Bobby Wilson
Bobby Wilson
Bobby Wilson
Bobby Wilson
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  • Robert Keith Wilson, always known as "Bobby", was one of Great Britain's best players in the 1950s and 1960s.

    He won the 1951 British Junior Championships aged 15 and was runner-up the next two years. He won junior Wimbledon in 1952, the same year he lost in the senior competition to eventual runner-up Jaroslav Drobny in the second round.

    Wilson reached his first Grand Slam championship quarter-final at Wimbledon in 1958. He lost to World No. 1 Ashley Cooper 7-5 in the fifth set. The next year, as fourth seed, Wilson lost at the same stage to Roy Emerson 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.

    On his fourth appearance at the US Nationals in 1960, eighth seed Wilson reached the last eight without dropping a set but lost to Rod Laver 9-7, 6-1, 6-3. In 1961 at Wimbledon, he beat Eduardo Soriano 6-2, 4-6, 5-7, 16-14, 6-3 in the first round and top seed Neale Fraser 1-6, 6-0, 13-11, 9-7 in the third round. He lost to eighth seed Chuck McKinley in his next match.

    Wilson's best year came in 1963, when he reached the quarter-finals at the French, US Championships and Wimbledon. He lost to third seed Pierre Darmon 6-3, 6-4, 6-3 at Roland Garros, to fourth seed Chuck McKinley 8-6, 6-4, 6-2 at the All England Club and as No. 6 seed at Forest Hills squandered one match point against Frank Froehling in a 9-7 fifth-set loss. Wilson played his last Wimbledon championships aged 41 in 1977.

    "In my long tennis career," said Wilson. "I had the honour of playing against or practising with 26 Wimbledon champions from Henri Cochet and Jean Borotra in a London versus Paris challenge in 1952 to John McEnroe in the first round of the Wimbledon mixed doubles in 1977."

    As a Davis Cup player from 1955, he competed in 61 rubbers over 34 ties in 12 years. He had a 16-12 record in singles and a 25-8 record in doubles rubbers.

    In 1964, he wrote his autobiography, My Side of the Net, about his stories of top flight tennis.

    Bio: James Buddell

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