What’s today called the Australian Open and is one of the four annual grand slams in tennis, was known by different names earlier. The tournament’s inception was early in the 20th century and was the last of the four slams to come into existence. Throwing back more than a hundred years into the tournament’s history, Rodney Heath won the first edition in 1905 when it was called the Australasian Championships.
The tournament followed the same name for slightly over 20 years and through World War I as well, before it was renamed to the Australian Championships. A total of 19 editions were played before the event was called the Australian Championships and here, we’re going to talk about the first winner of this tournament in 1927 – Australia’s very own Gerald Patterson.
Who was tennis player Gerald Patterson?
Gerald Patterson turned pro way back in 1914 and he made the final of the 1914 Australasian Championships in the first year of his professional career itself. He lost here to countryman Arthur O’Hara Wood but he made two more finals in the years to come, losing to Australia’s James Anderson in 1922 and 1925 respectively. However, it was fourth time lucky for him in the 1927 Australian Open.
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Born in Melbourne, Patterson was from an influential family, nephew of opera singer Dame Nellie Melba and son of racing driver Bill Patterson. He won three singles grand slam titles in his career including one in Australia in 1927 and a couple in Wimbledon, along with 6 doubles grand slam titles. He died in 1967 at the age of 71 and was inducted into the Sport Australia Home of Fame in December 1986, and the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1989.
Gerald Patterson wins 1927 Australian Championships
After more than 10 years of trying to conquer this tournament, Patterson finally managed to bring home the title in 1927, just a year prior to his retirement in 1928. There were 8 seeded players in the men’s draw of the 1927 Australian Open and Patterson was the top seeded player, beating Edward Noske in four sets in Round 1, Harry T Hicks in three sets in Round 2, and Léonce Jacques Aslangul in four sets in Round 3.
January 31, 1927: Gerald Patterson of Australia hits 29 aces – against 29 double faults – in beating Jack Hawkes 3-6, 6-4, 3-6, 18-16, 6-3 to win the men’s singles title at the Australian Championships in Melbourne. (via @ThisDayInTennis) pic.twitter.com/KPma00QsBI
— Randy Walker (@TennisPublisher) January 31, 2019
On he progressed into the business stages of the Australian Open 1927 but considering he was the co-world number #1 with Bill Johnston in 1919, he was among the best at the time and was pretty flawless in games to come. He beat Bob Schlesinger in four sets in the quarter final, Edgar Moon in straight sets in the semi finals, and then the defending champion John Hawkes in a thrilling 5-set encounter in the final.
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All the top eight seeds were Australian players and number #3 seed Hawkes beat #2 seed Jim Willard in the semi final. Hawkes won in 1926 and was looking to repeat the feat, taking a 2-1 sets lead in the final. The fourth set in the 1927 Australian Championships turned out to be an epic one, with the two going at each other for hours and eventually, Patterson winning 18-16.
After that marathon set, he got through 6-3 in the final set and became the Australian Championships winner. It turned out to be the last grand slam title of his career, but he’ll always be remembered as one of the entries in the Australian Open winners list. Incidentally, he also won the men’s doubles title here in 1927 where he partnered with John Hawkes and beat Ian McInness / Pat O’Hara Wood in the final.
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