John Bromwich

John Edward Bromwich (14 November 1918 – 21 October 1999)[3] 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.[4] 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.[2][5]

John Bromwich
Bromwich in the 1930s
Full nameJohn Edward Bromwich
Country (sports) Australia
Born(1918-11-14)14 November 1918
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Died21 October 1999(1999-10-21) (aged 80)
Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro1934 (amateur tour)
Retired1954
PlaysLeft-handed (two-handed backhand, right-handed serve)
Int. Tennis HoF1984 (member page)
Singles
Career record480-90 (84.2%) [1]
Career titles54 [1]
Highest rankingNo. 3 (1938, A. Wallis Myers)[2]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenW (1939, 1946)
French OpenQF (1950)
WimbledonF (1948)
US OpenSF (1938, 1939, 1947)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1938, 1939, 1940, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949, 1950)
WimbledonW (1948, 1950)
US OpenW (1939, 1949, 1950)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian OpenW (1938)
WimbledonW (1947, 1948)
US OpenW (1947)

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.[6]

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.[7] 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.[8]

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.[4] He received a posthumous Davis Cup commitment award in 2017 which was presented to his wife by the ITF and Tennis Australia.[9]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 wins, 6 losses)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1937Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Vivian McGrath3–6, 6–1, 0–6, 6–2, 1–6
Loss1938Australian ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Don Budge4–6, 2–6, 1–6
Win1939Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian Quist6–4, 6–1, 6–3
Win1946Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Dinny Pails5–7, 6–3, 7–5, 3–6, 6–2
Loss1947Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Dinny Pails6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 6–8
Loss1948Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian Quist4–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2, 3–6
Loss1948WimbledonGrassUnited States Bob Falkenburg5–7, 6–0, 2–6, 6–3, 5–7
Loss1949Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Frank Sedgman3–6, 2–6, 2–6

Doubles: (13 wins, 3 losses)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1937Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Jack HarperAustralia Adrian Quist
Australia Don Turnbull		2–6, 7–9, 6–1, 8–6, 4–6
Win1938Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistGermany Gottfried von Cramm
Germany Henner Henkel		7–5, 6–4, 6–0
Loss1938U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistUnited States Don Budge
United States Gene Mako		3–6, 2–6, 1–6
Win1939Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Colin Long
Australia Don Turnbull		6–4, 7–5, 6–2
Win1939U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Jack Crawford
Australia Harry Hopman		8–6, 6–1, 6–4
Win1940Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Jack Crawford
Australia Vivian McGrath		6–3, 7–5, 6–1
Win1946Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Max Newcombe
Australia Leonard Schwartz		6–3, 6–1, 9–7
Win1947Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Frank Sedgman
Australia George Worthington		6–1, 6–3, 6–1
Win1948Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Frank Sedgman
Australia Colin Long		1–6, 6–8, 9–7, 6–3, 8–6
Win1948WimbledonGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanUnited States Tom Brown
United States Gardnar Mulloy		5–7, 7–5, 7–5, 9–7
Win1949Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Geoffrey Brown
Australia Bill Sidwell		1–6, 7–5, 6–2, 6–3
Win1949US National ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Bill SidwellAustralia Frank Sedgman
Australia George Worthington		6–4, 6–0, 6–1
Win1950Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistEgypt Jaroslav Drobný
South Africa Eric Sturgess		6–3, 5–7, 4–6, 6–3, 8–6
Win1950Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Geoff Brown
Australia Bill Sidwell		7–5, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–2
Win1950U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Frank SedgmanUnited States Gardnar Mulloy
Australia Bill Talbert		7–5, 8–6, 3–6, 6–1
Loss1951Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Adrian QuistAustralia Frank Sedgman
Australia 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
Win1938Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Margaret WilsonAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton
Australia Colin Long		6–3, 6–2
Loss1938U.S. ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Thelma Coyne LongUnited States Alice Marble
United States Don Budge		1–6, 2–6
Loss1939Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Margaret WilsonAustralia Nell Hall Hopman
Australia Harry Hopman		8–6, 2–6, 3–6
Loss1946Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Joyce FitchAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton
Australia Colin Long		0–6, 4–6
Loss1947Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Joyce FitchAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton
Australia Colin Long		3–6, 3–6
Win1947WimbledonGrassUnited States Louise BroughAustralia Nancye Wynne Bolton
Australia Colin Long		1–6, 6–4, 6–2
Win1947U.S. ChampionshipsGrassUnited States Louise BroughUnited States Gussy Moran
United States Pancho Segura		6–3, 6–1
Win1948WimbledonGrassUnited States Louise BroughUnited States Doris Hart
Australia Frank Sedgman		6–2, 3–6, 6–3
Loss1949Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Joyce FitchUnited States Doris Hart
Australia Frank Sedgman		1–6, 7–5, 10–12
Loss1949WimbledonGrassUnited States Louise BroughSouth Africa Sheila Piercey Summers
South Africa Eric Sturgess		7–9, 11–9, 5–7
Loss1954Australian ChampionshipsGrassAustralia Beryl PenroseAustralia Thelma Coyne Long
Australia Rex Hartwig		6–4, 1–6, 2–6

Singles performance timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# DNQ A NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
Tournament19351936193719381939194019411942194319441945 194619471948194919501951195219531954 SR W–L Win %
Australian Open 3R QF F F W SF Not held W F F F QF QF AA SF 2 / 13 44–11 80%
French Open AAAAA Not held AAAA QF AAAA 0 / 1 4–1 80%
Wimbledon A A 3R A A Not held A 4R F SF 4R AAAA 0 / 5 19–5 79%
US Open AAA SF SF AAAAAAA SF A 3R 3R AAAA 0 / 5 16–5 76%
Win–loss 2–12–16–28–29–13–10–00–00–00–00–0 5–011–310–211–311–42–10–00–03–1 2 / 24 83–22 79%

References
  1. "John Bromwich: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
  2. "Bromwich placed third". The Sydney Morning Herald. 5 October 1938. p. 19 – via Google News Archive.
  3. "Jack Bromwich, 80, Australian Tennis Star" (PDF). The New York Times. 23 October 1999.
  4. "Hall of Famers – John Bromwich". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on 30 March 2010.
  5. "World's best 10 in tennis". The Courier-mail. No. 3181. Queensland, Australia. 3 February 1947. p. 6 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. "Australia Triumphs". Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 209. 5 September 1939. p. 14 – via PapersPast.
  7. "Bromwhich Beaten in Fifth Set". The Sydney Morning Herald. 3 July 1948 – via Google News Archive.
  8. "Dinny Pails Beats Bromwich In Singles Final". Daily Examiner. 28 January 1947. p. 4 – via Trove.
  9. "Davis Cup Commitment Award for Bromwich". Tennis Australia. 6 February 2017.

Sources
  • The Game – My 40 Years in Tennis (1979) — Jack Kramer with Frank Deford (ISBN 0-399-12336-9)
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