John Hawkes (tennis)

John Hawkes

Full name	John Bailey Hawkes
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	7 June 1899 Geelong, Australia
Died	31 March 1990 (aged 90) Geelong, Australia
Turned pro	1921 (amateur tour)
Retired	1932
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 10 (1928, A. Wallis Myers)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	W (1926)
French Open	SF (1928)
Wimbledon	2R (1928)
US Open	3R (1921)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1922, 1926, 1927)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1922, 1926, 1927)
US Open	W (1925, 1928)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	F (1921, 1923^Ch, 1925)

John Bailey "Jack" Hawkes (7 June 1899 – 31 March 1990) was an Australian tennis player who won the singles title at the 1926 Australasian Championships and was ranked No. 10 in the world in 1928.

Biography

Hawkes was raised and lived his life in and around Geelong, Victoria. Educated at The Geelong College from 1909 to 1919, he showed enormous potential as a young sportsman, having won the Victorian School Boys U19 tennis title for 5 years in a row – described by historian Graeme Kinross Smith as the "nursery for tennis talent". Hawkes had also been touted as a future test cricketer for Australia and was made a member of the MCC at the age of 13. He was captain of the first Cricket team for the last 4 years of his school life at The Geelong College and according to school website, "In a legendary day of bowling in 1916, Jack Hawkes was to claim 10 wickets in a match against Wesley College." Tennis, however, was to create a more powerful pull than cricket. Taught on the lawn court at the family home "Llanberis", overlooking Corio Bay by family friend Russell Keays and influenced by tennis legend and family friend, Norman Brookes, Jack's career blossomed in the 1920s. The left-hander won a clean sweep at the Australasian Championships of 1926, winning the men's singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles in the same year. Hawkes was also runner-up in a marathon final against doubles partner Gerald Patterson in the men's singles Australasian Championships in 1927, winner of two US mixed doubles titles, winner of a total of three Australian doubles titles with Gerald Patterson as well as runners-up with Gerald Patterson in Wimbledon doubles and US doubles of 1928. Hawkes also won a total of three mixed doubles Australian championships.

Hawkes was a three-times Davis Cup representative in 1921, 1923, 1925 and was controversially omitted from the team in the year of his Australian Open crown in 1926 and successful overseas tour of 1928. After his retirement from tennis, Hawkes was actively involved in tennis administration and ran the family business Hawkes Brothers, in Geelong until his retirement in the early 1970s. Jack Hawkes retired to Ocean Grove (where he had holidayed as a child at the family's beachside home "Imbool"), and later to Barwon Heads before his death in Geelong, at the age of 90 after a short illness, on 31 March 1990. He was survived by his wife Mickey and their four children; Ann, Sally, Sue and John.

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Winner	1926	Australasian Championships	Grass	James Willard	6–1, 6–3, 6–1
Runner-up	1927	Australian Championships	Grass	Gerald Patterson	6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 16–18, 3–6

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

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1922	Australasian Championships	Grass	Gerald Patterson	James Anderson Norman Peach	8–10, 6–0, 6–0, 7–5
Runner-up	1925	U.S. Championships	Grass	Gerald Patterson	R. Norris Williams Vincent Richards	2–6, 10–8, 4–6, 9–11
Winner	1926	Australasian Championships	Grass	Gerald Patterson	James Anderson Pat O'Hara Wood	6–1, 6–4, 6–2
Winner	1927	Australian Championships	Grass	Gerald Patterson	Pat O'Hara Wood Ian McInness	8–6, 6–2, 6–1
Runner-up	1928	Wimbledon	Grass	Gerald Patterson	Jacques Brugnon Henri Cochet	11–13, 4–6, 4–6
Runner-up	1928	U.S. Championships	Grass	Gerald Patterson	John Hennessey George Lott	2–6, 1–6, 2–6
Runner-up	1930	Australian Championships	Grass	Tim Fitchett	Jack Crawford Harry Hopman	6–8, 1–6, 6–2, 3–6

Mixed doubles: 7 (5 titles, 2 runners-up)

Outcome	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Winner	1922	Australasian Championships	Grass	Esna Boyd	Gwen Utz Harold Utz	6–1, 6–1
Runner-up	1923	U.S. Championships	Grass	Kitty McKane	Molla Bjurstedt Mallory Bill Tilden	3–6, 6–2, 8–10
Winner	1925	U.S. Championships	Grass	Kitty McKane	Ermyntrude Harvey Vincent Richards	6–2, 6–4
Winner	1926	Australasian Championships	Grass	Esna Boyd	Daphne Akhurst James Willard	6–1, 6–4
Winner	1927	Australian Championships	Grass	Esna Boyd	Youtha Anthony James Willard	6–1, 6–3
Runner-up	1928	Australian Championships	Grass	Esna Boyd	Daphne Akhurst Jean Borotra	walkover
Winner	1928	U.S. Championships	Grass	Helen Wills	Edith Cross Edgar Moon	6–1, 6–3

References

1. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 424.

External links

• Bud Collins: Total Tennis – The Ultimate Tennis Encyclopedia (2003 Edition, ISBN 0-9731443-4-3).
• John Hawkes at the Davis Cup