Harold Mahony


Harold Segerson Mahony was a Scottish-born tennis player who is best known for winning the singles title at the Wimbledon Championships in 1896. His career lasted from 1888 until his death in 1905. Mahony was born in Scotland but lived in Ireland for the majority of his life; his family were Irish including both of his parents, the family home was in County Kerry, Southwestern Ireland. He was the last Scottish born man to win Wimbledon until the victory of Andy Murray at the 2013 championships.

Career

Mahony was born at 21 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh to Richard John Mahony, an Irish barrister and prominent landowner. The family had a home in Scotland but spent most of their time at Dromore Castle, in County Kerry, Ireland. Harold trained on a specially built tennis court at Dromore.
Mahony made his Wimbledon debut in 1890 exiting in the first round. He reached the semifinal in 1891 and 1892. Mahony spent some time in America in the mid-1890s, before returning to England and finally taking the Wimbledon crown in 1896. In the final he beat Wilfred Baddeley of Great Britain in five sets: 6–2, 6–8, 5–7, 8–6, 6–3. Under the challenger system Mahony was entitled to defend the Wimbledon title in 1897 but this time he was beaten in the Challenge Round in three straight sets by Reginald Doherty. He was the last Scottish-born player to win a grand slam until Andy Murray won the US Open in 2012 and win Wimbledon until Murray won it in 2013. He was recognised as the third and last Irishman to win the Wimbledon singles.
He won the singles title at the British Covered Court Championships, played at the Queen's Club in London, in 1893 and successfully defended his title the following year. In 1895 Mahony forfeited the defence of his title due to illness. In 1898 he won the singles titles at the prestigious Irish Championships. That same year Mahony, who was a regular competitor in Germany and spoke fluent German, also won the singles title at the German Championships.
At the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris he won a silver medal in the men's singles event and a bronze medal in the doubles competition as well as a silver medal in the mixed doubles event with Hélène Prévost from France. Mahony won the Kent Championships in 1899, defeating Wilberforce Eaves in the final, and in 1904, defeating Brame Hillyard in the final.
Mahony was a member of the 1903 British Isles Davis Cup team that won the against the United States at the Longwood Cricket Club in Boston but did not play in the event. When four-time Wimbledon champion Reginald Doherty had a shoulder injury the British team captain William Collins elected to forfeit his first match, instead of letting Mahony play, so that Doherty would be allowed to play the reverse singles match later in the event.
Mahony was 1.91m tall and possessed a formidable backhand. His forehand was less notable: his fellow player, George Hillyard, wrote that he "never did acquire the right method of hitting the ball on the forehand".
Mahony was killed on 27 June 1905, aged 38, in a bicycling accident while descending a steep hill near Caragh Lake in Co. Kerry.

Grand Slam finals

Singles

ResultYearChampionshipSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1896Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Wilfred Baddeley6–2, 6–8, 5–7, 8–6, 6–3

Doubles

Olympic finals

Singles: 1 (1 silver medal)

ResultYearOlympicsSurfaceOpponentScore
Silver1900ParisClay Laurence Doherty6–4, 6–2, 6–3

Mixed Doubles: 1 (1 silver medal)

ResultYearOlympicsSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Silver1900ParisClay Hélène Prévost Charlotte Cooper
Reginald Doherty		2–6, 4–6

Challenge Rounds

Challenge Round: the final round of a tournament, in which the winner of a single-elimination phase faces the previous year's champion, who plays only that one match. The challenge round was used in the early history of tennis, in some tournaments not all. denotes challenge round

Career finals

Singles (43 titles, 43 runner-ups)

