Gerald Patterson

Gerald Patterson

Country	Australia
Born	(1895-12-17)17 December 1895 Preston, Vic
Died	13 June 1967(1967-06-13) (aged 71) Melbourne
Turned pro	1914 (amateur tour)
Retired	1928
Plays	Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1919, A. Wallis Myers)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	W (1927)
French Open	4R (1928)
Wimbledon	W (1919, 1922)
US Open	SF (1922, 1924)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1914, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927)
Wimbledon	F (1922, 1926)
US Open	W (1919)
Mixed Doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1920)

Gerald Leighton Patterson MC (17 December 1895 – 13 June 1967) was an Australian male tennis player. He was born in Melbourne, educated at Scotch College Melbourne and died in Melbourne in 13 June 1967. He was the co-World No. 1 player for 1919 along with Bill Johnston.

History

Tall and well-built, Gerald Patterson played a strong serve-and-volley game that won him three major singles. Patterson was known as the "Human Catapult" for his powerful serve that many of the top players had trouble returning. He also enjoyed great success representing Australia in Davis Cup and amassed a 32–14 win–loss record (singles 21–10, doubles 11–4) and was part of the winning team in 1919. Gerald played Davis cup 1920, 1922, 1924, 1925, 1928 and finally as captain in 1946. He was a player ahead of his time, playing with a steel racquet strung with wire in 1925.

He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989 and then the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in August 1997.

Patterson was the nephew of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and father of racing driver Bill Patterson. Patterson was awarded the Military Cross for bravery as an officer in Royal Field Artillery in 1917 at Messines.

Grand Slam record

Australian championships

• Singles champion: 1927
  • Singles finalist: 1914, 1922, 1925
• Doubles champion 1914, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927
  • Doubles finalist: 1924, 1932

Wimbledon championships

• Singles champion: 1919, 1922
  • Singles finalist: 1920
  • Doubles finalist: 1922, 1926
• Mixed champion: 1920

Grand Slam finals

Singles

Titles (3)

Year	Tournament	Opponent	Result
1919	Wimbledon	Norman Brookes	6–3, 7–5, 6–2
1922	Wimbledon	Randolph Lycett	6–3, 6–4, 6–2
1927	Australian Championships	John Hawkes	3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16, 6–3

Doubles

Titles (6)

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponents	Result
1914	Australian Championships	Ashley Campbell	Rodney Heath Arthur O'Hara Wood	7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
1919	U.S. National Championships	Norman Brookes	Vincent Richards Bill Tilden	8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2
1922	Australian Championships	John Hawkes	James Anderson Norman Peach	8–10, 6–0, 6–0, 7–5
1925	Australian Championships	Pat O'Hara Wood	James Anderson Fred Kalms	6–4, 8–6, 7–5
1926	Australian Championships	John Hawkes	James Anderson Pat O'Hara Wood	6–1, 6–4, 6–2
1927	Australian Championships	John Hawkes	Pat O'Hara Wood Ian McInness	8–6, 6–2, 6–1

Mixed doubles

Titles (1)

Year	Tournament	Partner	Opponents	Result
1920	Wimbledon	Suzanne Lenglen	Elizabeth Ryan Randolph Lycett	7–5, 6–3

External links

• "Gerald Leighton Patterson". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 24 September 2009. 
• ADB biography