Ashley Cooper (tennis)

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Ashley Cooper (tennis) bigraphy, stories - Tennis player

Ashley Cooper (tennis) : biography

15 September 1936 –

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