Reginald Doherty

Reginald Doherty

Full name	Reginald Frank Doherty
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Born	14 October 1872 Wimbledon, London, England
Died	29 December 1910 (aged 38) Kensington, England
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Int. Tennis HoF	1980 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1897, Karoly Mazak)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon	W (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900)
US Open	F (1902^Ch)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905)
US Open	W (1902, 1903)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1903, 1904, 1905, 1906)
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis 1900 Paris Doubles 1900 Paris Mixed doubles 1908 London Doubles 1900 Paris Singles

Reginald "Reggie" or "R.F." Frank Doherty (14 October 1872 – 29 December 1910) was a British tennis player.

Doherty was a World No. 1 ranked player, and the older brother of British tennis player Laurence Doherty. He was known in the tennis world as "R.F." rather than "Reggie".^[2]

Early life

Doherty was born on 14 October 1872 at Beulah Villa in Wimbledon, Surrey, the oldest son of William Doherty, a printer, and his wife, Catherine Ann Davis.^[3] Doherty began tennis early in life and as a boy at Westminster School showed great promise. At age 14 he won the boys' singles title at an open championship in Llandudno. Doherty was educated at the University of Cambridge (Trinity Hall), where he played for the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club.^[4] In 1895 and 1895 he was part of the Cambridge team that beat Oxford and won the Scottish and Essex championships.

Career

Grand Slams

Doherty played in his first Wimbledon Championships in 1894 and lost in the first round to Clement Cazalet in four sets. In 1897 Doherty won his first singles Wimbledon title after beating reigning champion Harold Mahony in three straight sets (6–4, 6–4, 6–3). He successfully defended his title for the next three years (1898, 1899, 1900). In 1898 he did so by beating his brother in the Challenge Round in five sets (6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1). In 1901 he finally lost his Wimbledon crown when he was defeated in the Challenge Round by Arthur Gore in four sets (6–4, 5–7, 4–6, 4–6). He was also a runner-up at the US Championships in 1902 where he was beaten by the defending American champion William Larned in four sets (6–4, 2–6, 4–6, 6–8). Together with his brother Laurie he won eight Wimbledon Championships doubles titles and two US Championship doubles titles.

Davis Cup

Doherty represented the British Isles in the prestigious Davis Cup contest from 1902 to 1906. In 1902 he won the doubles match with his brother but lost the final and decisive singles match against American Malcolm Whitman in straight sets (1–6, 5–7, 4–6). In 1903 he contributed significantly to his team's first Davis Cup title against the United States by winning the doubles match and the decisive singles match against Robert Wrenn. Doherty won the Davis Cup trophy a further three times (1904, 1905, 1906) although in these years he only competed, and won, in the doubles matches.^[5]

Olympics

Doherty won the doubles title (gold medals were not given at the 1900 Games) at the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris with his brother.^[6] He also competed in the singles tournament and reached the semi-final where he was scheduled to play against his brother. Reggie withdrew, since the brothers refused to play each other before the final.^[7] He also won the mixed doubles title with five-time Wimbledon champion Charlotte Cooper. Doherty did not compete in the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis. In the 1908 Olympics in London Reggie again won the doubles title, this time with compatriot George Hillyard.^[8]

R.F. Doherty was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1980 together with his brother.^[9]

Death

Doherty died of heart failure and neurasthenia on 29 December 1910 at the age of only 38 at his home in Kensington a day after returning from a convalescence stay in a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland.^[10][3]

According to his obituary in The New York Times, Doherty had "been ill health for some time". The article further stated, he "held at various times every important championship the world of tennis has for a man to win. He was not beaten until he began to fail in health".^[2] Both brothers apparently suffered from respiratory problems throughout their lives.^[11]

R.F. and his brother had been urged to take up lawn tennis by their father, reportedly for health reasons.^[2]

Grand Slam finals

Reginald Doherty – Beginning of a low backhand drive

Reginald Doherty (left) with his brother Laurence.

Singles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1897	Wimbledon	Grass	Harold Mahony	6–4, 6–4, 6–3	[12]
Winner	1898	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1	[12]
Winner	1899	Wimbledon	Grass	Arthur Gore	1–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3	[12]
Winner	1900	Wimbledon	Grass	Sydney Smith	6–8, 6–3, 6–1, 5–7, 11–9	[12]
Runner-up	1901	Wimbledon	Grass	Arthur Gore	6–4, 5–7, 4–6, 4–6	[12]
Runner-up	1902	U.S. National Championships	Grass	William Larned	6–4, 2–6, 4–6, 6–8	[13]

Doubles: 13 (10 titles, 3 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1896	Wimbledon	Grass	Harold Nisbet	Herbert Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley	6–1, 6–3, 4–6, 2–6, 1–6	[14]
Winner	1897	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Herbert Baddeley Wilfred Baddeley	6–4, 4–6, 8–6, 6–4	[14]
Winner	1898	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Clarence Hobart Harold Nisbet	6–4, 6–4, 6–2	[14]
Winner	1899	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Clarence Hobart Harold Nisbet	7–5, 6–0, 6–2	[14]
Winner	1900	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Herbert Roper Barrett Harold Nisbet	9–7, 7–5, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3	[14]
Winner	1901	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Dwight Davis Holcombe Ward	4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 9–7	[14]
Runner-up	1902	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Frank Riseley Sydney Smith	6–4, 6–8, 3–6, 6–4, 9–11	[14]
Winner	1902	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Dwight Davis Holcombe Ward	11–9, 12–10, 6–4	[15]
Winner	1903	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Frank Riseley Sydney Smith	6–4, 6–4, 6–4	[14]
Winner	1903	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Kreigh Collins L. Harry Waidner	7–5, 6–3, 6–3	[15]
Winner	1904	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Frank Riseley Sydney Smith	6–1, 6–2, 6–4	[14]
Winner	1905	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Frank Riseley Sydney Smith	6–2, 6–4, 6–8, 6–3	[14]
Runner-up	1906	Wimbledon	Grass	Laurence Doherty	Frank Riseley Sydney Smith	8–6, 4–6, 7–5, 3–6, 3–6	[14]

References

1. Mazak, Karoly (2010). The Concise History of Tennis, p. 25.
2. "Famous Tennis Player Dead: R.F. Doherty, Once American Champion, Passes Away in London", The New York Times, 30 December 1910
3. Wray Vamplew. "Doherty, (Hugh) Lawrence [Laurie] (1875–1919), tennis player". Oxford University Press.
4. "Doherty, Reginald Frank (DHRY894RF)". A Cambridge Alumni Database. University of Cambridge.
5. "Davis Cup Player Profile". ITF. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
6. "Reginald Doherty Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-01-26.
7. Grasso, John. Historical dictionary of tennis. Lanham, Md.: Scarecrow Press. p. 86. ISBN 9780810872370. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
8. "All the Medallists since 1896". Olympic Movement. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
9. "Hall of Famers – Reggie Doherty". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 4 April 2012.
10. "Late Mr. Doherty". Northern Advocate (New Zealand) (Northland). 14 February 1911. p. 3.
11. Hugh Laurence Doherty (UK)
12. "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Singles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
13. "US Open Past Champions / Men's Singles". US Open official website. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
14. "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Doubles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 2015-10-16.
15. "US Open Past Champions / Men's Doubles". US Open official website. Retrieved 2015-10-16.

External links

• Reginald Doherty at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Reginald Doherty at the International Tennis Federation
• Reginald Doherty at the Davis Cup