Charles P. Dixon

Charles Percy Dixon (7 February 1873 – 29 April 1939) was a male tennis player from Great Britain. He was a four-time Olympic medallist and led a successful British team to victory in the Davis Cup.[2]

Charles P. Dixon
Full nameCharles Percy Dixon
Country (sports) United Kingdom
Born(1873-02-07)7 February 1873
Grantham, England
Died7 April 1939(1939-04-07) (aged 66)
London, England
Singles
Career record303/99 (75.38%)
Career titles34
Highest rankingNo. 6 (1913, A. Wallis Myers)[1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1912)
WimbledonF (1901AC, 1911AC)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1912)
WimbledonW (1912, 1913)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1912)
Medal record
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 1912 Stockholm Indoor mixed doubles
Silver medal – second place 1912 Stockholm Indoor singles
Bronze medal – third place 1908 London Doubles
Bronze medal – third place 1912 Stockholm Indoor doubles
Charles Dixon vs. Bill Larned on 9 September 1911 at The Championships, Wimbledon

Biography

Dixon was born on 7 February 1873 in Grantham, Lincolnshire. At the 1908 Summer Olympics in London he won a bronze medal in the men's doubles event. In the 1912 Summer Olympics he won three medals in the indoor tennis events: gold in the mixed doubles, silver in men's singles and bronze in men's doubles.[3][4]

From 1929 to 1932 he represented the International Club of Great Britain against France at Queens and at Auteuil in 1932 and 1933. After retiring from tournaments, he coached juniors and umpired at Wimbledon, becoming President of the Umpire's Association. He died on 29 April 1939.[3]

Tennis tournaments

Dixon was born in 1873, the year that Major Walter Clopton Wingfield defined the first rules for lawn tennis. Dixon reached his first all comers final at Wimbledon in 1901, beating Harold Mahony before losing to Arthur Gore.[5] A decade later, in 1911, Dixon reached the all comers final again, beating Major Ritchie and Max Decugis before losing to Herbert Roper Barrett.[5] He won the doubles with Roper Barrett in 1912 and 1913.

His career included victories in international tournaments overseas include the Ostend International tournament (1905), the Doubles at the Championship of Dieppe (Championnat de Diepper) (1908) won partnering with M.J.G. Ritchie[6] In the UK he won the Surrey Championships (1911) on grass, defeating Anthony Wilding in four sets.[7]

He also won the Dulwich Farm Hard Courts on clay at Dulwich four times from (1909–1910, 1912–1913).[8] He also won the Drive Club Tournament at the Drive Club, Fulham that was played on hard cement courts three times (1908-1910).

Dixon was better known at the time for his many successes when representing Britain in the Davis Cup: starting in the 1909 Cup in Philadelphia, he led the British team to victory in the 1912 Cup in Australia.[3] He was also a member of the English Drive Club team in South Africa in 1910–1911.

He won the 1913 Doubles title at the Russian Open Tennis Championship, partnering Albert D Prebble, and was runner up in the singles.[9]

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (3 titles, 1 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1912Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrassUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Herbert Roper BarrettFrance Max Decugis
France André Gobert		3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 7–5
Win1912Australasian ChampionshipsGrassIreland James Cecil ParkeUnited Kingdom Alfred Beamish
United Kingdom Gordon Lowe		6–4, 6–4, 6–2
Win1913Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrassUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Herbert Roper BarrettGermany Heinrich Kleinschroth
Germany Friedrich Wilhelm Rahe		6–2, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2
Loss1914Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrassUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland Herbert Roper BarrettAustralia Norman Brookes
Australia Anthony Wilding		1–6, 1–6, 7–5, 6–8

References
  1. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 422.
  2. "Charles P. Dixon". Olympedia. Retrieved 12 April 2021.
  3. "Charles P. Dixon, 64, Former Tennis Star. Helped Win Wimbledon Doubles Title for England in 1912". The New York Times. 1 May 1939. Retrieved 17 December 2010.
  4. "Charles P. Dixon Olympic Results". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 15 May 2013.
  5. "Wimbledon player archive – Charles Dixon". AELTC.
  6. Championnat de Diepper, La Presse, p3, 3 August 1908
  7. "Lawn Tennis". Evening Post. 29 May 1911. p. 7.
  8. "1877 to 2012 Finals Results". stevegtennis.com. Steve G Tennis. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  9. The early Russian Lawn Tennis Championships (1907–14) by Mark Ryan
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