Rex Hartwig
 | |
| Full name | Rex Noel Hartwig |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 Australia |
| Born |
2 September 1929 Culcairn, New South Wales, Australia |
| Turned pro | 1950 (amateur tour) |
| Retired | 1962 |
| Plays | Right-handed (1-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 5 (1954, Lance Tingay)[1] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1954) |
| French Open | 4R (1953, 1954) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1954) |
| US Open | F (1954) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1954) |
| Wimbledon | W (1954, 1955) |
| US Open | W (1953) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1953, 1954) |
| French Open | F (1954) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1954) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1953, 1955 ) |
Rex Noel Hartwig (born 2 September 1929) is an Australian former tennis player.[2]
Early life
Rex Hartwig was born on 2 September 1929 in Culcairn, New South Wales. Both parents played tennis and at age 10 Hartwig played and won in a local tournament with his father. When he was 13 he began competing in afternoon competitions and took a job managing tennis courts in Albury. He formed a doubles team with Allan Kendall jr. and the team won the NSW, Victorian and Australian Junior titles.[3][4]
Tennis career
Hartwig was ranked World No. 5 in both 1954 and 1955 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.[1]
- Wimbledon
He won the doubles in Wimbledon twice: In 1954 with Mervyn Rose and in 1955 with Lew Hoad.[5][6]
- Australian championships
In 1953 he also won the doubles with Mervyn Rose and the mixed doubles with Julia Sampson Hayward.[7] In 1954 he again won the mixed doubles title in Melbourne, this time partnering Thelma Coyne Long.[8][9][10]
- US championships
In 1953 he won the doubles title at the US Championships with Mervyn Rose, defeating Gardnar Mulloy and Bill Talbert in the final that lasted 77 minutes.[11][12]
Playing singles he made the final in 1954 but lost to Vic Seixas.[13]
- Davis Cup
Hartwig was member of the Australian Davis Cup team in 1953, 1954 and 1955. In 1953 he played the doubles match with Lew Hoad in the Challenge Round against the USA and lost to Vic Seixas and Tony Trabert. This would turn out to be Hartwig's only Davis Cup defeat. In 1954 he defeated Seixas in the Challenge Round that Australia lost to the USA. In 1955 he made a significant contribution towards Australia's Cup win, playing 11 matches in six ties and winning all of them. He compiled a 12–1 win–loss record in the Davis Cup (6–0 singles, 6–1 doubles).[14][15][16]
- Other tournaments
In November 1954 Hartwig won the singles title at the New South Wales Championships in Sydney. In the final he defeated countryman Mervyn Rose in three straight sets.[17]
- Professional
In November 1955 Hartwig turned professional by signing a contract with tennis promoter Jack Kramer for a fixed amount of $30,000 plus a percentage of the gate receipts of the professional tour.[18][19]
Playing style
Hartwig was known for his well-timed groundstrokes and his crisp and accurate volleys. Australian tennis player and coach Harry Hopman characterized Hartwig as a great stylist.[20]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (2 runners-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1954 | Australian Championships | Mervyn Rose | 2–6, 6–0, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 1954 | U.S. Championships |  Vic Seixas | 3–6, 6–2, 6–4, 6–4 |
Doubles (4 titles - 1 runner-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1953 | Wimbledon Championships | Mervyn Rose | Lew Hoad Ken Rosewall | 4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 5–7 |
| Winner | 1953 | U.S. Championships | Mervyn Rose | Gardnar Mulloy Bill Talbert | 6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1954 | Australian Championships | Mervyn Rose | Neale Fraser Clive Wilderspin | 6–3, 6–4, 6–2 |
| Winner | 1954 | Wimbledon Championships | Mervyn Rose | Vic Seixas Tony Trabert | 6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4 |
| Winner | 1955 | Wimbledon Championships | Mervyn Rose | Neale Fraser Ken Rosewall | 7–5, 6–4, 6–3 |
Mixed doubles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1953 | Australian Championships |  Julia Sampson Hayward | Maureen Connolly Ham Richardson | 6–4, 6–3 |
| Runner-up | 1953 | U.S. Championships | Julia Sampson Hayward | Doris Hart Vic Seixas | 2–6, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1954 | Australian Championships | Thelma Coyne Long | Beryl Penrose John Bromwich | 4–6, 6–1, 6–2 |
| Runner-up | 1954 | French Championships |  Jacqueline Patorni | Maureen Connolly Lew Hoad | 4–6, 3–6 |
References
- 1 2 United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 426.
- ↑ Harper, Jack (23 November 1954). "N.S.W. Tennis Title To Rex Hartwig in Three Sets". The Age (Google News Archive).
- ↑ "Rex Hartwig". Australian Tennis History. 16 March 2011.
- ↑ Malcolm Brown. "Allan Kendall: Ace at tennis was smash on children's TV". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
- ↑ "Men's Doubles Finals 1884–2008". Wimbledon Website. All England Lawn Tennis Club.
- ↑ "Rex Hartwig Inks Pro Tennis Pact". Sarasota Journal (Google News Archive). 9 November 1955.
- ↑ "Rose-Hartwig "Best In World Doubles".". The Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954) (Adelaide, SA: National Library of Australia). 30 January 1954. p. 11.
- ↑ "Men's Doubles Champions". Australian Open. Tennis Australia.
- ↑ "Mixed Doubles Champions". Australian Open. Tennis Australia.
- ↑ "Hoad Criticized For Tennis Play". Spokane Daily Chronicle (Google News Archive). 3 December 1954.
- ↑ "Rose, Hartwig Win U.S. Doubles Tennis Title.". Goulburn Evening Post (NSW : 1940 - 1957) (NSW: National Library of Australia). 24 August 1953. p. 3 Edition: Daily and Evening.
- ↑ "Champions – Men's Doubles Championships". US Open. United States Tennis Association.
- ↑ "Champions – Men's Singles Championships". US Open. United States Tennis Association.
- ↑ "Rex HARTWIG". Davis Cup Official Website. International Tennis Federation.
- ↑ Talbert, William F. (5 September 1955). "Wanted: At Least Three Young Men". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
- ↑ Talbert, William F. (20 September 1954). "No Year For Kings". Sports Illustrated.
- ↑ "N.S.W. Tennis Title To Rex Hartwig In Three Sets". The Age. Nov 23, 1954.
- ↑ "Rex Hartwig Inks Pro Tennis Pact". Sarasota Journal. Nov 9, 1955. p. 7.
- ↑ "Hopman Advised Me – Rex Hartwig". The Age. Nov 10, 1955. p. 12.
- ↑ "Player Profiles – Rex Hartwig". Tennis Australia.
External links
- Rex Hartwig at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Rex Hartwig at the International Tennis Federation
- Rex Hartwig at the Davis Cup
- British Pathé filmreel – 1953 US Championships Men's Doubles title
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