John Bromwich

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John Edward Bromwich (14 November 1918 – 21 October 1999)[1] was an Australian tennis player who, along with fellow countryman Vivian McGrath, was one of the first great players to use a two-handed backhand. He was a natural left-hander, though hit his serve with his right hand.[2] Bromwich twice won the Australian Championships singles title, in 1939 (over Adrian Quist in a straight sets final) and in 1946 (a five-set final victory over Dinny Pails). He was ranked world No. 3 by A. Wallis Myers in 1938 and again by Harry Hopman in 1947.[3][4]

Tennis career

Although a fine singles player, Bromwich was primarily known as being a world-class doubles player, winning 13 men's doubles titles and 4 mixed doubles titles in the majors. Tennis great (and near contemporary) Jack Kramer writes in his 1979 autobiography that if "Earth were playing in the all-time Universe Davis Cup, I'd play Budge and Vines in my singles, and Budge and Bromwich in the doubles. That's what I think of Johnny as a doubles player."

In the 1939 Davis Cup final, just as World War II was starting, Bromwich played arguably the match of his life in beating the American, Frank Parker, in straight sets, to clinch the Cup for Australia. Australia had trailed 0–2 after the first day, and came back to win the tie, 3–2. This remains the only time in Davis Cup history where the winning team has won a Davis Cup final after trailing 0–2.[5]

In 1948, Bromwich played the American Bob Falkenburg in the Wimbledon final, and had a championship point at 5–3 in the fifth set. He came to the net for a volley but decided that Falkenburg's ball would go long and let it go by. It landed on the baseline and Falkenburg fought his way back into the match. Bromwich later had another two championship points, but was unable to take those either, and Falkenburg came back to win the championship, taking the last four games to win the fifth set, 7–5.[6] Kramer later wrote that "...it never seemed to me that he was the same player after that. He doubted himself. He was a precision player to start with – he used a terribly light racket weighing less than twelve ounces, and it was strung loosely. He could put a ball on a dime, and I suppose after he misjudged that one shot, the most important in his life, he never possessed the confidence he needed." Bromwich also had a championship point in losing the 1947 Australian Championships singles final to Dinny Pails.[7]

File:John Bromwich 1944.jpeg
John Bromwich in a 1944 exhibition match against Dinny Pails

Bromwich gained some revenge against Falkenburg in the 1949 Wimbledon quarterfinals, coming back from two sets down to win in five sets. Bromwich then lost to Jaroslav Drobný in the semifinals.

Writing about Bromwich, Kramer says, "Bromwich was like McMillan today because as a kid John hit from both sides two-handed, and while he eventually had given up the two-handed forehand, he still hit backhand two-handed and could anything back from the baseline. He had strokes very much like Connors."

Bromwich was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1984.[2] He received a posthumous Davis Cup commitment award in 2017 which was presented to his wife by the ITF and Tennis Australia.[8]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 wins, 6 losses)

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1937 Australian Championships Grass AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Vivian McGrath 3–6, 6–1, 0–6, 6–2, 1–6
Loss 1938 Australian Championships Grass United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Don Budge 4–6, 2–6, 1–6
Win 1939 Australian Championships Grass AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Adrian Quist 6–4, 6–1, 6–3
Win 1946 Australian Championships Grass AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Dinny Pails 5–7, 6–3, 7–5, 3–6, 6–2
Loss 1947 Australian Championships Grass AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Dinny Pails 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–8
Loss 1948 Australian Championships Grass AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Adrian Quist 4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 3–6
Loss 1948 Wimbledon Grass United StatesScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Bob Falkenburg 5–7, 6–0, 2–6, 6–3, 5–7
Loss 1949 Australian Championships Grass AustraliaScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Frank Sedgman 3–6, 2–6, 2–6

