Reginald Doherty

Reginald Doherty

Reginald Doherty (left) with his brother.
Full name	Reginald Frank Doherty
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Born	(1872-10-14)October 14, 1872 Wimbledon
Died	December 29, 1910(1910-12-29) (aged 38) Kensington
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Int. Tennis HoF	1980 (member page)
Singles
Career record	21–5
Highest ranking	No. 1 (1897)
Grand Slam singles results
Wimbledon	W (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900)
US Open	F Ch (1902)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games	Bronze Medal (1900)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1897, 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1903, 1904, 1905)
US Open	W (1902, 1903)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	Gold Medal (1900, 1908)
Other mixed doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	Gold Medal (1900)

Olympic medal record
Men's Tennis
	1900 Paris	Doubles
	1900 Paris	Mixed doubles
	1908 London	Doubles
	1900 Paris	Singles

Reginald "Reggie" or "R.F." Frank Doherty (14 October 1872 in Wimbledon, Surrey - 29 December 1910 in Kensington, London) was a World No. 1 British male tennis player, and the older brother of Laurie Doherty. He was known in the tennis world as "R.F." rather than "Reggie".

Career

R.F.Doherty Beginning of Low Backhand Drive

Reggie 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. In 1895 and 1895 he was part of the Cambridge team that beat Oxford and won the Scottish and Essex championships.

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 U.S. 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 U.S. 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 his 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.

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. 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. 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.

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

Death

Doherty died on 29 December 1910 at the age of only 38 at his home in Kensington shortly after returning from a convalescence stay in a sanatorium in Davos, Switzerland.

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". Both brothers apparently suffered from respiratory problems throughout their lives.

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

Grand Slam record

Singles

Wins (4)

Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
1897	Wimbledon Championships	Harold Mahony	6–4, 6–4, 6–3
1898	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 5–7, 6–1.
1899	Wimbledon Championships	Arthur Gore	1–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–3, 6–3
1900	Wimbledon Championships	Sidney Smith	6–8, 6–3, 6–1, 5–7, 11–9

Runner-ups (2)

Year	Championship	Opponent	Score
1901	Wimbledon Championships	Arthur Gore	6-4, 5-7, 4-6, 4-6
1902	U.S. Championships	William Larned	6-4, 2-6, 4-6, 6-8

Doubles

Wins (10)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents	Score
1897	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Wilfred Baddeley Herbert Baddeley	6–4, 4–6, 8–6, 6–4
1898	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Harold Nisbet Clarence Hobart	6–4, 6–4, 6–2
1899	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Harold Nisbet Clarence Hobart	7–5, 6–0, 6–2
1900	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Herbert Roper Barrett Harold Nisbet	9–7, 7–5, 4–6, 3–6, 6–3
1901	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Dwight F. Davis Holcombe Ward	4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 9–7
1902	U.S. Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Holcombe Ward Dwight F. Davis	11-9, 12-10, 6-4
1903	U.S. Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Kreigh Collins L. Harry Waidner	7-5, 6-3, 6-3
1903	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Sidney Smith Frank Riseley	6–4, 6–4, 6–4
1904	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Sidney Smith Frank Riseley	6–1, 6–2, 6–4
1905	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Sidney Smith Frank Riseley	6–2, 6–4, 6–8, 6–3

Runner-ups (3)

Year	Championship	Partner	Opponents	Score
1896	Wimbledon Championships	Harold Nisbet	Wilfred Baddeley Herbert Baddeley	6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6, 1-6
1902	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Sidney Smith Frank Riseley	6-4, 6-8, 3-6, 6-4, 9-11
1906	Wimbledon Championships	Lawrence Doherty	Sidney Smith Frank Riseley	6–8, 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–3

External links

• Tennis Hall of Fame player profile
• Davis Cup player profile
• Wray Vamplew. «Doherty, (Hugh) Lawrence». Oxford Dictionary of National Biography — Oxford University Press. 2004–12