George Worthington (tennis)

George Worthington
Full name	George Allan Worthington
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	10 October 1928; Sydney, Australia
Died	8 December 1964 (aged 36); Westminster, London
Turned pro	1956 (amateur from 1945)
Retired	1960
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	319-115 (73.5%)
Career titles	25
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (1949, 1950, 1951, 1954)
French Open	3R (1950, 1955)
Wimbledon	4R (1949, 1953)
US Open	3R (1950)
	Professional majors
Wembley Pro	QF (1957)
French Pro	1R (1958, 1959)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	F (1947)
Wimbledon	SF (1955)
US Open	F (1949)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	W (1951, 1952, 1955)
Wimbledon	SF (1949, 1950, 1953)

George Allan Worthington (10 October 1928 – 8 December 1964) was an Australian male tennis player who was active in the 1940s and 1950s.

Career

Worthington won the mixed doubles title at the Australian Championships in 1951, 1952 and 1953 together with Thelma Coyne Long.^[2]^[3]

He was twice runner-up with compatriot Frank Sedgman in Grand Slam men's doubles championship. In 1947 they lost the final of the Australian Championship against Adrian Quist and John Bromwich in straight sets and in 1949 in the U.S. National Championship they met the same fate against fellow Australians John Bromwich and Bill Sidwell.^[4]^[5]

He won a number of career singles titles including the Australian Capital Territory Championships (later called the ACT Open) (1953), the British Pro Championships six times consecutively from 1957 to 1962, the Slazenger Pro Championships two times, (1957, 1962), the Sydney Metropolitan Championships three times, (1950, 1953–54), and the Surrey Championships one time, (1953), the East of England Championships one time, (1949) and the New Zealand Championships one time, (1950).^[6]

After his active playing career he became coach at the All-England Lawn Tennis Club and coached both the English Davis Cup team and Wightman Cup team.^[7]

According to Ken Rosewall, he was "an excellent player in practice. He was known as the 'Champion of Practice'".^[8]

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1947	Australian Championships	Grass	Frank Sedgman	Adrian Quist John Bromwich	1–6, 3–6, 1–6
Loss	1949	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Frank Sedgman	John Bromwich Bill Sidwell	4–6, 0–6, 1–6

Mixed doubles (3 titles)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1951	Australian Championships	Grass	Thelma Coyne Long	Clare Proctor Jack May	6–4, 3–6, 6–2
Win	1952	Australian Championships	Grass	Thelma Coyne Long	Gwen Thiele Tom Warhurst	9–7, 7–5
Win	1955	Australian Championships	Grass	Thelma Coyne Long	Jenny Staley Lew Hoad	6–2, 6–1

References

^ ^a ^b "George Worthington: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
^ "George Worthington Match History". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 376. ISBN 978-0942257700.
^ "Worthington, George". Grand Slam History. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 373, 477. ISBN 978-0942257700.
^ "George Worthington: Tournament results". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
^ "Former Davis Cup Man Dies". The Age. 9 December 1964. p. 24. Retrieved 29 May 2012.
^ Peter Rowley, Ken Rosewall, Rosewall. Twenty years at the top, London 1976, p. 93.

External links

George Worthington at the Association of Tennis Professionals
George Worthington at the Davis Cup

[tennisbase-1] "George Worthington: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

[2] "George Worthington Match History". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[3] Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. p. 376. ISBN 978-0942257700.

[4] "Worthington, George". Grand Slam History. Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[5] Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. pp. 373, 477. ISBN 978-0942257700.

[6] "George Worthington: Tournament results". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 14 December 2017.

[7] "Former Davis Cup Man Dies". The Age. 9 December 1964. p. 24. Retrieved 29 May 2012.

[8] Peter Rowley, Ken Rosewall, Rosewall. Twenty years at the top, London 1976, p. 93.

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