Fred Alexander

Frederick Beasley Alexander (August 14, 1880 – March 3, 1969) was an American tennis player in the early 20th century. He won the singles title at the 1908 Australasian Championships and six double titles at Grand Slam events.

Fred Alexander
Alexander playing a low forehand volley
Full nameFrederick Beasley Alexander
Country (sports) United States
Born(1880-08-14)August 14, 1880
Sea Bright NJ, U.S.
DiedMarch 3, 1969(1969-03-03) (aged 88)
Beverly Hills, CA, U.S.
Turned pro1899 (amateur tour)
Retired1920
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
CollegePrinceton University
Int. Tennis HoF1961 (member page)
Singles
Career record29–11
Highest rankingNo. 7 (1909, ITHF)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenW (1908)
US OpenF (1908)
Doubles
Career record0–0
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1908)
US OpenW (1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1917)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
US OpenF (1918)
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1908Ch)

Career

The right-handed Alexander in 1908 became the first foreigner to win the singles title at the Australasian/Australian Championships, the amateur precursor to the Australian Open. He then teamed with the man he defeated in the final, Alfred Dunlop, to win the doubles.

Alexander attended Princeton University and won the Intercollegiate doubles championship in 1900 and the singles in 1901. Between 1904 and 1918, he was a U.S. top ten player at year's end six times. He was a finalist in doubles at the U.S. Championships, precursor to the US Open, seven straight times beginning in 1905. He and partner Harold Hackett won the U.S. doubles each year from 1907 to 1910. At age 37, Alexander won again in 1917, partnering with Harold Throckmorton. In the singles, Alexander reached the all comers final in 1908, beating William Clothier before losing to Beals Wright in straight sets.[2]

He competed in the USA Davis Cup team in 1908 which lost the final against Australia at the Albert Ground, Melbourne. Alexander lost both his singles matches against Norman Brookes and Anthony Wilding as well as the doubles match against these two together with his partner Beals Wright.[3]

In 1915 he authored How to Play Lawn Tennis, part of the Spalding's athletic library series.[4]

Alexander was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1961.[1]

U.S. Indoor Championships
  • Men's Doubles champion: 1906, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1912, 1917

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win1908Australasian ChampionshipsGrass Alfred Dunlop3–6, 3–6, 6–0, 6–2, 6–3

Doubles (6 titles, 5 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1900US ChampionshipsGrass Raymond Little Dwight Davis
Holcombe Ward		4–6, 7–9, 10–12
Loss1905US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Hackett Holcombe Ward
Beals Wright		4–6, 4–6, 1–6
Loss1906US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Hackett Holcombe Ward
Beals Wright		3–6, 6–3, 3-, 3–6
Win1907US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Hackett Nat Thornton
Bryan M. Grant		6–2, 6–1, 6–1
Win1908Australasian ChampionshipsGrass Alfred Dunlop G. G. Sharp
Anthony Wilding		6–3, 6–2, 6–1
Win1908US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Hackett Raymond Little
Beals Wright		6–1, 7–5, 6–2
Win1909US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Hackett George Janes
Maurice McLoughlin		6–4, 6–4, 6–0
Win1910US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Hackett Tom Bundy
Trowridge Hendrick		6–1, 8–6, 6–3
Loss1911US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Hackett Raymond Little
Gustav Touchard		5–7, 15–13, 2–6, 4–6
Win1917US ChampionshipsGrass Harold Throckmorton Harry Johnson
Irving Wright		11–9, 6–4, 6–4
Loss1918US ChampionshipsGrass Beals Wright Vincent Richards
Bill Tilden		3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, 2–6
gollark: I was confused by the ËEPROM.
gollark: Ah yes, so it does.
gollark: AVR machine code strictly speaking.
gollark: palaiologocalculator™ on this is unlikely.
gollark: On whatever extremely RISC instruction set they have, good luck.

References
  1. "Hall of Famers – Fred Alexander". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  2. Talbert, Bill (1967). Tennis Observed. Boston: Barre Publishers. pp. 80, 81. OCLC 172306.
  3. "Davis Cup – Player Profile Fred Alexander". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved 28 October 2016.
  4. "How to play lawn tennis". Open Library.
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