Joshua Pim
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| Full name | Joshua Francis Pim |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland |
| Born |
20 May 1869 Bray, Wicklow |
| Died |
15 April 1942 (aged 72) Killiney, Dublin |
| Turned pro | 1887 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1902 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1890, Karoly Mazak)[1] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1893, 1894) |
| US Open | 4R (1902) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1890, 1893) |
Dr. Joshua Pim F.R.C.S.I (20 May 1869 in Bray, Wicklow – 15 April 1942 in Killiney, Dublin) was a medical doctor and a renowned former World No. 1 Irish amateur tennis player. He won the Wimbledon men's singles title two years in a row, in 1893 and 1894.
Family life
Joshua Pim, known as "Josh", was born on 20 May 1869 in 1&2, Millward Terrace, Meath Road, Bray, Wicklow.[2] He had one brother, William, and two sisters: Georgina and Susan.[3] He was descended from the Quaker family that introduced the Pimm's brand of fruit cup.[4]
Pim lived, for a while in Crosthwaite Park, Kingstown, and subsequently moved with his wife Robin to Killiney. They had one son and three daughters. He died at Secrora, his home in Killiney, on 15 April 1942 aged 72, and was survived by his wife, son and three daughters. He was a keen swimmer and golfer, and a member of Killiney Golf Club.
Medical career
Pim studied medicine in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland and the Royal College of Physicians in London.[5] He was Medical Officer at St. Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown for 42 years.
Tennis
Pim was a member of Lansdowne club, then known as the All Ireland Lawn Tennis Club, where he was coached by Thomas Burke[6] His first tennis triumph was in 1890, when he won both the English and Irish doubles championships alongside the Dubliner, Frank Stoker, a cousin of the writer Bram Stoker. He reached the semi-finals of the English singles championship, but lost to Willoughby Hamilton from Kildare. The following year, 1891 and again in 1892 (when he was suffering from typhoid) he reached the semi-finals, but lost on both occasions to an English player, Wilfred Baddeley. In 1893, Pim returned to Wimbledon and won both the single and the doubles (with Stoker) championships. In 1894 he won the singles again. In 1895 he competed in America rather than in England.[7] In 1896, Mahony won in Wimbledon, while Pim concentrated on his medical career, becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons that year.
Dr. Pim played for Ireland against England in 1892, 1893, 1894 and 1896.
In 1902, he was summoned from retirement to be the token Irishman on the British Davis Cup squad to America. Pim was derided for having put on excessive amounts of weight, despite the fact he shed thirty pounds in six weeks. He lost both his matches and laid down his racket thereafter.
Grand Slam finals
Singles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Opponent in final | Score in final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1891 | Wimbledon Championships | Wilfred Baddeley | 4–6, 6–1, 5–7, 0–6 |
| Runner-up | 1892 | Wimbledon Championships | Wilfred Baddeley | 6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 1893 | Wimbledon Championships | Wilfred Baddeley | 3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1894 | Wimbledon Championships | Wilfred Baddeley | 10–8, 6–2, 8–6 |
Doubles (2 titles)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents in final | Score in final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1890 | Wimbledon Championships | Frank Stoker |
George Hillyard Ernest Lewis |
6–0, 7–5, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1893 | Wimbledon Championships | Frank Stoker |
Harry Barlow Ernest Lewis |
4–6, 6–3, 6–1, 2–6, 6–0 |
References
- ↑ Mazak, Karoly (2010). The Concise History of Tennis, p. 18.
- ↑ "Places and People". Bray Town Council. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ↑ Fogarty, Mary (1 July 2009). "Bray's own Wimbledon legend Pim". Bray People. Retrieved 28 July 2009.
- ↑ Bunbury, Turtle. "THE GOLDEN AGE OF IRISH TENNIS". Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ↑ "Irish medical obituary". Irish Journal of Medical Science 17 (9). September 1942.
- ↑ "History". Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club. 2007. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
- ↑ Paret, J. Parmly (1904). Lawn Tennis. p. 60. ISBN 978-0-559-51073-1.
Sources
- Higgins, Tom. The History of Irish Tennis.
External links
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