Bill Sidwell
Australian tennis player (1920–2021)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Oswald William Thomas Sidwell (16 April 1920 – 19 August 2021) was an Australian tennis player.
AustraliaSidwell (1945) | |
| Full name | Oswald William Thomas Sidwell |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | Australia |
| Residence | Sydney, Australia |
| Born | 16 April 1920 Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 19 August 2021 (aged 101) Caringbah, New South Wales, Australia |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Retired | 1951 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 10 (1949, John Olliff)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1948, 1949, 1950) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1950) |
| US Open | 3R (1947, 1948) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1949) |
| French Open | F (1947) |
| Wimbledon | F (1947, 1950) |
| US Open | W (1949) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1948) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | F (1948Ch, 1949Ch) |
Sidwell reached five Grand Slam doubles finals, winning once, at the 1949 U.S. National Championships with compatriot John Bromwich. He also played in the Davis Cup in 1948 and 1949 where Australia lost to the United States both years in the Challenge Round. As a junior, he won the Australian Open boys' singles event in 1939. Sidwell played golf regularly in place of tennis.
He was ranked world No. 10 for 1949 by John Olliff.[1] As of December 2008, Sidwell was still organising golf events at the age of 88.[2] He turned 100 in April 2020[3] and died in Caringbah in August 2021, at the age of 101.[4]
Grand Slam finals
Doubles (1 title, 4 runners-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1947 | French Championships | Clay |  Tom Brown |  Eustace Fannin Eric Sturgess | 4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1947 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Tony Mottram |  Bob Falkenburg Jack Kramer | 6–8, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1949 | Australian Championships | Grass | Geoff Brown | John Bromwich Adrian Quist | 6–1, 5–7, 2–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 1949 | US National Championships | Grass | John Bromwich | Frank Sedgman George Worthington | 6–4, 6–0, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1950 | Wimbledon | Grass | Geoff Brown | John Bromwich Adrian Quist | 5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
Mixed doubles (1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1948 | Australian Championships | Grass | Thelma Coyne Long | Nancye Wynne Bolton Colin Long | 5–7, 6–4, 6–8 |
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