Beals Wright

Beals Wright

Full name	Beals Coleman Wright
Country (sports)	United States
Born	December 19, 1879 Boston, MA, United States
Died	August 23, 1961 (aged 81) Alton, IL, United States
Plays	Left-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1956 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 2 (1905, Karoly Mazak)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon	F (1910^AC)
US Open	W (1905) F (1901, 1906, 1908)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Wimbledon	F (1907)
US Open	W (1904, 1905, 1906) F (1901, 1908, 1918
Medal record Olympic Games – Tennis 1904 St. Louis Singles 1904 St. Louis Doubles

Beals Coleman Wright (December 19, 1879 – August 23, 1961) was an American tennis player who was active at the end of the 1890s and early 1900s. He won the singles title at the 1905 U.S. National Championships. Wright was a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and the older brother of American tennis player Irving Wright.

1910 Wimbledon All Comers' Final against Tony Wilding

Biography

Beals was born in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, the son of George Wright, shortstop for the Cincinnati Red Stockings and founder of the sporting goods store Wright & Ditson.^[2] He was the nephew of baseball pioneer Harry Wright. In 1899 Beals Wright travelled with his father to California where he played at the Delmonte Tennis Championship in Monterey. George Wright managed the team the same year he coached at Harvard. Two Harvard University players participated in the DelMonte Tournament-the first time east coast players took on California tennis champions.

Wright played at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics and won gold medals in both the singles and doubles competition.^[3] He also won three consecutive singles titles (1904–1906) at the tournament now known as the Cincinnati Masters, and reached the doubles final (with Edgar Leonard) in 1904.

Wright won the Canadian Tennis Championship, played in Niagara-on-the-Lake, in 1902, 1903 and 1904.^[4] In 1902 he won the Niagara International Tennis Tournament, also played in Niagara-on-the-Lake, by defeating Harold Hackett in the final in five sets and the default of Raymond Little in the challenge round.^[5]

Wright's most important victory came in 1905 when he won the men's singles title at the U.S. National Championships by defeating reigning champion Holcombe Ward in the Challenge Round in straight sets 6–2, 6–1, 11–9.^[6]

Beals was the brother of Irving Wright, the 1917 and 1918 U.S. Championship men's doubles champion. Together they won the men's doubles title at the Canadian Tennis Championship four times (1902, 1903, 1904, 1905).^[4]

Beals Wright was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1956. He died in Alton, Illinois.^[7]

Playing style

In their book R.F. and H.L. Doherty - On Lawn Tennis (1903) multiple Wimbledon champions Reginald and Lawrence Doherty described Wright's playing style:

“

Beals Wright is certainly the best in America at low volleys, and is very good overhead. His volleying is distinctly superior to his ground strokes, and his forehand somewhat stronger than his backhand. He has a good service, which he follows up to the net.

”

On Lawn Tennis - 1903^[8]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 4 (1 title, 3 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Runner-up	1901	U.S. National Championships	Grass	William Larned	2–6, 8–6, 4–6, 4–6
Winner	1905	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Holcombe Ward	6–2, 6–1, 11–9
Runner-up	1906	U.S. National Championships	Grass	William Clothier	3–6, 0–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1908	U.S. National Championships	Grass	William Larned	1–6, 2–6, 6–8

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

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Runner-up	1901	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Leo Ware	Dwight Davis Holcombe Ward	3–6, 7–9, 1–6
Winner	1904	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Holcombe Ward	Kreigh Collins Raymond Little	1–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4, 6–1
Winner	1905	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Holcombe Ward	Fred Alexander Harold Hackett	6–4, 6–4, 6–1
Winner	1906	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Holcombe Ward	Fred Alexander Harold Hackett	6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
Runner-up	1907	Wimbledon	Grass	Karl Behr	Norman Brookes Anthony Wilding	4–6, 4–6, 2–6
Runner-up	1908	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Raymond Little	Fred Alexander Harold Hackett	1–6, 5–7, 2–6
Runner-up	1918	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Fred Alexander	Vincent Richards Bill Tilden	3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 2–6

References

1. Mazak, Karoly (2010). The Concise History of Tennis, p. 33.
2. Baltzell, E. Digby (2013). Sporting Gentlemen : Men's Tennis from the Age of Honor to the Cult of the Superstar. Somerset, NJ: Transaction Publishers. p. 67. ISBN 978-1412851800.
3. "Beals Wright Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Retrieved 2014-01-28.
4. "Wright Brothers Win at Tennis" (PDF). The New York Times. July 13, 1902.
5. Ohnsorg, Roger W. Robert Lindley Murray: The Reluctant U.S. Tennis Champion. Victoria, BC: Trafford On Demand Pub. p. 339. ISBN 978-1-4269-4514-4.
6. Collins, Bud (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 456. ISBN 978-0942257700.
7. "Hall of Famers - Beals Wright". 1 International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
8. Doherty, R.F. (1903). R.F. and H.L. Doherty on Lawn Tennis (1st ed.). London: Lawn Tennis. p. 63.

External links

• Beals Wright at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
• Beals Wright at the International Tennis Federation
• Beals Wright at the Davis Cup
• Beals Wright at Sports Reference