Mark Cox (tennis)
Mark Cox (born 5 July 1943) is a former tennis player from England, who played professional and amateur tennis in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was ranked as high as world No. 13 on the ATP rankings (achieving that ranking in August 1977). Cox was educated at Wyggeston Grammar School in Leicester and Millfield School in Somerset.
| Country (sports) |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Born | 5 July 1943 Leicester, England |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Turned pro | 1970 (amateur from 1958) |
| Retired | 1981 |
| Plays | Left-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 593-370 (61.5%) in pre Open-Era & Open Era[1] |
| Career titles | 22[1] |
| Highest ranking | No. 12 (3 October 1977) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1967, 1971) |
| French Open | 3R (1968) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1968, 1977, 1979) |
| US Open | QF (1966) |
| Other tournaments | |
| WCT Finals | QF (1975) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 142–157 (Open era) |
| Career titles | 3 (Open era) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | F (1978) |
Cox obtained an economics undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge (Downing College), where he was a member of the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club.
Career
He played his first tournament on 3 November 1958 at the Torquay Indoor.[2] During his career, he won twenty two singles titles[2] and three doubles titles spanning both the pre-Open Era and Open Era, reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. National Championships (in 1966), and the final at the event in Cincinnati (in 1977).[3] He also played for Great Britain's Davis Cup team, and was on the team that reached the 1978 final against the United States.[4] He has also gone down in tennis history as the first amateur player to beat a professional.[5]
In May 1968, at the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth, he beat the American Pancho Gonzales in five sets in two and a quarter hours.[6] Cox also achieved big upset wins over No. 1 seed, Rod Laver, at the 1971 Australian Open,[7] and over No. 2 seed, Ken Rosewall, at the 1972 US Open.[8] Cox defeated future world No. 1 Jimmy Connors in his debut Grand Slam match at the 1970 US Open. He retired from playing in 1981. After his final title in 1977 it would take another 17 years for a British player to win a top-level tour title (Jeremy Bates at Seoul in 1994). To date he is the last English born male to win a top level UK tournament on grass (Eastbourne in 1973). During his latter playing years and after his retirement, Cox has worked as a coach, and also as a television commentator for the BBC.
Personal life
Cox is a Patron of a charity "CRY" (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and an ambassador for the Win Tennis Academy at Bisham. He lives with his wife Susie in London.
Career finals
Singles: 36 (22 titles, 14 runner-ups)
| Result | No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1. | 1963 | Manly, Australia | Grass | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Martin Mulligan |
2–6, 2–6[9] |
| Win | 1. | 1966 | Baltimore, U.S. | Grass |  Jim McManus |
6–3, 6–2, 6–3[9] |
| Loss | 2. | 1967 | East London, South Africa | Clay |  Tom Okker |
7–9, 5–7[9] |
| Win | 2. | 1968 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hard | Allen Fox |
6–2, 6–1, 4–6, 2–6, 6–2[9] |
| Open era | ||||||
| Loss | 3. | 1968 | London, England | Carpet (i) | Stan Smith |
4–6, 4–6[9] |
| Win | 3. | 1968 | Eastbourne, England | Grass | Owen Davidson |
6–4, 6–4[9] |
| Win | 4. | 1968 | Istanbul, Turkey | Clay |  Patricio Rodríguez |
6–3, 6–3, 2–6, 6–4[9] |
| Win | 5. | 1968 | Perth, Scotland | Carpet (i) | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Bob Hewitt |
6–3, 6–4[9] |
| Win | 6. | 1969 | Bloemfontein, South Africa | Hard | Bob Maud |
6–2, 7–5[9] |
| Loss | 4. | 1968 | Buffalo, New York, U.S. | Hard (i) | Clark Graebner |
8–6, 9–7, 6–2[9] |
| Loss | 5. | 1969 | Macon, U.S. | Carpet (i) | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Manuel Orantes |
8–10, 5–7, 6–4, 7–9[9] |
| Loss | 6. | 1969 | Caracas, Venezuela | Clay | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Thomaz Koch |
6–8, 3–6, 6–2, 4–6[9] |
| Loss | 7. | 1969 | Willemstad, Curaçao | Clay | Cliff Richey |
4–6, 3–6, 3–6[9] |
| Win | 7. | 1969 | Charlotte, U.S. | Clay |  Jan Kodeš |
13–11, 6–2[9] |
| Win | 8. | 1969 | Stalybridge, England | Carpet (i) | Bob Hewitt |
6–4, 6–3[9] |
| Win | 9. | 1969 | Torquay, England | Hard (i) | John Clifton |
8–6, 6–3[9] |
| Win | 10. | 1969 | London, England | Carpet (i) | Bob Hewitt |
4–6, 9–7, 6–2[9] |
| Win | 11. | 1969 | Perth, Scotland | Carpet (i) |  Ismail El Shafei |
3–6, 14–12, 6–1[9] |
