Billy Knight (tennis)
Full name | William Arthur Knight |
---|---|
Country (sports) | ![]() |
Born | Northampton, England | 12 November 1935
Turned pro | 1951 (ILTF World Circuit) |
Retired | 1971 |
Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Singles | |
Career record | 509–225 (69.3%)[1] |
Career titles | 47[1] |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | 2R (1954, 1957) |
French Open | QF (1959) |
Wimbledon | 4R (1957, 1959, 1961, 1964) |
US Open | 4R (1958, 1962) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 1–1 |
Grand Slam doubles results | |
Australian Open | SF (1957) |
Mixed doubles | |
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
Australian Open | F (1957) |
French Open | W (1959) |
Team competitions | |
Davis Cup | SF (1963) |
William Arthur Knight (born 12 November 1935) is a former
Tennis career
Juniors
Before focusing on tennis Knight also played table tennis and won the English singles title in 1951.[2] As a tennis junior he won both the 1953 Wimbledon and 1954 Australian Championships Boys' Singles tournaments.[3][4]
Amateur tour
He played and won his first tournament at the Bude Open in 1951.[1] Knight's best slam performance was reaching the quarter-finals of the 1959 French Championships. He won the mixed doubles at the same tournament, partnering Yola Ramírez.
His biggest international singles highlights include winning the Cannes Gallia Club Championship in 1958,
His best wins at British tournaments include winning the Scottish Championships in 1953,[1] the Welsh Covered Court Championships in 1953,[1] the London Hard Court Championships in 1955,[1] British Hard Court Championships in 1958 and from 1963 to 1964,[1] the British Covered Court Championships in 1960,[1] the Midland Counties Championships in 1965,[1] the North of England Hard Court Championships from 1966 to 1967.[1]
Knight was a frequent member of the British Davis Cup team between 1955 and 1964, reaching the Inter-Zonal group in 1963.[5]
Grand Slam finals
Mixed doubles: 2 (1 title, 1 runner-up)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1957 | Australian Championships | Grass | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
5–7, 6–3, 1–6 |
Win | 1959 | French Championships | Clay | ![]() |
![]() ![]() |
6–4, 6–4 |
Junior Grand Slam titles
Singles: 2
Result | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1953 | Wimbledon
|
Grass | ![]() |
7–5, 6–4 |
Win | 1954 | Australian Open | Grass | ![]() |
6–3, 6–1 |
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Players:Knight, William (Billy)". The Tennis Base. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
- ^ "History of Northampton Table Tennis League". Northampton Table Tennis League.
- ^ Tournament Profile: Australian Open, ITF Juniors
- ^ "Nerves and Knight beat Emerson". Courier-Mail (Brisbane, Qld. : 1933 – 1954). 2 February 1954. p. 10. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
- ^ Ball, Robert (1963). "Not Quite All Right, Jack", Sports Illustrated, 7 October 1963.
External links
- Billy Knight at the International Tennis Federation
- Billy Knight at the Davis Cup