July 9:

1877 : Wimbledon tournament begins

On July 9, 1877, the All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club begins
its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon, then an outer-suburb of
London. Twenty-one amateurs showed up to compete in the Gentlemen's
Singles tournament, the only event at the first Wimbledon. The winner
was to take home a 25-guinea trophy.

Tennis has its origins in a 13th-century French handball game called
jeu de paume, or "game of the palm," from which developed an indoor
racket-and-ball game called real, or "royal," tennis. Real tennis grew
into lawn tennis, which was played outside on grass and enjoyed a
surge of popularity in the late 19th century.

In 1868, the All England Club was established on four acres of
meadowland outside London. The club was originally founded to promote
croquet, another lawn sport, but the growing popularity of tennis led
it to incorporate tennis lawns into its facilities. In 1877, the All
England Club published an announcement in the weekly sporting magazine
The Field that read: "The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club,
Wimbledon, propose [sic] to hold a lawn tennis meeting open to all
amateurs, on Monday, July 9, and following days. Entrance fee pounds 1
1s 0d."

The All English Club purchased a 25-guinea trophy and drew up formal
rules for tennis. It decided on a rectangular court 78 feet long by 27
feet wide; adapted the real tennis method of scoring based on a clock
face--i.e., 15, 30, 40, game; established that the first to win six
games wins a set; and allowed the server one fault. These decisions,
largely the work of club member Dr. Henry Jones, remain part of the
modern rules.

Twenty-two men registered for the tournament, but only 21 showed up on
July 9 for its first day. The 11 survivors were reduced to six the
next day, and then to three. Semifinals were held on July 12, but then
the tournament was suspended to leave the London sporting scene free
for the Eton vs. Harrow cricket match played on Friday and Saturday.
The final was scheduled for Monday, July 16, but, in what would become
a common occurrence in future Wimbledon tournaments, the match was
rained out.

It was rescheduled for July 19, and on that day some 200 spectators
paid a shilling each to see William Marshall, a Cambridge tennis
"Blue," battle W. Spencer Gore, an Old Harrovian racket player. In a
final that lasted only 48 minutes, the 27-year-old Gore dominated with
his strong volleying game, crushing Marshall, 6-1, 6-2, 6-4. At the
second Wimbledon in 1878, however, Gore lost his title when his
net-heavy game fell prey to a innovative stroke developed by
challenger Frank Hadow: the lob.

In 1884, the Lady's Singles was introduced at Wimbledon, and Maud
Watson won the first championship. That year, the national men's
doubles championship was also played at Wimbledon for the first time
after several years at Oxford. Mixed doubles and women's doubles were
inaugurated in 1913. By the early 1900s, Wimbledon had graduated from
all-England to all-world status, and in 1922 the All England Lawn
Tennis and Croquet Club, as it was then known, moved to a large
stadium on Church Road. In the 1950s, many tennis stars turned
professional while Wimbledon struggled to remain an amateur
tournament. However, in 1968 Wimbledon welcomed the pros and quickly
regained its status as the world's top tennis tournament.

The Wimbledon Championships, the only major tennis event still played
on grass, is held annually in late June and early July.

history.com/tdih.do


1850 : President Taylor dies of cholera
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5164

1947 : First female army officer
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5165

1993 : Romanov remains identified
history.com/tdih.do?action=tdihArticleCategory&id=5166

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