No.ResultDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
1.LossMay 1888Fitzwilliam Club ChampionshipGrass Tom Campion9–7, 7–5, 5–7, 6–0
2.LossJun 1889Northern ChampionshipsGrass Willoughby Hamilton6–3, 3–6, 6–1, 6–2
3.WinJun 1889Dublin University LT ChampionshipsHard Hume R. Jones9–7, 7–5, 5–7, 6–0
4.LossMay 1890Dublin University LT ChampionshipsHard David Chaytor6–3, 3–6, 8–6, 6–1
5.WinJun 1889CheltenhamGrass Tom Campion9–7, 7–5, 5–7, 6–0
6.LossJul 1890Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Ernest Lewis6–1, 6–4, 6–2
7.LossAug 1890St. Leonards-On-SeaGrass Joshua Pim3–6, 6–1, 6–4, 6–4
8.LossJun 1891Welsh ChampionshipsGrass Harry S. Barlow5–7, 6–2, 7–5, 0–6, 6–1
9.LossJul 1891Queens Challenge CupGrass Joshua Pim2–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–3
10.LossJul 1891Warwickshire ChampionshipsGrass Joshua Pim8–10, 6–2, 6–3, 6–2
11.WinJul 1891Leicestershire ChampionshipsGrass Joshua Pim7–5, 6–2, 2–6, 4–6, 6–4
12.WinAug 1891Northumberland ChampionshipsGrass Thomas Chaytor6–2, 6–4, 6–3
13.LossApr 1892British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Ernest George Meers6–2, 6–4, 6–3
14.WinJul 1892Leicestershire ChampionshipsGrass Joshua Pim6–1, 6–2, 6–1
15.LossJul 1892Northumberland ChampionshipsGrass Thomas Chaytor6–0, 10–8, 6–2
14.WinApr 1893British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Ernest George Meers6–2, 6–2, 6–4
15.WinJue 1893Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Ernest Lewisw.o
16.WinApr 1893Queens Covered Court ChampionshipHard Horace Chapman6–0, 2–6, 6–1
17.WinApr 1893British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Ernest George Meers6–2, 6–2, 6–4
18.WinJun 1893Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Horace Chapman6–3, 6–4, 6–4
19.LossJun 1893Northern ChampionshipsGrass Joshua Pim4–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–2
20.LossJun 1893Yorkshire ChampionshipsGrass Joshua Pim3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 8–6
21.LossJul 1893Championship of LondonGrass Joshua Pim9–7, 1–6, 6–1, 6–8, 6–3
22.LossJul 1893Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Joshua Pim9–7, 6–3, 6–0
23.WinAug 1893DarlingtonGrass David Chaytorw.o
24.WinApr 1894Queens Covered Court ChampionshipHard Guy Brabazon Pilkington6–4, 8–10, 6–2
25.WinApr 1894British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Ernest George Meers6–4, 8–10, 6–2
26.LossMay 1894Irish ChampionshipsGrass Thomas Chaytor6–2, 5–7, 6–3, 2–6, 6–1
27.LossJun 1894Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Harry S. Barlow3–6, 6–3, 7–5, 6–1 **
28.WinJun 1894Leicestershire ChampionshipsGrass Edward Roy Allenw.o.
29.WinJun 1894Championship of LondonGrass Joshua Pim6–4, 8–10, 6–2 **
30.WinJun 1894Nottinghamshire ChampionshipsGrass Edward Roy Allen8–6, 6–3, 9–7
31.WinAug 1894Northumberland ChampionshipsGrass Harry Barlow6–3, 6–3, 8–6
32.LossApr 1895British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Edward Roy Allenw.o.
33.LossJun 1895Irish ChampionshipsGrass Wilberforce Eaves6–3, 6–8, 6–2, 6–4
34.LossJun 1895Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Turketil G. P. Greville6–2, 7–5, 6–4
35.LossJun 1895Neighborhood Clay Joshua Pim6–4, 6–8, 4–6, 6–4, 6–3
36.LossJul 1895Warwickshire ChampionshipsGrass Edward Roy Allen6–2, 6–4
37.WinAug 1895Derbyshire ChampionshipsGrass David Chaytor6–2, 3–6, 2–6, 7–5, 6–3
38.LossApr 1896British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Wilberforce Eaves2–6, 6–2, 7–5, 6–3
39.LossMay 1896Irish ChampionshipsGrass Wilfred Baddeley6–1, 6–2, 3–6, 6–3
40.WinJun 1896Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Edwin A. Barlow6–2, 7–5, 6–4 **
41.LossJun 1896Northern ChampionshipsGrass Wilfred Baddeley6–1, 10–12, 7–5, 6–4 **
42.WinJun 1896Championship of LondonGrass Reginald Doherty11–9, 6–4, 6–4
