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Gerald Patterson

Australian tennis player

Field	Value
name	Gerald Patterson

image	Gerald Patterson (cropped).jpg
caption	Patterson in 1928
country
birth_date
birth_place	Preston, Australia
death_date
death_place	Melbourne, Australia
turnedpro	1914 (amateur tour)
retired	1928
plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
singlesrecord	267–63 (80.9%)
singlestitles	28
highestsinglesranking	No. 1 (1919, A. Wallis Myers)
tennishofyear	1989
tennishofid	gerald-patterson
AustralianOpenresult	W (1927)
FrenchOpenresult	4R (1928)
Wimbledonresult	W (1919, 1922)
USOpenresult	SF (1922, 1924)
Othertournaments
AustralianOpenDoublesresult	W (1914, 1922, 1925, 1926, 1927)
WimbledonDoublesresult	F (1922, 1928)
USOpenDoublesresult	W (1919)
Mixed	Yes
WimbledonMixedresult	W (1920)

Gerald Leighton Patterson MC (17 December 1895 – 13 June 1967) was an Australian tennis player.

Patterson was active in the decade following World War I. During his career he won three Grand Slam tournaments in the singles event as well as six titles in the doubles competition and one title in mixed doubles. He was born in Melbourne, educated at Scotch College and Trinity Grammar School and died in Melbourne on 13 June 1967. He was the co-World No. 1 player for 1919 along with Bill Johnston.

Playing career

Tall and well-built, Patterson played a strong serve-and-volley game. At Wimbledon 1919, Patterson beat 41-year-old Norman Brookes, who was defending champion (Brookes' 1914 title was the last held before World War 1) in the Challenge Round. At Wimbledon 1922, the Challenge Round was abolished and Patterson won the title (the first to be held at the current site at Church Road) beating Randolph Lycett in the final. In 1927, Patterson was five championship points down in the Australian singles final against Jack Hawkes, but won in five sets.

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. Patterson played Davis Cup in 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 Sport Australia Home of Fame in December 1986. This was followed by induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame in August 1997.

Personal life

Patterson was the nephew of Australian opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and father of racing driver Bill Patterson.

Grand Slam finals

Gerald Patterson playing a forehand stroke

Singles: 7 (3 titles, 4 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1914	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS Arthur O'Hara Wood	4–6, 3–6, 7–5, 1–6
Win	1919	Wimbledon	Grass	AUS Norman Brookes	6–3, 7–5, 6–2
Loss	1920	Wimbledon	Grass	USA Bill Tilden	6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 4–6
Loss	1922	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS James Anderson	0–6, 6–3, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6
Win	1922	Wimbledon	Grass	UKGBI Randolph Lycett	6–3, 6–4, 6–2
Loss	1925	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS James Anderson	9–11, 6–2, 2–6, 3–6
Win	1927	Australian Championships	Grass	AUS John Hawkes	3–6, 6–4, 3–6, 18–16, 6–3

Doubles: 14 (6 titles, 8 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents
Win	1914	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS Ashley Campbell	AUS Rodney Heath
AUS Arthur O'Hara Wood	7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
Win	1919	U.S. National Championships	Grass	AUS Norman Brookes	USA Vincent Richards
USA Bill Tilden	8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–2
Win	1922	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS John Hawkes	AUS James Anderson
AUS Norman Peach	8–10, 6–0, 6–0, 7–5
Loss	1922	Wimbledon	Grass	AUS Pat O'Hara Wood	AUS James Anderson
GBR Randolph Lycett	6–3, 9–7, 4–6, 3–6, 9–11
Loss	1922	U.S. National Championships	Grass	AUS Pat O'Hara Wood	USA Vincent Richards
USA Bill Tilden	6–4, 1–6, 3–6, 4–6
Loss	1924	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS Pat O'Hara Wood	AUS James Anderson
AUS Norman Brookes	2–6, 4–6, 3–6
Loss	1924	U.S. National Championships	Grass	AUS Pat O'Hara Wood	USA Howard Kinsey
USA Robert Kinsey	5–7, 7–5, 9–7, 3–6, 4–6
Win	1925	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS Pat O'Hara Wood	AUS James Anderson
AUS Fred Kalms	6–4, 8–6, 7–5
Loss	1925	U.S. National Championships	Grass	AUS John Hawkes	USA R. Norris Williams
USA Vincent Richards	2–6, 10–8, 4–6, 9–11
Win	1926	Australasian Championships	Grass	AUS John Hawkes	AUS James Anderson
AUS Pat O'Hara Wood	6–1, 6–4, 6–2
Win	1927	Australian Championships	Grass	AUS John Hawkes	AUS Ian McInness
AUS Pat O'Hara Wood	8–6, 6–2, 6–1
Loss	1928	Wimbledon	Grass	AUS John Hawkes	FRA Jacques Brugnon
FRA Henri Cochet	11–13, 4–6, 4–6
Loss	1928	U.S. National Championships	Grass	AUS John Hawkes	USA John Hennessey
USA George Lott	2–6, 1–6, 2–6
Loss	1932	Australian Championships	Grass	AUS Harry Hopman	AUS Jack Crawford
AUS Edgar Moon	10–12, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1920	Wimbledon	Grass	FRA Suzanne Lenglen	USA Elizabeth Ryan
UKGBI Randolph Lycett	7–5, 6–3

Grand Slam singles performance timeline

Events with a challenge round: (WC) won; (CR) lost the challenge round; (FA) all comers' finalist

(OF) only for French players

Tournament	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	SR	W–L	Win %
Australian	F	A	not held	3R1	A	A	F	A	2R	F	1R	W	QF	1 / 8	21–6	77.8
French	OF	not held	OF	A	A	A	4R	0 / 1	2–1	66.7
Wimbledon	A	not held	WC	CR	A	W	A	A	A	A	A	4R	2 / 4	17–2	89.5
U.S.	A	A	A	A	A	4R	A	A	SF	A	SF	A	A	A	A	0 / 3	10–3	76.9
Win–loss	3–1	0–0	0–0	0–0	0–0	11–1	0–1	0–0	13–2	0–0	5–2	5–1	0–1	6–0	7–3

References

"Gerald Patterson career match record". The Tennis Base.
United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). ''Official Encyclopedia of Tennis'' (First Edition), p. 422.
"Gerald Leighton Patterson". International Tennis Hall of Fame.
O'Farrell, Virginia. (1988). "Gerald Leighton Patterson (1895–1967)".
(July 2013). "The Unofficial Sister School". The Trinity Grammarian.
"Gerald Patterson".
"Gerald Patterson". Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
"Australian Tennis Hall of Fame". Tennis Australia.
"24 August 1917".
"Australian Open Results Archive / Men's Singles".
"Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Singles".
"Australian Open Results Archive / Men's Doubles".
"U.S. Open Past Champions / Men's Doubles".
"Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Doubles".
"Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Mixed Doubles".

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