Phoebe Holcroft Watson

Phoebe Holcroft Watson

Full name	Phoebe Catherine Holcroft Watson
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Born	7 October 1898
Died	20 October 1980 (aged 82)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 2 (1929)
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open	QF (1929, 1930)
Wimbledon	QF (1927, 1928)
US Open	F (1929)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open	W (1928)
Wimbledon	W (1928, 1929)
US Open	W (1929)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
US Open	SF (1930)
Team competitions
Wightman Cup	W (1928, 1930)

Phoebe Catherine Holcroft Watson (7 October 1898^[1]– 20 October 1980) was a tennis player from the United Kingdom whose best result in singles was reaching the final of the US Championships in 1929, losing to Helen Wills Moody 6–4, 6–2. According to A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and the Daily Mail, Watson was ranked in the world top ten in 1926 and from 1928 through 1930, reaching a career high of World No. 2 in those rankings in 1929.^[2]

Watson won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1928 and 1929 and at the US Championships in 1929, all with partner Peggy Saunders Michell.^[3] Her other Grand Slam title was the women's doubles at the French Championships in 1928 with partner Eileen Bennett Whittingstall.

She was part of the British team that won the Wightman Cup against the United States in 1928 and 1930.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1929	U.S. Championships	Helen Wills	4–6, 2–6

Doubles: 5 (4 titles, 1 runners-up)

Result	Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1927	French Championships	Peggy Saunders Michell	Irene Bowder Peacock Bobbie Heine	2–6, 1–6
Winner	1928	French Championships	Eileen Bennett	Suzanne Deve Sylvie Jung	6–0, 6–2
Winner	1928	Wimbledon Championships	Peggy Saunders Michell	Ermyntrude Harvey Eileen Bennett	6–2, 6–3
Winner	1929	Wimbledon Championships	Peggy Saunders Michell	Phyllis Covell Dorothy Shepherd	6–4, 8–6
Winner	1929	US National Championships	Peggy Saunders Michell	Phyllis Covell Dorothy Shepherd	2–6, 6–3, 6–4

Grand Slam singles tournament timeline

Tournament	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930	Career SR
Australia	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	A	0 / 0
France^1	A	NH	A	A	3R	2R	QF	QF	0 / 4
Wimbledon	1R	3R	1R	3R	QF	QF	3R	1R	0 / 8
United States	A	A	A	A	A	A	F	A	0 / 1
SR	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 1	0 / 2	0 / 2	0 / 3	0 / 2	0 / 13

NH = tournament not held.

A = did not participate in the tournament.

SR = the ratio of the number of Grand Slam singles tournaments won to the number of those tournaments played.

¹Until 1923, the French Championships were open only to French nationals. The World Hard Court Championships (WHCC), actually played on clay in Paris or Brussels, began in 1912 and were open to all nationalities. The results from the 1923 edition of that tournament are shown here. The Olympics replaced the WHCC in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris. Beginning in 1925, the French Championships were open to all nationalities, with the results shown here beginning with that year.

See also

• Performance timelines for all female tennis players who reached at least one Grand Slam final

References

1. Familysearch
2. Collins, Bud (2008). The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book. New York, N.Y: New Chapter Press. pp. 695, 701. ISBN 0-942257-41-3.
3. "Wimbledon players archive – Phoebe Holcroft-Watson (Watson)". AELTC.