Tennis at the 1920 Summer Olympics – Men's singles

The men's singles was a tennis event held as part of the tennis at the 1920 Summer Olympics programme. It was the sixth appearance of the event. A total of 44 players from 15 nations entered in the event; 41 players from 14 nations competed. The event was held from 16 to 23 August 1920 at the Beerschot Tennis Club. Nations were limited to four players each. The event was won by Louis Raymond of South Africa, the nation's second consecutive in the event (second-most all-time behind Great Britain's three). South Africa had nearly had both finalists again, as it had in 1912, but defending champion Charles Winslow fell to Japan's Ichiya Kumagae in the semifinal; Winslow took bronze by walkover against Noel Turnbull of Great Britain. Kumagae's silver was Japan's first medal in the event.

Background

This was the sixth appearance of the men's singles tennis event. The event has been held at every Summer Olympics where tennis has been on the program: from 1896 to 1924 and then from 1988 to the current program. Demonstration events were held in 1968 and 1984.

As in previous Games, the field for this event was relatively weak and without top competitors. The Olympic tennis tournament was no longer scheduled adjacent to or concurrent with Wimbledon, as it had been in 1908 and 1912; however, it was at the same time as the U.S. Championship this year. Bill Tilden and Bill Johnston, and all the other American players, thus did not enter. Australia's Gerald Patterson did enter, but withdrew.

Belgium, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Japan, Spain, and Switzerland each made their debut in the event. France made its fifth appearance, most among all nations, having missed only the St. Louis 1904 event.

Competition format

The competition was a single-elimination tournament with a bronze-medal match. All matches were best-of-five sets.

Schedule

Date Time Round Monday, 16 August 1920 Round of 64Round of 32 Tuesday, 17 August 1920 Round of 32 Wednesday, 18 August 1920 Round of 32Round of 16 Thursday, 19 August 1920 Round of 16 Friday, 20 August 1920 Round of 16 Saturday, 21 August 1920 Quarterfinals Sunday, 22 August 1920 Semifinals Monday, 23 August 1920 Bronze medal matchFinal

Draw

Finals

Top half

Section 1

Section 2

Bottom half

Section 3

Section 4

The match between Lowe and Zerlendis was played over two days, and lasted for nearly six hours. At one point the ballboys, bored by the long rallying, left the court and went to lunch, forcing the match to stop until they returned.

Results summary

Rank Player Nation Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semifinals Final Louis Raymond W 7–5, 6–1, 4–6, 6–1 W 3–6, 6–2, 6–0, 6–1 W 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 W 2–6, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–1 W 5–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 Ichiya Kumagae W 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 W 6–0, 6–1, 6–0 W 7–5, 6–1, 6–4 W 7–5, 6–1, 6–1 W 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 L 5–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 Charles Winslow W 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 W 8–6, 6–4, 6–1 W 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 L 6–2, 6–2, 6–2 W w/o 4 Noel Turnbull W w/o W 3–6, 6–3, 6–0, 6–8, 6–2 W 0–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 L 2–6, 1–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–1 L w/o 5 Manuel Alonso Areizaga W 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 W 6–1, 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 W 6–1, 5–7, 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 L 0–6, 7–5, 4–6, 6–3, 7–5 did not advance George Dodd W 2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 9–7 W 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 W 6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 L 7–5, 6–1, 6–1 did not advance Gordon Lowe W 14–12, 8–10, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 W 6–4, 6–0, 2–6, 7–5 L 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 4–6, 6–2 did not advance Sune Malmström W 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 W 6–2, 6–2, 6–0 L 6–3, 6–1, 6–1 did not advance 9 Mino Balbi Di Robecco W w/o W 6–2, 6–4, 6–1 L 3–6, 6–3, 6–0, 6–8, 6–2 did not advance Alfred Beamish W 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 W 6–6, 6–4, 6–3 L 6–1, 5–7, 5–7, 6–3, 6–1 did not advance Jacques Brugnon W 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 L 3–6, 6–2, 6–0, 6–1 did not advance Cesare Colombo W 6–2, 6–3, 6–1 L 6–4, 6–0, 2–6, 7–5 did not advance Seiichiro Kashio W 6–3, 6–1, 6–2 L 6–3, 4–6, 6–2, 3–6, 6–1 did not advance Albert Lammens W 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5 W 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 L 7–5, 6–1, 6–4 did not advance Armand Simon W 3–6, 8–6, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 L 6–2, 6–2, 6–0 did not advance Jean Washer W 6–1, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 L 8–6, 6–4, 6–1 did not advance 17 Karel Ardelt W w/o L 6–6, 6–4, 6–3 did not advance Maurice van den Bemden L 7–5, 6–1, 4–6, 6–1 did not advance Carl-Eric von Braun W 4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 L 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 did not advance Alberto Henri Chiesa L 6–4, 7–5, 6–4 did not advance Max Decugis W 6–4, 12–10, 2–6, 8–6 L 6–2, 6–1, 6–1 did not advance José Miguel Fernández de Liencres W 0–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2 L 6–2, 6–4, 6–1 did not advance Victor de Laveleye W 6–2, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 L 6–0, 6–1, 6–0 did not advance Jack Nielsen L 6–2, 6–3, 6–1 did not advance Jean-Pierre Samazeuilh L 7–5, 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 did not advance Enrique de Satrústegui L 3–6, 8–6, 6–2, 6–8, 6–2 did not advance Erik Tegner L 6–3, 6–1, 6–2 did not advance Ronald Thomas L 6–1, 6–3, 3–6, 6–4 did not advance Max Woosnam W 3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 L 6–1, 2–6, 6–1, 6–3 did not advance Ladislav Žemla L 4–6, 6–2, 6–3, 7–5 did not advance Augustos Zerlendis L 14–12, 8–10, 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 did not advance 32 José María Alonso L 7–5, 6–3, 6–3 did not advance François Blanchy L 2–6, 6–2, 6–1, 9–7 did not advance Alberto Bonacossa L 4–6, 6–1, 7–5, 6–2 did not advance Jaroslav Just L 6–3, 2–6, 6–0, 6–2 did not advance Conrad Langaard L 6–2, 2–6, 6–3, 6–3 did not advance Fritz Lindqvist L 0–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2 did not advance Henning Müller L 3–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–3 did not advance Brian Norton L 6–4, 12–10, 2–6, 8–6 did not advance Hans Syz L 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 7–5 did not advance Otto Woffek L 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 did not advance — Leopold Nypels L w/o did not advance Gerald Patterson L w/o did not advance J. Scholler L w/o did not advance

References

Sources

ITF, 2008 Olympic Tennis Event Media Guide