Phoebe Holcroft Watson

Phoebe Holcroft Watson
Full name Phoebe Catherine Holcroft Watson
Country (sports)  United Kingdom
Born (1898-10-07)7 October 1898
Died 20 October 1980(1980-10-20) (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 United States Helen Wills 4–6, 2–6

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

Result Year Tournament Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1927 French Championships United Kingdom Peggy Saunders Michell South Africa Irene Bowder Peacock
South Africa Bobbie Heine
2–6, 1–6
Winner 1928 French Championships United Kingdom Eileen Bennett France Suzanne Deve
France Sylvie Jung
6–0, 6–2
Winner 1928 Wimbledon Championships United Kingdom Peggy Saunders Michell United Kingdom Ermyntrude Harvey
United Kingdom Eileen Bennett
6–2, 6–3
Winner 1929 Wimbledon Championships United Kingdom Peggy Saunders Michell United Kingdom Phyllis Covell
United Kingdom Dorothy Shepherd
6–4, 8–6
Winner 1929 US National Championships United Kingdom Peggy Saunders Michell United Kingdom Phyllis Covell
United Kingdom 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
France1 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

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.


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