Ashley Cooper (tennis) : biography
Ashley John Cooper AO (born 15 September 1936 in Melbourne) is a former tennis player from Australia, who was the World No. 1 amateur player in 1957 and 1958.
1958 was Cooper’s best year where he became one of only ten men to date (2010) to win three of the four Grand Slam events in the same year – he won singles at the Australian, British, and American championships and was a semi-finalist at the French championship, losing to Luis Ayala 11–9, 6–4, 4–6, 2–6, 5–7.
The right-handed Cooper was the top-ranked player in both 1957, when he was a Wimbledon and Forest Hills finalist and Paris semi-finalist, and in 1958. Cooper was an Australian Davis Cup player as the team won the cup from ’56 and ’57, and finalists in ’58. He turned professional in 1959.
Upon retiring as a player, Cooper has served as a tennis player development administrator with Tennis Queensland, where he has been based for nearly fifty years. He presently also sits on the Board of Directors for Tennis Australia.
Cooper was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1991.
In the Queen’s Birthday Honours List of 2007, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for his service to tennis. – Officer of the Order of Australia
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 6 (4–2)
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Winner | 1957 | Australian Championships | Grass | Neale Fraser | 6–3, 9–11, 6–4, 6–2 |
Runner-up | 1957 | Wimbledon | Grass | Lew Hoad | 2–6, 1–6, 2–6 |
Runner-up | 1957 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Malcolm Anderson | 8–10, 5–7, 4–6 |
Winner | 1958 | Australian Championships (2) | Grass | Malcolm Anderson | 7–5, 6–3, 6–4 |
Winner | 1958 | Wimbledon | Grass | Neale Fraser | 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 13–11 |
Winner | 1958 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Malcolm Anderson | 6–2, 3–6, 4–6, 10–8, 8–6 |
Doubles: 7 (4–3)
Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
1957 | French Championships | AUS}} Malcolm Anderson | AUS}} Don Candy Mervyn Rose | 6–3, 6–0, 6–3 |
1957 | U.S. Championships | AUS}} Neale Fraser | USA|1912}} Gardnar Mulloy Budge Patty | 4–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–3 |
1958 | Australian Championships | AUS}} Neale Fraser | AUS}} Roy Emerson Robert Mark | 7–5, 6–8, 3–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
1958 | French Championships | AUS}} Neale Fraser | AUS}} Robert Howe Abe Segal | 3–6, 8–6, 6–3, 7–5 |
Year | Championship | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
1956 | French Championships | AUS}} Lew Hoad | AUS}} Don Candy Robert Perry | 5–7, 3–6, 3–6 |
1957 | Australian Championships | AUS}} Malcolm Anderson | AUS}} Lew Hoad Neale Fraser | 3–6, 6–8, 4–6 |
1958 | Wimbledon | AUS}} Neale Fraser | SWE}} Sven Davidson Ulf Schmidt | 4–6, 4–6, 6–8 |