Peter Cawthorn Explained

Peter Cawthorn
Fullname:John W. Peter Cawthorn
Birth Date:17 February 1931
Birth Place:Melbourne, Australia
Death Date:1999 (age 68)
Death Place:Melbourne, Australia
Turnedpro:1949 (amateur tour)
1953 (pro tour)
Retired:1968
Singlestitles:21
Australianopenresult:2R (1950)
Wimbledonresult:1R (1951)
Wimbledondoublesresult:3R (1951)
Wimbledonmixedresult:4R (1952)
Wembleyproresult:QF (1957, 1958)
Frenchproresult:QF (1956)

John W. Peter Cawthorn (17 February 1931 – 2002) was an Australian amateur tennis player who later turned professional in 1953. As an amateur he competed at the 1950 Australian Championships and the 1951 Wimbledon Championships.[1] As a professional he was a two time quarter finalist at the Wembley Professional Championships in 1957 and 1958, and a quarter finalist at the French Professional Championship in 1956. He was active from 1949 to 1968 and won 21 career amateur and pro singles titles. He later became a tennis coach.

Tennis career

AmateurPeter was born in Melbourne, Australia in 1931. In the 1940s he was educated at Box Hill High School, where he became captain of the football, tennis and swimming teams.[2]

Cawthorn played his first senior tournament in 1949 at the New South Wales Hard Court Championships where he reached the quarter finals. He then competed in Australian state and national tournaments over the next two years.[2] In 1950 he played at the Australian Championships where he lost in the second round to George Worthington. In 1951 he left Australia to play on the international ILTF Circuit[2] After he arrived in England he played at the South Shore Open in Blackpool where he won the title against Pakistan's Adel Ismail. Cawthorn mainly played at leading regional tournaments in England throughout 1951.[2]

That year he won the singles titles at the Welsh Championships, Sutton Coldfield Hard Courts Championship,[2] Ulster Grass Court Championships, Bedford Open, Cumberland Hard Court Championships[2] and the Moseley Championship.[3] In July 1951 he took part in the Wimbledon Championships, but lost in the second round to French player Paul Rémy.[4]

In 1952 Cawthorn won eight titles including the Cinque Ports Championships, Cumberland Hard Court Championships, Sutton Coldfield Hard Courts, East Gloucestershire Championships, Havant Open, Worthing Hard Courts, Hull Open and Worthing Open.[5] He also competed at 1952 Wimbledon Championships, where he was in the top half of the draw, but lost in the first round to the American player Harry Likas.[4] Additionally he was also losing finalist at the Cumberland Hard Court Championships and Pakistan International Championships in 1951, and the West Sussex Championships in 1952.

ProfessionalIn 1953 Peter turned professional and played his first tournament at the Slazenger Pro Championships in Scarborough, England, where he reached the quarter finals before losing to Frank Sedgman.[2] He won multiple pro titles including the Slazenger Pro Championships three times in 1954, 1956 and 1960 and the German Pro International Championships four times consecutivley from 1959 to 1962. In 1961 whilst on the Pro tour he was hired by the Tennis Club of Rochester in the United States as their resident pro coach.[6]

In major professional tournaments of the time he was a two time quarter finalist at the Wembley Professional Championships in 1957 and 1958, and a quarter finalist in singles at the French Professional Championship in 1956, and a semi-finalist in the men's doubles partnering Tony Mottram.[7]

CoachingDuring his amateur period he was hired as a short term coach for the Irish and Pakistan Davis Cup teamsvarious Davis Cup teams in 1955,[2] the Spanish, Irish and Dutch teams in 1956,[2] and Dutch and German teams in 1958.[2] Additionally he was also hired as a tennis coach for the Rochester Country Club in 1958 in Rochester, New Hampshire, United States that lasted into his professional career and beyond til 1983.[2] In 1961 whilst on the Pro tour he was hired by the Tennis Club of Rochester in Pittsford, NY the United States as their resident pro coach.[6]

Singles titles (21)

Amateur (14)

width=40Resultwidth=20No.width=50Datewidth=300Tournamentwidth=120Locationwidth=50Surfacewidth=180Opponentwidth=155 class="unsortable"Score
Amateur titles
Win1. 1951Welsh ChampionshipsNewportGrass Naresh Kumar2–6, 6–2, 6–3
Win2.[8] 1951Sutton Coldfield Hard Courts ChampionshipSutton ColdfieldClay Ignacy Tloczynski6–2, 8–10, 6–3
Win3. 1951Ulster Grass Court ChampionshipsBelfastGrass Albert Hartley Maggs4–6, 6–0, 6–0
Win4. 1951South Shore OpenBlackpoolGrass Adel Ismail6–2, 6–4
Win5. 1951Bedford OpenBedfordGrass Dick Guise[9] 6–0, 6–3
Win6.[10] 1951Moseley ChampionshipMoseleyGrass Owen Williams6–2, 6–2
Win7.1952Cinque Ports ChampionshipsFolkestoneGrass Derrick Layland[11] 6–1, 6–1
Win8.1952Cumberland Hard Court ChampionshipsHampsteadClay Gerry Oakley6–3, 6–1
Win9.[12] 1952Sutton Coldfield Hard Courts Championship (2)Sutton ColdfieldClay Don Tregonning6–4, 6–4
Win10.1952East Gloucestershire ChampionshipsCheltenhamGrass Basil Katz6–0, 6–3
Win11. 1952Havant OpenHavantGrass Bill Threlfall 6–1, 4–6, 6–2
Win12.[13] 1952.Worthing Hard CourtsWorthingClay Bosse Andersson6–3, 6–2
Win13.1952Hull OpenGrass Stephen Potts[14] 6–2, 7–5
Win14. 1952Worthing OpenWorthingGrass Erik Bullmer[15] 6–2, 8–10, 6–4

