Ernest Renshaw

Ernest (right) and William Renshaw (1880)

James Ernest Renshaw (born January 3, 1861 in Leamington Spa , England , † September 2, 1899 in Waltham St. Lawrence , England) was a British tennis player . Together with his more successful twin brother William (1861-1904), he revolutionized lawn tennis at the end of the 19th century and in 1888 won the men's singles at the Lawn Tennis Championships (Wimbledon). With William he also won five times in the double finals there.

Life

Ernest Renshaw and his twin brother William were the sons of flax spinner James Renshaw and his wife Ellen Knight. The father died before the children were born in September 1860, leaving the family with a fortune of around £ 60,000 to £ 70,000. The brothers attended Cheltenham College for two years , which they left in July 1874.

The Renshaw brothers traditionally learned tennis on asphalt courts in a club in their hometown. In 1880 both first took part in the Lawn Tennis Championships , which at that time were held in Maida Vale (formerly Portsdown Rink ). While William was eliminated in the second round, Ernest reached the third round. A year later, his brother won the final, whose winning streak would last until 1886. Ernest reached the final against him in 1882 and 1883, which he lost in five sets. In 1887 Ernest played the final again, which he lost after a 2-1 lead in five sets against Herbert Lawford . A year later he retaliated against Lawford and won the men's final for the only time in three straight sets. In 1889 Ernest lost the final again in four sets against his brother William. From 1884 to 1886 and from 1888 to 1889, the brothers also won the men's doubles competition together . In mixed doubles, Ernest played together with Charlotte Dod , who is still the youngest winner of the women's singles at Wimbledon. In addition, he won the Irish Championships in singles from 1887 to 1888 and, together with his brother, four times doubles (1881, 1883-1885).

Postcard with the Renshaw brothers (around 1890)

The brothers revolutionized technique and tactics in tennis during their playing days. In contrast to their competitors, they brought the cue ball back before it touched the ground with volleys or balls ("Renshaw smash"). At that time the net was placed higher on the sides than it is today, so that there was less risk of being countered with a passing ball by the excessive number of baseline players when a volley was played from the middle of the court. The Renshaws also changed the style of double play by placing a player directly in front of the net. With their financial reserves, William and Ernest were also able to train over the winter in Cannes, France .

In 1893 the brothers competed for the last time together at the Lawn Tennis Championships - both were supposed to meet in the first round, after which William decided not to start. Ernest lost the next game. Audience numbers fell after the brothers resigned, and many complained that tennis had lost its luster.

Both Ernest and his brother William († 1904) remained unmarried throughout their lives. Ernest died in 1899 at the age of 38. He had ingested carbolic acid ( phenol ) through food. However, the judicial investigation remained without evidence as to whether he had done this on purpose or not. In memory of the brothers, relatives donated the Renshaw Cup to the All England Club , which for a time was given as a trophy to the winners of the men's singles at Wimbledon. In 1983 both were inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame .

Grand Slam finals

singles

Victories

year	event	Opponent in the final	Points in the final
1888	Wimbledon	Herbert Lawford	6-3, 7-5, 6-0

Defeats

year	event	Opponent in the final	Points in the final
1882	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	6-1, 2-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
1883	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	2-6, 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
1887	Wimbledon	Herbert Lawford	1-6, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
1889	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-0

Double

year	event	partner	Opponent in the final	result
1884	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	Ernest Lewis Teddy Williams	6: 3, 6: 1, 1: 6, 6: 4
1885	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	Claude Farrer Arthur Stanley	6: 3, 6: 3, 10: 8
1886	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	Claude Farrer Arthur Stanley	6: 3, 6: 3, 4: 6, 7: 5
1888	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	Patrick Bowes-Lyon Herbert Wilberforce	2: 6, 1: 6, 6: 3, 6: 4, 6: 3
1889	Wimbledon	William Renshaw	George Hillyard Ernest Lewis	6: 4, 6: 4, 3: 6, 0: 6, 6: 1

See also

• List of winners of the Grand Slam tournaments (men's singles)
• List of winners of the Grand Slam tournaments (men's doubles)

Web links

• Ernest Renshaw in the "International Tennis Hall of Fame" (English; with picture)
• ATP profile of Ernest Renshaw (English)

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b c} Renshaw, William Charles. In: Arlott, John (Ed.): The Oxford companion to sports & games . London: Oxford University Press, 1975 (accessed via WBIS Online ).
2. ^ ^{A b c d e} Wray Vamplew: Renshaw, William Charles (1861–1904) . In: Oxford Dictionary of National Biography . Oxford University Press, 2004 (accessed July 9, 2012 via oxforddnb.com).
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Renshaw (William Charles) . In: British Sports and Sportsmen . London: "British Sports and Sportsmen", 1908–1938? (accessed via WBIS Online).
4. ↑ Renshaw, James Ernest . In: Boase, Frederic: Modern English Biography . Truro: Netherton & Worth, 1892-1921 (accessed via WBIS Online).