Long-time former British No. 1 Mark Cox has gone down in tennis history as the first amateur player to beat a professional player. The 24-year-old left-hander beat American Pancho Gonzales 0-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 in two hours, 15 minutes, at the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth in May 1968. He went on to beat 31-year-old Australian Roy Emerson 6-0, 6-1, 7-5 in 75 minutes before losing to 29-year-old Rod Laver 6-4, 6-1, 6-0 in the semi-finals... Born in Leicester to Marian and Leslie, a personnel manager and night school teacher... Started playing tennis aged eight. Cox showed an inherent ball sense and timing ability when he was a child and also showed an above-average talent for football, cricket and badminton... Blond and crinkly-haired Cox combined a burgeoning amateur tennis career with his studies and was accepted at Downing College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with an economics degree in June 1966. He was also a member of the Cambridge University Tennis Club... Aged 23, he married Alison Stroud (two sons, one daughter) and embarked on a �success in two years or quit� tennis focus... He would reach the 1966 US Championships quarter-finals (l. to Newcombe) and the 1967 Australian Championships (l. to Newcombe), but still considered quitting at the end of his two-year trial period. Later he would advance to 1971 Australian Open quarter-finals (l. to Lutz)... Cox competed at Wimbledon on 17 occasions (1962-71, 1974-80) and reached the singles fourth round on three occasions in 1968 (l. to Laver), 1977 (l. to B. Martin) and 1979 (l. to Connors). In doubles, he advanced to the 1966 semi-finals, 1970 quarter-finals (w/Stilwell) and 1977 semi-finals (w/C. Drysdale) at Wimbledon... In the Open Era, Cox won eight singles titles (1972-WCT-Cleveland; 1973-Eastbourne, WCT-Denver; 1975-WCT-Atlanta, WCT-Washington Indoor, WCT-London; 1976-Stockholm; and 1976-Helsinki) from 16 finals, including 1977 Queen�s Club (l. to R. Ramirez)... Until Andy Murray won ATP titles at Madrid and St. Petersburg in October 2008, Cox had been the last British player to win back-to-back ATP titles at London and Washington in March 1975... Cox was also the last British player to win an ATP title at Helsinki on 20 March 1977, until Jeremy Bates snapped a 17-year title drought for British players at Seoul in 24 April 1994... He attained a career-high No. 13 singles ranking (23 August 1977)... Cox captured three indoor doubles title (1973-London w/Davidson, WCT-Cologne w/Stilwell; and 1977-Basel (w/Mottram) from 12 finals... He made his Davis Cup debut for Great Britain against Bulgaria in May 1967 and played 16 ties (23-12 record) until September 1979. Cox played a vital role Great Britain reaching the 1978 Davis Cup final versus the United States in Rancho Mirage, CA... He retired in 1981 and has since worked as a coach, largely in charge of junior development, as a BBC television commentator and as a Patron of charity CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young)... He lives with his wife near Epsom Downs, Surrey. Bio: James Buddell - August 2009
