Fred Alexander

Frederick Beasley Alexander (August 14, 1880 – March 3, 1969) was an American tennis player in the early 20th century. He won the singles title at the 1908 Australasian Championships and six double titles at Grand Slam events.

Fred Alexander
Alexander playing a low forehand volley
Full nameFrederick Beasley Alexander
Country (sports) United States
Born(1880-08-14)August 14, 1880
Sea Bright NJ, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 1969(1969-03-03) (aged 88)
Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.
Turned pro1899 (amateur tour)
Retired1920
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
CollegePrinceton University
Int. Tennis HoF1961 (member page)
Singles
Career record29–11
Highest rankingNo. 7 (1909, ITHF)[1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1908)
US OpenF (1908)
Doubles
Career record0–0
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1908)
US OpenW (1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1917)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
US OpenF (1918)
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1908Ch)

Career

In 1908, Alexander became the first foreigner to win the singles title at the Australasian/Australian Championships, the amateur precursor to the Australian Open. He then teamed with Alfred Dunlop, the man he defeated in the final, to win the doubles.

Alexander attended Princeton University and won the Intercollegiate doubles championship in 1900 and the singles in 1901. Between 1904 and 1918, he was a U.S. top 10 player six times. He was a finalist in doubles at the U.S. Championships, precursor to the US Open, seven straight times beginning in 1905. He and partner Harold Hackett won the U.S. doubles each year from 1907 to 1910. At age 37, Alexander won again in 1917, partnering with Harold Throckmorton. In the singles, Alexander reached the all comers final in 1908, beating William Clothier, then losing to Beals Wright in straight sets.[2]

He competed in the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1908, which lost the final against Australia at the Albert Ground. Alexander lost both his singles matches against Norman Brookes and Anthony Wilding as well as the doubles match against these two with his partner Beals Wright.[3]

In 1915, he wrote How to Play Lawn Tennis, part of the Spalding's athletic library series.[4]

Alexander was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1961.[1]

U.S. Indoor Championships

  • Men's Doubles champion: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1917

Grand Slam finals

Spalding's Lawn Tennis Annual 1916 edited by Fred Alexander

Singles (1 title)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win1908Australasian ChampionshipsGrassNew Zealand Alfred Dunlop3–6, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3

Doubles (6 titles, 5 runner-ups)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1900U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Raymond LittleUnited States Dwight Davis
United States Holcombe Ward
4–6, 7–9, 10–12
Loss1905U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold HackettUnited States Holcombe Ward
United States Beals Wright
4–6, 4–6, 1–6
Loss1906U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold HackettUnited States Holcombe Ward
United States Beals Wright
3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 3–6
Win1907U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold HackettUnited States Nat Thornton
United States Bryan M. Grant
6–2, 6–1, 6–1
Win1908Australasian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Alfred DunlopAustralia G. G. Sharp
New Zealand Anthony Wilding
6–3, 6–2, 6–1
Win1908U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold HackettUnited States Raymond Little
United States Beals Wright
6–1, 7–5, 6–2
Win1909U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold HackettUnited States George Janes
United States Maurice McLoughlin
6–4, 6–4, 6–0
Win1910U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold HackettUnited States Tom Bundy
United States Trowridge Hendrick
6–1, 8–6, 6–3
Loss1911U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold HackettUnited States Raymond Little
United States Gustav Touchard
5–7, 15–13, 2–6, 4–6
Win1917U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Harold ThrockmortonUnited States Harry Johnson
United States Irving Wright
11–9, 6–4, 6–4
Loss1918U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Beals WrightUnited States Vincent Richards
United States Bill Tilden
3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 2–6

References

  1. "Hall of Famers – Fred Alexander". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  2. Talbert, Bill (1967). Tennis Observed. Boston: Barre Publishers. pp. 80, 81. OCLC 172306.
  3. "Davis Cup – Player Profile Fred Alexander". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  4. "How to play lawn tennis". Open Library.
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