Rex Hartwig

Rex Noel Hartwig (born 2 September 1929) is an Australian former tennis player.[2]

Rex Hartwig
Full nameRex Noel Hartwig
Country (sports) Australia
Born (1929-09-02) 2 September 1929
Culcairn, New South Wales, Australia
Turned pro1950 (amateur tour)
Retired1962
PlaysRight-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 5 (1954, Lance Tingay)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenF (1954)
French Open4R (1953, 1954)
WimbledonQF (1954)
US OpenF (1954)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1954)
WimbledonW (1954, 1955)
US OpenW (1953)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian OpenW (1953, 1954)
French OpenF (1954)
WimbledonQF (1954)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1953, 1955 )

Early life

Rex Hartwig was born on 2 September 1929 in Culcairn, New South Wales. Both parents played tennis and at age 10 Hartwig played and won in a local tournament with his father. When he was 13 he began competing in afternoon competitions and took a job managing tennis courts in Albury. He formed a doubles team with Allan Kendall jr. and the team won the NSW, Victorian and Australian Junior titles.[3][4]

Tennis career

Hartwig was ranked World No. 5 in both 1954 and 1955 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.[1]

Wimbledon

He won the doubles in Wimbledon twice: In 1954 with Mervyn Rose and in 1955 with Lew Hoad.[5][6]

Australian championships

In 1953 he also won the doubles with Mervyn Rose and the mixed doubles with Julia Sampson Hayward.[7] In 1954 he again won the mixed doubles title in Melbourne, this time partnering Thelma Coyne Long.[8][9][10]

US championships

In 1953 he won the doubles title at the US Championships with Mervyn Rose, defeating Gardnar Mulloy and Bill Talbert in the final that lasted 77 minutes.[11][12]

Playing singles he made the final in 1954 but lost to Vic Seixas.[13]

Davis Cup

Hartwig was member of the Australian Davis Cup team in 1953, 1954 and 1955. In 1953 he played the doubles match with Lew Hoad in the Challenge Round against the USA and lost to Vic Seixas and Tony Trabert. This would turn out to be Hartwig's only Davis Cup defeat. In 1954 he defeated Seixas in the Challenge Round that Australia lost to the USA. In 1955 he made a significant contribution towards Australia's Cup win, playing 11 matches in six ties and winning all of them. He compiled a 12–1 win–loss record in the Davis Cup (6–0 singles, 6–1 doubles).[14][15][16]

Other tournaments

In November 1954 Hartwig won the singles title at the New South Wales Championships in Sydney. In the final he defeated countryman Mervyn Rose in three straight sets.[17]

Professional

In November 1955 Hartwig turned professional by signing a contract with tennis promoter Jack Kramer for a fixed amount of $30,000 plus a percentage of the gate receipts of the professional tour.[18][19]

Playing style

Hartwig was known for his well-timed groundstrokes and his crisp and accurate volleys. Australian tennis player and coach Harry Hopman characterized Hartwig as a great stylist.[20]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 runners-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1954Australian ChampionshipsGrass Mervyn Rose2–6, 6–0, 4–6, 2–6
Loss1954U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Vic Seixas6–3, 2–6, 4–6, 4–6

Doubles (4 titles – 1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1953Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Mervyn Rose Lew Hoad
Ken Rosewall		4–6, 5–7, 6–4, 5–7
Win1953U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Mervyn Rose Gardnar Mulloy
Bill Talbert		6–4, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4
Win1954Australian ChampionshipsGrass Mervyn Rose Neale Fraser
Clive Wilderspin		6–3, 6–4, 6–2
Win1954Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Mervyn Rose Vic Seixas
Tony Trabert		6–4, 6–4, 3–6, 6–4
Win1955Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Lew Hoad Neale Fraser
Ken Rosewall		7–5, 6–4, 6–3

Mixed doubles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1953Australian ChampionshipsGrass Julia Sampson Maureen Connolly
Ham Richardson		6–4, 6–3
Loss1953U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Julia Sampson Doris Hart
Vic Seixas		2–6, 6–4, 4–6
Win1954Australian ChampionshipsGrass Thelma Coyne Long Beryl Penrose
John Bromwich		4–6, 6–1, 6–2
Loss1954French ChampionshipsClay Jacqueline Patorni Maureen Connolly
Lew Hoad		4–6, 3–6
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References
  1. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 426.
  2. Harper, Jack (23 November 1954). "N.S.W. Tennis Title To Rex Hartwig in Three Sets". The Age. Google News Archive.
  3. "Rex Hartwig". Australian Tennis History. 16 March 2011.
  4. Malcolm Brown. "Allan Kendall: Ace at tennis was smash on children's TV". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  5. "Men's Doubles Finals 1884–2008". Wimbledon Website. All England Lawn Tennis Club. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
  6. "Rex Hartwig Inks Pro Tennis Pact". Sarasota Journal. Google News Archive. 9 November 1955.
  7. "Rose-Hartwig "Best In World Doubles"". The Advertiser. Adelaide. 30 January 1954. p. 11 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. "Men's Doubles Champions". Australian Open. Tennis Australia. Archived from the original on 10 March 2010.
  9. "Mixed Doubles Champions". Australian Open. Tennis Australia. Archived from the original on 12 October 2010.
  10. "Hoad Criticized For Tennis Play". Spokane Daily Chronicle. Google News Archive. 3 December 1954.
  11. "Rose, Hartwig Win U.S. Doubles Tennis Title". Goulburn Evening Post. NSW. 24 August 1953. p. 3 Edition: Daily and Evening – via National Library of Australia.
  12. "Champions – Men's Doubles Championships". US Open. United States Tennis Association.
  13. "Champions – Men's Singles Championships". US Open. United States Tennis Association.
  14. "Rex HARTWIG". Davis Cup Official Website. International Tennis Federation.
  15. Talbert, William F. (5 September 1955). "Wanted: At Least Three Young Men". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  16. Talbert, William F. (20 September 1954). "No Year For Kings". Sports Illustrated.
  17. "N.S.W. Tennis Title To Rex Hartwig In Three Sets". The Age. 23 November 1954.
  18. "Rex Hartwig Inks Pro Tennis Pact". Sarasota Journal. 9 November 1955. p. 7.
  19. "Hopman Advised Me – Rex Hartwig". The Age. 10 November 1955. p. 12.
  20. "Player Profiles – Rex Hartwig". Tennis Australia.
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