Roger Taylor (tennis)

Roger Taylor

Roger Taylor at the 1969 Dutch Open
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Residence	Wimbledon, London, England
Born	14 October 1941 Sheffield, Yorkshire, England
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Turned pro	1967 (amateur tour from 1960)
Retired	1980
Plays	Left-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	274–214 (78.10%)
Career titles	6
Highest ranking	No. 8 (1970, Lance Tingay)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	SF (1970)
French Open	QF (1973)
Wimbledon	SF (1967, 1970, 1973)
US Open	QF (1964)
Other tournaments
WCT Finals	QF (1973)
Doubles
Career record	189–140
Career titles	10
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	QF (1962)
French Open	3R (1963)
Wimbledon	QF (1968, 1969, 1973)
US Open	W (1971, 1972)

Roger Taylor (born 14 October 1941) is a British former tennis player. Born in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, he won 6 singles titles and 10 doubles titles during his career.^[2] He achieved success at several Grand Slam tournaments, reaching the quarter-finals of the French Open in 1973, the semi-finals of Wimbledon during the same year and winning back to back US Open Men's Doubles titles in 1971 and 1972. He also enjoyed particular success in 1970, again reaching the semi-finals of Wimbledon, where he achieved a big upset win over defending champion Rod Laver en route, and the semi-finals of the Australian Open. Taylor also reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon in 1967. His career-high ATP singles ranking was World No. 11, though Taylor was ranked World No. 8 in 1970 before the ATP rankings began.^[1]

Also, Taylor scored 29 wins and 11 losses at the Great Britain Davis Cup team.

Tennis career

Taylor was the sole British member of the so-called Handsome Eight (he was noted particularly for his massive eyebrows) signed by Lamar Hunt to compete in his newly created World Championship Tennis tour in 1968.

Notably, in a scene reminiscent of a bygone age of sportsmanship now all but absent in professional sport, Taylor endeared himself to millions of viewers during his 1973 Wimbledon quarter final match against the 17-year-old Wimbledon debutant Björn Borg. Having already been declared the match winner by the umpire following his match-point serve which was disputed by Borg, Taylor voluntarily offered to replay the point. The linesman then, questioned by the umpire as to whether he wished to reconsider his decision, changed his "in" call to "out" and the umpire requested that the point be replayed as a "let". Taylor subsequently went on to win the match.

He retired from professional tennis in 1980. He was Great Britain's Davis Cup captain from February 2000 until January 2004. Taylor also captained the British ladies Wightman Cup team; steering them to their last victory in the competition in 1978.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (2 titles)

No.	Year	Championship	Surface	Partnering	Opponent in final	Score
1.	1971	US Open	Grass	John Newcombe	Stan Smith Erik Van Dillen	6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
2.	1972	US Open	Grass	Cliff Drysdale	Owen Davidson John Newcombe	6–4, 7–6, 6–3

Career titles

Singles (6)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent in the final	Score in the final
1.	1963	Surrey Grass Court Championships	Grass	Jaidip Mukerjea	10–8, 9–11, 10–8
2.	1967	Surrey Grass Court Championships	Grass	Bobby Wilson	2–6, 6–4, 6–2
3.	18 April 1971	Palermo	Clay	Pierre Barthes	6–3, 4–6, 7–6, 6–2
4.	17 February 1973	Copenhagen Open	Hard	Marty Riessen	6–2, 6–3, 7–6
5.	2 February 1975	Roanoke International Tennis Tournament	Indoor	Vitas Gerulaitis	7–6, 7–6
6.	2 March 1975	Fairfield	Carpet (i)	Sandy Mayer	7–5, 5–7, 7–6

Doubles (8)

No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Partnering	Opponent in the final	Score
1.	5 January 1969	Hobart	Grass	Mal Anderson	Tony Roche Fred Stolle	7–5, 6–3, 4–6, 1–6, 6–4
2.	3 February 1969	Auckland	Grass	Ray Moore	Mal Anderson Toomas Leius	13–15, 6–3, 8–6, 8–6
3.	1 August 1969	Hilversum	Unknown	Tom Okker	Jan Kodeš Jan Kukal	6–3, 6–2, 6–4
4.	10 July 1971	Newport	Grass	Ken Rosewall	John Clifton John Paish	7–5, 3–6, 6–2
5.	12 September 1971	US Open	Grass	John Newcombe	Stan Smith Erik Van Dillen	6–7, 6–3, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6
6.	10 September 1972	US Open	Grass	Cliff Drysdale	Owen Davidson John Newcombe	6–4, 7–6, 6–3
7.	1 April 1973	Vancouver	Unknown	Pierre Barthes	Tom Gorman Erik Van Dillen	5–7, 6–3, 7–6
8.	17 July 1977	Kitzbühel	Clay	Christopher Mottram	Colin Dowdeswell Chris Kachel	7–6, 6–4

References

1. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 428.
2. "Roger Taylor". ATP World Tour. Retrieved 30 June 2009.

External links

• Roger Taylor at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Roger Taylor at the International Tennis Federation
• Roger Taylor at the Davis Cup