| Win | 12. | 1970 | Hutt Valley, Australia | Hard |  Brian Fairlie |
6–2, 6-4 |
| Win | 13. | 1970 | Bournemouth, England | Clay | Bob Hewitt |
6–1, 6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 14. | 1972 | Macon, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Roy Emerson |
6–3, 6–7, 6–3 |
| Loss | 8. | 1972 | Louisville WCT, U.S. | Clay | Arthur Ashe |
4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 15. | 1972 | Cleveland WCT, U.S. | Hard | Ray Ruffels |
6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 9. | 1973 | London WCT, England | Hard (i) | Brian Fairlie |
6–2, 2–6, 2–6, 6–7 |
| Win | 16. | 1973 | Denver WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Arthur Ashe |
6–1, 6–1 |
| Win | 17. | 1973 | Eastbourne, England | Grass |  Patrice Dominguez |
6–2, 2–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 10. | 1974 | Bologna WCT, Italy | Carpet | Arthur Ashe |
4–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 11. | 1974 | London WCT, England | Hard (i) |  Björn Borg |
7–6, 6–7, 4–6 |
| Win | 18. | 1975 | Washington Indoor WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Dick Stockton |
6–2, 7–6 |
| Win | 19. | 1975 | London WCT, England | Carpet (i) | Brian Fairlie |
6–1, 7–5 |
| Win | 20. | 1975 | Atlanta WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | John Alexander |
6–3, 7–6 |
| Win | 21. | 1976 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Manuel Orantes |
4–6, 7–5, 7–6 |
| Win | 22. | 1977 | Helsinki, Finland | Carpet (i) | Kjell Johansson |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 12. | 1977 | London/Queen's Club, England | Grass |  Raúl Ramírez |
7–9, 5–7 |
| Loss | 13. | 1977 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Clay | Harold Solomon |
2–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 14. | 1980 | Stuttgart, West Germany | Hard (i) | Tomáš Šmíd |
1–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–1, 4–6 |
Doubles: 11 (3 titles, 8 runner-ups)
| Result | No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1. | 1973 | Copenhagen, Denmark | Carpet (i) | Graham Stilwell |
Erik van Dillen Tom Gorman |
4–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1. | 1973 | Cologne, West Germany | Carpet (i) | Graham Stilwell |
Tom Okker Marty Riessen |
7–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 2. | 1973 | London, England | Carpet (i) | Owen Davidson |
Gerald Battrick Graham Stilwell |
6–4, 8–6 |
| Loss | 2. | 1974 | Denver WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) |  Jun Kamiwazumi |
Arthur Ashe Roscoe Tanner |
3–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 3. | 1975 | San Antonio WCT, U.S. | Hard | Cliff Drysdale |
John Alexander Phil Dent |
6–7, 6–4, 4–6 |
| Loss | 4. | 1975 | Memphis, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Cliff Drysdale |
Erik van Dillen Dick Stockton |
6–1, 5–7, 4–6 |
| Loss | 5. | 1975 | Atlanta WCT, U.S. | Carpet (i) | Cliff Drysdale |
 Anand Amritraj Vijay Amritraj |
3–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 6. | 1975 | World Doubles WCT, Mexico | Carpet (i) | Cliff Drysdale |
Brian Gottfried Raúl Ramírez |
6–7, 7–6, 2–6, 6–7 |
| Loss | 7. | 1976 | Washington WCT, U.S. | Carpet | Cliff Drysdale |
Eddie Dibbs Harold Solomon |
4–6, 5–7 |
| Loss | 8. | 1977 | London WCT, England | Hard (i) | Eddie Dibbs |
.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Ilie Năstase  Adriano Panatta |
6–7, 7–6, 3–6 |
| Win | 3. | 1977 | Basel, Switzerland | Carpet (i) | Buster Mottram |
John Feaver John James |
7–5, 6–4, 6–3 |
References
- "Mark Cox: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- "Mark Cox: Tournament activity/results". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- Lawrence Journal-World. "Sports Briefs". 19 July 1977, p. 11. Retrieved on 15 July 2013.
- Wilmington Morning Star. "Davis Cup players named". 17 November 1978, p. 3-C. Retrieved on 15 July 2013.
- Spartanburg Herald-Journal. "Mark Cox Is Tennis Champ". 3 May 1970, p. B4. Retrieved on 15 July 2013.
- Montreal Gazette. He followed this up for good measure by beating two times Wimbledon Champion Roy Emerson in the next round. "British Tennis Amateur Mark Cox Upsets U.S. Pro Pancho Gonzales". Associated Press, 25 April 1968, p. 14. Retrieved on 15 July 2013.
- Stone, Peter. "Laver leaves tired, beaten". The Age, 12 March 1971, p. 24. Retrieved on 15 July 2013.
- Times Daily (Florence, South Carolina). "The 'Giant Killer': Mark Cox Upsets Rosewall In U.S. Open Tennis Play". Associated Press, 3 September 1972, p. 16. Retrieved on 15 July 2013.
- "Mark Cox: Tournament results titles/finals". thetennisbase.com. Tennismem SL. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
External links
- Mark Cox at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Mark Cox at the International Tennis Federation
- Mark Cox at the Davis Cup