Doubles: (13 wins, 3 losses)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1937 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Jack Harper Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist
Template:Flagicon Don Turnbull		 2–6, 7–9, 6–1, 8–6, 4–6
Win 1938 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Gottfried von Cramm
Template:Flagicon Henner Henkel		 7–5, 6–4, 6–0
Loss 1938 U.S. Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Don Budge
Template:Flagicon Gene Mako		 3–6, 2–6, 1–6
Win 1939 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Colin Long
Template:Flagicon Don Turnbull		 6–4, 7–5, 6–2
Win 1939 U.S. Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Jack Crawford
Template:Flagicon Harry Hopman		 8–6, 6–1, 6–4
Win 1940 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Jack Crawford
Template:Flagicon Vivian McGrath		 6–3, 7–5, 6–1
Win 1946 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Max Newcombe
Template:Flagicon Leonard Schwartz		 6–3, 6–1, 9–7
Win 1947 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman
Template:Flagicon George Worthington		 6–1, 6–3, 6–1
Win 1948 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman
Template:Flagicon Colin Long		 1–6, 6–8, 9–7, 6–3, 8–6
Win 1948 Wimbledon Grass Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman Template:Flagicon Tom Brown
Template:Flagicon Gardnar Mulloy		 5–7, 7–5, 7–5, 9–7
Win 1949 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Geoffrey Brown
Template:Flagicon Bill Sidwell		 1–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–3
Win 1949 US National Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Bill Sidwell Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman
Template:Flagicon George Worthington		 6–4, 6–0, 6–1
Win 1950 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Jaroslav Drobný
Template:Flagicon Eric Sturgess		 6–3, 5–7, 4–6, 6–3, 8–6
Win 1950 Wimbledon Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Geoff Brown
Template:Flagicon Bill Sidwell		 7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2
Win 1950 U.S. Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman Template:Flagicon Gardnar Mulloy
Template:Flagicon Bill Talbert		 7–5, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1
Loss 1951 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Adrian Quist Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman
Template:Flagicon Ken McGregor		 9–11, 6–2, 3–6, 6–4, 3–6

Mixed Doubles: 11 (4 wins, 7 losses)

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1938 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Margaret Wilson Template:Flagicon Nancye Wynne Bolton
Template:Flagicon Colin Long		 6–3, 6–2
Loss 1938 U.S. Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Thelma Coyne Long Template:Flagicon Alice Marble
Template:Flagicon Don Budge		 1–6, 2–6
Loss 1939 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Margaret Wilson Template:Flagicon Nell Hall Hopman
Template:Flagicon Harry Hopman		 8–6, 2–6, 3–6
Loss 1946 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Joyce Fitch Template:Flagicon Nancye Wynne Bolton
Template:Flagicon Colin Long		 0–6, 4–6
Loss 1947 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Joyce Fitch Template:Flagicon Nancye Wynne Bolton
Template:Flagicon Colin Long		 3–6, 3–6
Win 1947 Wimbledon Grass Template:Flagicon Louise Brough Template:Flagicon Nancye Wynne Bolton
Template:Flagicon Colin Long		 1–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win 1947 U.S. Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Louise Brough Template:Flagicon Gussy Moran
Template:Flagicon Pancho Segura		 6–3, 6–1
Win 1948 Wimbledon Grass Template:Flagicon Louise Brough Template:Flagicon Doris Hart
Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman		 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
Loss 1949 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Joyce Fitch Template:Flagicon Doris Hart
Template:Flagicon Frank Sedgman		 1–6, 7–5, 10–12
Loss 1949 Wimbledon Grass Template:Flagicon Louise Brough Template:Flagicon Sheila Piercey Summers
Template:Flagicon Eric Sturgess		 7–9, 11–9, 5–7
Loss 1954 Australian Championships Grass Template:Flagicon Beryl Penrose Template:Flagicon Thelma Coyne Long
Template:Flagicon Rex Hartwig		 6–4, 1–6, 2–6

Singles performance timeline

Template:Performance key

Tournament 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 SR <templatestyles src="Template:Tooltip/styles.css" /> W–L Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". Win %
Australian Open 3R QF F F W SF Not held W F F F QF QF A A SF 2 / 13 44–11 Template:Tennis win percentage
French Open A A A A A Not held A A A A QF A A A A 0 / 1 4–1 Template:Tennis win percentage
Wimbledon A A 3R A A Not held A 4R F SF 4R A A A A 0 / 5 19–5 Template:Tennis win percentage
US Open A A A SF SF A A A A A A A SF A 3R 3R A A A A 0 / 5 16–5 Template:Tennis win percentage
Win–loss 2–1 2–1 6–2 8–2 9–1 3–1 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 5–0 11–3 10–2 11–3 11–4 2–1 0–0 0–0 3–1 2 / 24 83–22 Template:Tennis win percentage

References

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Sources

  • The Game – My 40 Years in Tennis (1979) – Jack Kramer with Frank Deford (Template:ISBN)

External links

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