Ken Fletcher

For other people with the same name, see Kenneth Fletcher.
Ken Fletcher

Ken Fletcher at tournament in Santpoort, Netherlands (1965)
Full name Kenneth Norman Fletcher
Country (sports)  Australia
Born (1940-06-15)15 June 1940
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Died 11 February 2006(2006-02-11) (aged 65)
Brisbane, QLD, Australia
Turned pro 1968(amateur tour from 1958)
Retired 1973
Plays Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record 55–31
Highest ranking No. 10 (1966, Lance Tingay)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open F (1963)
French Open QF (1963, 1966)
Wimbledon QF (1962, 1966, 1967)
US Open 3R (1963)
Doubles
Career record 6–5
Highest ranking No. 1 (1964)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open F (1963, 1964)
French Open W (1964)
Wimbledon W (1966)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open W (1963, 1964)
French Open W (1963, 1964, 1965)
Wimbledon W (1963, 1966, 1968)
US Open W (1963)
Last updated on: 14 September 2012.

Kenneth Norman Fletcher (15 June 1940 – 11 February 2006) was an Australian tennis player who won numerous doubles and mixed doubles Grand Slam titles.

Biography

He was born in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia to parents Norm and Ethel Fletcher. He was educated at St Laurence's College and showed early promise as a championship tennis player there. His greatest success as a tennis player came in 1963, when he became the only man to win a calendar year Grand Slam in mixed doubles, partnering fellow Australian Margaret Court.[2] He reached the final of the Australian Open in 1963, losing to Roy Emerson.[3]

After this achievement, he went on to record mixed doubles championships in the Australian Open in 1964, French Open in 1964 and 1965, and Wimbledon in 1965, 1966, and 1968. All of his mixed doubles Grand Slam titles were in partnership with Smith Court.

He also achieved a Grand Slam title in men's doubles in the 1964 French Open, playing with Roy Emerson. At the Wimbledon men's doubles championship, he was a finalist with Robert Hewitt in 1965, the champion in 1966 partnering John Newcombe, and a finalist again in 1967 with Roy Emerson. In total Fletcher won 27 international tennis titles. He was ranked World No. 10 in 1966 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.[1]

Ken was a larrikin by nature, and many of his exploits feature in Hugh Lunn's books, especially Over the Top with Jim and Head Over Heels. In later years he was instrumental in gaining significant funding for medical research in Australia, through his association with Chuck Feeney. In 2008 Hugh Lunn published a book on Ken's remarkable life around the globe, The Great Fletch with ABC Books.[4][5]

Fletcher died of cancer at the age of 65 and was buried at the Mount Gravatt Lawn Cemetery, Brisbane.

In January 2012 Ken Fletcher was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.[6]

Ken Fletcher Memorial, Tennyson

In 2013 the Ken Fletcher memorial was erected in the park, outside the Queensland Tennis Centre, named in his honour . He is the only player in the history of tennis, to win a grand slam (1963), in mixed doubles, that is not enshrined in the International Tennis Hall Of Fame.

Grands Slam finals

Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1963 Australian Championships Grass Australia Roy Emerson 3–6, 3–6, 1–6

Doubles: 9 (2 titles, 7 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up 1963 Australian Championships Grass Australia John Newcombe South Africa Bob Hewitt
Australia Fred Stolle
2–6, 6–3, 3–6 6–3, 3–6
Runner-up 1964 Australian Championships Grass Australia Roy Emerson South Africa Bob Hewitt
Australia Fred Stolle
4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 12–14
Winner 1964 French Championships Clay Australia Roy Emerson Australia John Newcombe
Australia Tony Roche
6–3, 6–4
Runner-up 1964 Wimbledon Grass AustraliaRoy Emerson South Africa Bob Hewitt
Australia Fred Stolle
5–7, 9–11, 4–6
Runner-up 1965 French Championships Clay South Africa Bob Hewitt Australia Roy Emerson
Australia Fred Stolle
8–6, 3–6, 6–8, 2–6
Runner-up 1965 Wimbledon Grass South Africa Bob Hewitt Australia John Newcombe
Australia Tony Roche
5–7, 3–6, 4–6
Winner 1966 Wimbledon Grass Australia John Newcombe Australia William Bowrey
Australia Owen Davidson
6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3
Runner-up 1967 French Championships Clay Australia Roy Emerson Australia John Newcombe
Australia Tony Roche
3–6, 7–9, 10–12
Runner-up 1967 Wimbledon Grass Australia Roy Emerson South Africa Bob Hewitt
Australia Frew McMillan
2–6, 3–6, 4–6

Mixed doubles: 11 (10 titles, 1 runner-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1963 Australian Championships Grass Australia Margaret Smith Court Australia Fred Stolle
Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–4, 6–4
Winner 1963 French Championships Clay Australia Margaret Smith Court Australia Fred Stolle
Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–1, 6–2
Winner 1963 WimbledonGrass Australia Margaret Smith Court South Africa Bob Hewitt
United States Darlene Hard
11–9, 6–4
Winner 1963 US Championships (3) Grass Australia Margaret Smith Court United States Ed Rubinoff
United States Judy Tegart Dalton
0–6, 6–4, 6–4
Winner 1964 Australian Championships (2) Grass Australia Margaret Smith Court United Kingdom Mike Sangster
Australia Jan Lehane O'Neill
6–4, 6–4
Winner 1964 French Championships (2) Clay Australia Margaret Smith Court Australia Fred Stolle
Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–3, 4–6, 8–6
Runner-up 1964 WimbledonGrass Australia Margaret Smith Court Australia Fred Stolle
Australia Lesley Turner Bowrey
6–4, 6–4
Winner 1965 French Championships (3) Clay Australia Margaret Smith Court Australia John Newcombe
Brazil Maria Bueno
6–4, 6–4
Winner 1965 Wimbledon (2) Grass Australia Margaret Smith Court Australia Tony Roche
Australia Judy Tegart Dalton
12–10, 6–3
Winner 1966 Wimbledon (3) Grass Australia Margaret Smith Court United States Dennis Ralston
United States Billie Jean King
4–6, 6–3, 6–3
↓ Open Era ↓
Winner 1968 Wimbledon (4) Grass Australia Margaret Smith Court Soviet Union Alex Metreveli
Soviet Union Olga Morozova
6–1, 14–12

References

  1. 1 2 United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 428.
  2. "Ken Fletcher, former doubles champ, dies at 65". ESPN. 13 Feb 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  3. Tony Moore (30 November 2011). "Park honour planned for great Brisbane larrikin". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  4. Mike Colman (17 October 2008). "Life was a racket for Ken Fletcher". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  5. "'The Great Fletch' : a story of a tennis player and a larrikin". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 9 October 2008. Retrieved 17 April 2012.
  6. "Ken Fletcher inducted into Australian Tennis Hall of Fame". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 17 April 2012.

Further reading

Lunn, Hugh (2008). The Great Fletch: The Dazzling Life of Wimbledon Aussie Larrikin Ken Fletcher ISBN 0-7333-2209-3

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