43.WinJul 1896West of England ChampionshipsGrass William Larned6–3, 6–3, 6–3
44.WinJul 1896Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Wilfred Baddeley6–2, 6–8, 5–7, 8–6, 6–3 **
45.LossApr 1897British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Wilberforce Eaves6–3, 6–3, 6–0
46.LossJul 1897Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Reginald Doherty6–4, 6–4, 6–3 **
47.WinMay 1898Irish ChampionshipsGrass Wilberforce Eaves6–1, 5–7, 9–7, 8–6 **
48.WinJun 1898Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Turketil G. P. Greville4–6, 6–4, 7–5, 6–2 **
49.LossJun 1898Kent ChampionshipsGrass Wilberforce Eaves6–3, 7–5, 6–3
50.LossJun 1898Wimbledon ChampionshipsGrass Laurence Doherty6–1, 6–2, 4–6, 2–6, 14–12
51.LossJul 1898Championship of LondonGrass Laurence Doherty6–3, 6–4, 9–7
52.WinJul 1898Midland Counties ChampionshipsGrass Captain Ernest D. Black3–6, 6–4, 6–2, 7–5
53.WinAug 1898German International ChampionshipsClay George Hillyardw.o. **
54.LossSep 1898Sussex ChampionshipsGrass David Chaytor7–5, 0–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–4
55.WinSep 1898Welsh Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Laurence Doherty5–7, 6–4, 7–5, 6–4
56.LossApr 1899British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard Wilberforce Eaves6–2, 6–4, 6–8, 3–6, 6–4 **
57.LossMay 1899Irish ChampionshipsGrass Reginald Doherty6–3, 6–4, 5–7, 6–4 **
58.WinJun 1899Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Turketil G. P. Greville5–7, 2–6, 6–1, 6–1, 6–4 **
59.WinJun 1899Kent ChampionshipsGrass Wilberforce Eaves6–1, 6–1, 6–8, 3–6, 8–6 **
60.WinJul 1899Championship of LondonGrass Arthur Gore8–10, 6–2, 7–5, 6–1
61.WinJul 1899Northumberland ChampionshipsGrass Arthur Gore8–6, 6–3
62.WinJul 1899European ChampionshipsClay Reginald Dohertyw.o.
63.LossSep 1899South of England ChampionshipsGrass Sydney Howard Smith6–3, 6–3, 6–1 **
64.WinSep 1899DinardClay Arthur Gore6–4, 6–2, 6–4
65.LossApr 1900French Covered Court ChampionshipsHard George Caridia3–6, 11–9, 6–3
66.WinJun 1900Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Arthur Gore6–2, 6–4, 6–2
67.LossJun 1900Kent ChampionshipsGrass Arthur Gore6–4, 6–4, 6–4 **
68.LossJun 1900Summer Olympics – ParisClay Laurence Doherty6–4, 6–2, 6–3
69.LossSep 1900DinardClay Laurence Doherty4–6, 6–1, 8–6, 7–5
70.LossJun 1901Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Turketil G. P. Greville7–5, 6–1, 4–6, 6–3
71.LossSep 1901South of England ChampionshipsGrass Sydney Howard Smith6–3, 7–9, 4–6, 6–4, 1–0
72.LossSep 1901Portuguese International ChampionshipsClay George Hillyard6–0, 6–4
73.WinJun 1902Leicestershire ChampionshipsGrass Laurence Dohertyw.o.
74.LossJun 1902Kent ChampionshipsGrass George Miéville Simond6–4, 6–0, 6–3 **
75.LossJun 1902Northern ChampionshipsGrass Sydney Howard Smith7–5, 7–5, 3–6, 10–8
76.LossOct 1902European ChampionshipsHard Laurence Doherty4–6, 6–4, 6–3, 6–1
77.LossApr 1903British Covered Court ChampionshipsHard George Hillyard6–3, 7–9, 6–4, 6–3
78.WinJun 1903Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Brame Hillyard3–6, 6–2, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3
79.WinJul 1903Berkshire ChampionshipsGrass Alfred E. Crawley6–3, 8–6
80.WinJun 1904Middlesex ChampionshipsGrass Frederick Payn3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4
81.WinJun 1904Kent ChampionshipsGrass Brame Hillyard3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 6–4
82.WinJul 1904North London Championships Grass Alfred Beamish6–1, 5–7, 6–2, 6–1
83.LossJul 1904Championship of LondonGrass Josiah Ritchie6–3, 7–9, 6–4, 6–3
84.WinJul 1904Berkshire ChampionshipsGrass Walter Crawley5–7, 6–1, 6–4
85.WinAug 1904Crystal PalaceGrass Ernest Parton6–3, 6–2
86.LossJun 1905Kent ChampionshipsGrass Norman Brookesw.o.