Professional (7)

width=40Resultwidth=20No.width=50Datewidth=300Tournamentwidth=120Locationwidth=50Surfacewidth=180Opponentwidth=155 class="unsortable"Score
Professional titles
Win1.[16] 1954Slazenger Pro ChampionshipsScarboroughGrass Paddy Roberts6–4, 7–5, 7–5
Win2.[17] 1956Slazenger Pro Championships (2)EastbourneGrass Salem Khaled6–0, 6–4, 6–3
Win3.1959German Pro International ChampionshipsBad EmsClay Peter Malloy[18] 6–0, 4–6, 6–0, 3–6, 6–3
Win4.1960German Pro International Championships (2)Bad EmsClay Peter Malloy6–1, 6–1, 6–3
Win5.1960Slazenger Pro Championships (3)EastbourneGrass George Worthington10–8, 6–3, 6–4
Win6.1961German Pro International Championships (3)Bad EmsClay Rupert Huber[19] 6–2, 4–6, 7–5, 1–6, 6–3
Win7.1962German Pro International Championships (4)Bad EmsClay Rupert Huber6–2, 6–2, 6–0

Family

Peter Cawthorn announced his engagement to the English tennis player Lorna Cornell in January 1953,[20] and they married on 18 February 1953 in Kensington, London.[21] They had three children but later divorced.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Player Profile: Peter Cawthorn . www.wimbledon.com . AELTC . 7 May 2023.
  2. Web site: A tennis journey in the Fifties: John (Peter) Cawthorn . tennishistory.com.au . Australian Tennis Historical Society . 7 May 2023 . 17 August 2013.
  3. News: P. CAWTHORN AN EASY WINNER AT MOSELEY . 7 May 2023 . Birmingham Daily Gazette . British Newspaper Archive . 8 August 1951 . Warwickshire, England . 2. subscription.
  4. AELTC
  5. Web site: Player – John W (Peter) Cawthorn . www.tennisarchives.com . Tennis Archives . 7 May 2023.
  6. Web site: Our History . www.tcr1886.com . Tennis Club of Rochester . 7 May 2023 . Pittsford, NY.
  7. News: PARIS TENNIS Tony Mottram in doubles semi-final . 7 May 2023 . Express and Echo . British Newspaper Archive . 15 September 1956 . Devon, England . 6. subscription.
  8. News: P. CAWTHORN WINS TENNIS TITLE . 7 May 2023 . Advocate . Trove National Library of Australia . 28 May 1951 . Burnie, Tasmania, Australia . 9.
  9. Web site: Dick Guise: Overview . ATP Tour . Association of Tennis Professionals . 7 May 2023.
  10. Birmingham Daily Gazette (1951)
  11. Web site: Derrick Leyland: Overview . ATP Tour . Association of Tennis Professionals . 7 May 2023.
  12. News: CAWTHORN KEEPS TITLE John W. Peter Cawthorn (Australia) beat his compatriot D. P. Tregonning 6.4. 6–4 to retain the singles titlein the Sutton Coldlield tennis tournament today. . 7 May 2023 . Ireland's Saturday Night . British Newspaper Archive . 24 May 1952 . Antrim, Northern Ireland . 8. subscription.
  13. News: BOMBAY TENNIS TOURNAMENT Bobb Retains Hard Courts Title . 6 May 2023 . Civil & Military Gazette (Lahore) . British Newspaper Archive . 19 February 1935 . Lahore, Pakistan . 14. subscription.
  14. Web site: Stephen Potts: Overview . ATP Tour . Association of Tennis Professionals . 7 May 2023.
  15. Web site: Erik Bulmer: Overview . ATP Tour . Association of Tennis Professionals . 7 May 2023.
  16. News: CAWTHORN IS PRO. CHAMPION . 7 May 2023 . Dundee Courier . British Newspaper Archive . 2 August 1954 . Angus, Scotland . 2.
  17. News: Cawthorn Tops Khaled In British Tennis Final . 7 May 2023 . The New York Times . The New York Times Company . 5 August 1956 . New York City . 7.
  18. Web site: Peter Molloy: Overview . ATP Tour . Association of Tennis Professionals . 7 May 2023.
  19. Web site: Rupert Huber: Overview . ATP Tour . Association of Tennis Professionals . 7 May 2023.
  20. News: TENNIS PLAYER TO MARRY . 7 May 2023 . Sydney Morning Herald . Trove National Library of Australia . 30 January 1953 . Sydney, Australia . 3.
  21. News: TENNIS STARS WED . 7 May 2023 . Dundee Courier . British Newspaper Archive . Angus, Scotland . 5. subscription.