Piercey Summers	Louise Brough John Bromwich	9–7, 9–11, 7–5
Winner	1949	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Louise Brough	Margaret Osborne duPont Bill Talbert	4–6, 6–3, 7–5
Runner-up	1950	Australian Championships	Grass	Joyce Fitch	Doris Hart Frank Sedgman	6–8, 4–6
Winner	1950	Wimbledon	Grass	Louise Brough	Pat Canning Todd Geoff Brown	11–9, 1–6, 6–4

References

1. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 426.
2. "Richard Gonzalez World's No. 1: Amateur Lawn Tennis Rankings", The Sunday Indian Express, 18th November 1949.
3. "Obituaries – Eric Sturgess". Telegraph. 5 February 2004. Retrieved 13 July 2012.
4. Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 373, 387, 400, 436, 460. ISBN 978-0942257700.
5. "Davis Cup – Player Profile". ITF. Retrieved 13 July 2012.

External links

• Eric Sturgess at the International Tennis Federation
• Eric Sturgess at the Davis Cup
• Telegraph obituary