 Fletcher in 1965 | |
| Full name | Kenneth Norman Fletcher |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Australia |
| Born | (1940-06-15)15 June 1940 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Died | 11 February 2006(2006-02-11) (aged 65) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Turned pro | 1968 (amateur 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 | |
| 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 (1963,1965,1966,1968) |
| US Open | W (1963) |
| Last updated on: 14 September 2012. | |
Kenneth Norman Fletcher (15 June 1940 – 11 February 2006) was an Australiantennis player who won numerous doubles and mixed doublesGrand Slam titles.
He was born inBrisbane, Queensland, Australia to parents Norm and Ethel Fletcher. He was educated atSt Laurence's College and showed early promise as a championship tennis player there.
Fletcher won the 1963Kent Championships on grass at Beckenham, defeatingOwen Davidson in the semifinal andMartin Mulligan in the final.
Fletcher won the 1966British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth on clay, defeatingTom Okker in the final.
Also in 1966, he defeatedJohn Newcombe atWimbledon in the third round in five sets, but lost the quarterfinal to eventual championManuel Santana also in five sets.
His greatest success as a tennis player came in 1963, when he became the only man to win a calendar yearGrand Slam in mixed doubles, partnering fellow AustralianMargaret Court.[2] He reached the final of the Australian Open in 1963, losing toRoy Emerson.[3]
After this achievement, he went on to record mixed doubles championships in theAustralian Open in 1964,French Open in 1964 and 1965, andWimbledon in 1965, 1966, and 1968. All of his mixed doublesGrand 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 Emerson. At the Wimbledon men's doubles championship, he was a finalist withRobert Hewitt in 1965, the champion in 1966 partneringJohn Newcombe, and a finalist again in 1967 with Emerson. In total, Fletcher won 27 international tennis titles. He was ranked World No. 10 in 1966 byLance Tingay ofThe Daily Telegraph.[1]
Ken was alarrikin by nature, and many of his exploits feature inHugh Lunn's books, especiallyOver the Top with Jim andHead Over Heels. In later years, he was instrumental in gaining significant funding for medical research in Australia, through his association withChuck Feeney. In 2008, Hugh Lunn publishedThe Great Fletch, a book on Ken's life around the globe.[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 theAustralian Tennis Hall of Fame.[6]
In 2013, the Ken Fletcher memorial was erected in the park, outside theQueensland Tennis Centre, named in his honour. He is the only player in the history of tennis, to win a grand slam, in mixed doubles in 1963, that is not enshrined in theInternational Tennis Hall of Fame.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1963 | Australian Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | 3–6, 3–6, 1–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1963 | Australian Championships | Grass | John Newcombe |  Bob HewittFred Stolle | 2–6, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1964 | Australian Championships | Grass | Roy Emerson | Bob Hewitt Fred Stolle | 4–6, 5–7, 6–3, 6–4, 12–14 |
| Win | 1964 | French Championships | Clay | Roy Emerson | John NewcombeTony Roche | 6–3, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1964 | Wimbledon | Grass | Roy Emerson | Bob Hewitt Fred Stolle | 5–7, 9–11, 4–6 |
| Loss | 1965 | French Championships | Clay | Bob Hewitt | Roy Emerson Fred Stolle | 8–6, 3–6, 6–8, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1965 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bob Hewitt | John Newcombe Tony Roche | 5–7, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 1966 | Wimbledon | Grass | John Newcombe | William BowreyOwen Davidson | 6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1967 | French Championships | Clay | Roy Emerson | John Newcombe Tony Roche | 3–6, 7–9, 10–12 |
| Loss | 1967 | Wimbledon | Grass | Roy Emerson | Bob HewittFrew McMillan | 2–6, 3–6, 4–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1963 | Australian Championships | Grass | Margaret Smith | Fred StolleLesley Turner | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1963 | French Championships | Clay | Margaret Smith | Fred Stolle Lesley Turner | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 1963 | Wimbledon | Grass | Margaret Smith | Bob Hewitt Darlene Hard | 11–9, 6–4 |
| Win | 1963 | US Championships (3) | Grass | Margaret Smith | Ed RubinoffJudy Tegart | 0–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1964 | Australian Championships (2) | Grass | Margaret Smith |  Mike SangsterJan Lehane | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1964 | French Championships (2) | Clay | Margaret Smith | Fred Stolle Lesley Turner | 6–3, 4–6, 8–6 |
| Loss | 1964 | Wimbledon | Grass | Margaret Smith | Fred Stolle Lesley Turner | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1965 | French Championships (3) | Clay | Margaret Smith Court | John Newcombe Maria Bueno | 6–4, 6–4 |
| Win | 1965 | Wimbledon (2) | Grass | Margaret Court | Tony Roche Judy Tegart | 12–10, 6–3 |
| Win | 1966 | Wimbledon (3) | Grass | Margaret Court | Dennis RalstonBillie Jean King | 4–6, 6–3, 6–3 |
| ↓ Open Era ↓ | ||||||
| Win | 1968 | Wimbledon (4) | Grass | Margaret Court |  Alex MetreveliOlga Morozova | 6–1, 14–12 |
Lunn, Hugh (2008).The Great Fletch: The Dazzling Life of Wimbledon Aussie Larrikin Ken FletcherISBN 0-7333-2209-3