- Frank Hadow
Patrick Francis (Frank) Hadow (
January 24 1855 Regent's Park -June 29 1946 Bridgwater, Somerset) was an Englishtennis player, who won the Wimbledon championship in 1878. [citation|publisher=Dallas Morning News|date=July 5, 2004|title=Wimbledon Champions|url= http://docs.newsbank.com/g/GooglePM/DM/lib00375,103AC74EEA25BEA2.html]His father was Patrick Douglas Hadow who was educated at
Harrow School andBalliol College Oxford University and became Chairman of theP&O Shipping Company .Frank Hadow attended
Harrow School along with six of his seven brothers who were known as the "Harrow Hadows". Hadow represented Harrow at rackets and the brothers were well known as distinguished cricketers. Hadow's oldest brotherDouglas Robert Hadow died during the descent after the first ascent of theMatterhorn in 1865. [ [http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/history/story/0,,392434,00.html Cliffhanger at the top of the world | By genre | Guardian Unlimited Books ] ]He was the loftiest Wimbledon Champion: he introduced the lob to thwart bring down volleyer Spencer Gore in the 1878 (second) Wimbledon Men's Final, 7–5, 6–1, 9–7. He played at Wimbledon whilst on holiday from his coffee plantation in
Ceylon . He did not defend his title but did return to Wimbledon nearly half a century later to collect a commemorative medal from Queen Mary for being the oldest surviving champion [ [http://www.wimbledon.org/en_GB/news/features/championships/gore.html The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club ] ] .When asked if he would defend his title Hadow is reported to have said "No sir. It's a sissy's game played with a soft ball." [http://www.polartravel.co.uk/approach.htm]
Hadow was also a distinguished big game hunter, hunting in
Africa in the early years of the 20th century. He has listings in many categories of the 1928 Rowland Ward "Records of Big Game", including ranking trophies in the sable antelope, Cape buffalo, Uganda kob and eland categories.As a cricketer, he also represented MCC, Middlesex, the Orleans Club, the South and the Gentlemen of England as a right-handed batsman in seven first-class matches between 1883 and 1891. He also played cricket in Ceylon.
External links
* [http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/player/14432.html Cricinfo]
* [http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Players/29/29861/29861.html Cricket Archive]References
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