Herbert Roper Barrett, KC (24 November 1873 – 27 July 1943) was a tennis player from Great Britain.[4]

Herbert Barrett
Full nameHerbert Roper Barrett
Country (sports) United Kingdom
Born(1873-11-24)24 November 1873
Upton, Essex, England
Died27 July 1943(1943-07-27) (aged 69)
Horsham, Sussex, England
Singles
Career record332–58 (85.13%)[1]
Career titles51[2][3]
Grand Slam singles results
WimbledonF (1908AC, 1909AC, 1911Ch)
Doubles
Career record0–0
Grand Slam doubles results
WimbledonW (1909, 1912, 1913)
Medal record
Men's Tennis
Gold medal – first place 1908 London Indoor doubles
Silver medal – second place 1912 Stockholm Indoor mixed doubles

Biography

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Roper Barrett with C.P. Dixon in the 1913 Davis Cup

Barrett was born on 24 November 1873 in Upton, Essex.

At the London Olympics in 1908 Barrett won a gold medal in the men's indoor doubles event with Arthur Gore.[5][6] They also won the doubles in Wimbledon in 1909. In 1912 and 1913 he won the Wimbledon doubles title with Charles Dixon.

He played his first Wimbledon singles' competition in 1898, reaching the second round in which he lost to eventual finalist Laurence Doherty. In 1908 he reached the All comers final, beating Anthony Wilding and Major Ritchie before losing in five sets to Arthur Gore.[7] In 1909 he beat James Cecil Parke and Friedrich Rahe before losing to Ritchie in the all comers final. He achieved his best Wimbledon singles result in 1911 when he beat Parke and Gordon Lowe before winning the All-Comers final against compatriot Charles P. Dixon. In the Challenge Round against Anthony Wilding from New Zealand, Roper Barrett had to retire at the start of the fifth set.[7] Over the following years he would make regular appearances at Wimbledon until his final participation in 1921.[8]

He participated in the first Davis Cup in 1900 and was the non-playing captain of the winning British Davis Cup team in 1933.

His most successful tournament wins were at the Suffolk Championships at Saxmundham which he won 17 times between 1898 and 1921, he reached 18 finals there and won the tournament 14 consecutive times between 1904 and 1921 all three values are all-time records at a single tournament.[9] He won the Essex Championships 13 times (1897–1898, 1899, 1901, 1906, 1908, 1910, 1912), and also won the East of England Championships 6 times (1897–1899, 1901–1902, 1910). He died on 27 July 1943.

Grand Slam finals

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Singles (2 runner-ups)

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Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1908 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Arthur Gore 3–6, 2–6, 6–4, 6–3, 4–6
Loss 1911 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Anthony Wilding 4–6, 6–4, 6–2, 2–6 ret.

Doubles (3 titles, 3 runner-ups)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1908 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Arthur Gore   Major Ritchie
  Anthony Wilding
1–6, 2–6, 1–6, 7–9
Win 1909 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Arthur Gore   Stanley Doust
  Harry Parker
6–2, 6–1, 6–4
Loss 1910 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Arthur Gore   Major Ritchie
  Anthony Wilding
1–6, 1–6, 2–6
Win 1912 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Charles P. Dixon   Max Decugis
  André Gobert
3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5
Win 1913 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Charles P. Dixon   Heinrich Kleinschroth
  Friedrich Wilhelm Rahe
6–2, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Loss 1914 Wimbledon Championships Grass   Charles P. Dixon   Norman Brookes
  Anthony Wilding
1–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–8

References

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  1. ^ "Record: WINS HIGHEST % (AT LEAST 250 MATCHES)". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved 2 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Herbert Roper Barrett: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. The Tennis Base. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  3. ^ "Herbert Roper-Barrett player profile". tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Herbert Roper Barrett". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  5. ^ "London 1908". ITF. Retrieved 18 May 2012.
  6. ^ "Herbert Roper Barrett Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 4 February 2013. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  7. ^ a b "Wimbledon player archive – Roper Barrett". AELTC.
  8. ^ Bud Collins (2010). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (2nd ed.). [New York]: New Chapter Press. ISBN 978-0942257700.
  9. ^ "Roper Barrett-Biography". sports-reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2 December 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2016.
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