Robert Howe (tennis)

Bob Howe
Full nameRobert Neville Howe
Country (sports) Australia
Born(1925-08-03)3 August 1925
Sydney, NSW, Australia
Died30 November 2004(2004-11-30) (aged 79)
Santa Ana, California, US
Height1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro1968 (amateur from 1949)
Retired1971
PlaysRight-handed (two-handed backhand)[1]
Singles
Career record500-369
Career titles29
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1958, 1963)
French Open3R (1957)
Wimbledon4R (1956, 1962, 1965)
US Open4R (1957)
Doubles
Career record208–94
Career titles18
Highest rankingNo. 12 (30 August 1977)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenF (1959)
French OpenF (1958, 1961)
WimbledonSF (1956, 1957)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian OpenW (1958)
French OpenW (1960, 1962)
WimbledonW (1958)

Robert (Bob) Howe (3 August 1925 – 30 November 2004)[2] was an Australian tennis player. Although he won 29 singles titles, his main successes were achieved in the doubles competition. He won four mixed doubles Grand Slam titles, including the Wimbledon mixed doubles championship in 1958.[3]

Career

In singles play, Howe won the 1954 London Hard Court Championships on clay at The Hurlingham Club defeating Gordon Forbes in the final.

He won the ILTF Surrey Hard Court Championships on clay in 1956 and 1962.

In 1963 he won the Nottingham Open on grass defeating Pierre Barthès in the semifinal and Tony Pickard in the final.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (3 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1958 French Championships Clay Abe Segal Ashley Cooper
Neale Fraser
6–3, 6–8, 3–6, 5–7
Loss 1959 Australian Championships Grass Don Candy Rod Laver
Bob Mark
7–9, 4–6, 2–6
Loss 1961 French Championships Clay Bob Mark Roy Emerson
Rod Laver
6–3, 1–6, 1–6, 4–6

Mixed doubles (4 titles, 4 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1956 French Championships Clay Darlene Hard Thelma Coyne Long
Luis Ayala
6–4, 4–6, 1–6
Win 1958 Australian Championships Grass Mary Bevis Hawton Angela Mortimer
Peter Newman
9–11, 6–1, 6–2
Loss 1958 French Championships Clay Lorraine Coghlan Shirley Bloomer
Nicola Pietrangeli
6–8, 2–6
Win 1958 Wimbledon Grass Lorraine Coghlan Althea Gibson
Kurt Nielsen
6–3, 13–11
Win 1960 French Championships Clay Maria Bueno Ann Haydon-Jones
Roy Emerson
1–6, 6–1, 6–2
Lost 1960 Wimbledon Grass Maria Bueno Darlene Hard
Rod Laver
11–13, 6–3, 6–8
Loss 1961 Wimbledon Grass Edda Buding Fred Stolle
Lesley Turner
9–11, 2–6
Win 1962 French Championships Clay Renée Schuurman Lesley Turner
Fred Stolle
3–6, 6–4, 6–4

References

  1. ^ Sutton Tennis & Squash Club
  2. ^ Tennis Archives biography
  3. ^ "History – Rolls of Honour – Mixed Doubles Finals 1913–2008". wimbledon.org. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 16 November 2008.