Bill Sidwell

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Bill Sidwell
Full nameOswald William Thomas Sidwell
Country (sports) Australia
ResidenceSydney, Australia
Born(1920-04-16)16 April 1920
Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
Died19 August 2021(2021-08-19) (aged 101)
Caringbah, New South Wales, Australia
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Retired1951
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 10 (1949, John Olliff)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenSF (1948, 1949, 1950)
Wimbledon4R (1950)
US Open3R (1947, 1948)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian OpenF (1949)
French OpenF (1947)
WimbledonF (1947, 1950)
US OpenW (1949)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian OpenF (1948)
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1948Ch, 1949Ch)

Oswald William Thomas Sidwell (16 April 1920 – 19 August 2021) was an Australian tennis player.

Sidwell reached five Grand Slam doubles finals, winning once, at the 1949 U.S. National Championships with compatriot John Bromwich. He also played in the Davis Cup in 1948 and 1949 where Australia lost to the United States both years in the Challenge Round. As a junior, he won the Australian Open boys' singles event in 1939. Sidwell played golf regularly in place of tennis.

He was ranked world No. 10 for 1949 by John Olliff.[1] As of December 2008, Sidwell was still organising golf events at the age of 88.[2] He turned 100 in April 2020[3] and died in Caringbah in August 2021, at the age of 101.[4]

Grand Slam finals[]

Doubles (1 title, 4 runners-up)[]

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1947 French Championships Clay United States Tom Brown South Africa Eustace Fannin
South Africa Eric Sturgess
4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6
Loss 1947 Wimbledon Grass United Kingdom Tony Mottram United States Bob Falkenburg
United States Jack Kramer
6–8, 3–6, 3–6
Loss 1949 Australian Championships Grass Australia Geoff Brown Australia John Bromwich
Australia Adrian Quist
6–1, 5–7, 2–6, 3–6
Win 1949 US National Championships Grass Australia John Bromwich Australia Frank Sedgman
Australia George Worthington
6–4, 6–0, 6–1
Loss 1950 Wimbledon Grass Australia Geoff Brown Australia John Bromwich
Australia Adrian Quist
5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6

Mixed doubles (1 runner-up)[]

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1948 Australian Championships Grass Australia Thelma Coyne Long Australia Nancye Wynne Bolton
Australia Colin Long
5–7, 6–4, 6–8

References[]

  1. ^ a b United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 426.
  2. ^ tennishistory.com.au: Bill Sidwell
  3. ^ Aussie tennis player shares secret to long life on his 100th birthday
  4. ^ "SIDWELL, Oswald William Thomas | Death Notices | Sydney". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 1 September 2021.

External links[]


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