 | |
| Full name | Clive Eric Wilderspin |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Australia |
| Born | (1930-04-03)3 April 1930 Perth, Western Australia |
| Died | 13 November 2021(2021-11-13) (aged 91)[1] Australia |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1953) |
| French Open | 2R (1953) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1953) |
| US Open | 2R (1953 |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1954) |
| French Open | F (1953) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1953) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1954) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1953) |
Clive Eric Wilderspin,OAM (3 April 1930 – 13 November 2021) was an Australian formertennis player who was active from the late 1940s until the mid-1950s.
Wilderspin began playing at age nine and joined Hensman Park club when he was 11. Until 1946 he was coached by his father Eric, an engineer by profession.[2][3][4] He was ranked No. 1 in Western Australia from 1946 to 1963.[5] In 1949, Wilderspin won the Australian Boys' Singles and Doubles championships and was the dominant player in the Western Australian team that won the Linton Cup for the junior interstate competition.[5][6][7]
Wilderspin's best singles result at aGrand Slam tournament was reaching the quarterfinal round at the1953 Australian Championships, in which he lost toIan Ayre in four sets.[8] That year Wilderspin was part of the Australian team that toured internationally and participated in the Grand Slam tournaments.[9] At the1953 French Championships he reached the second round in the singles where he was beaten byStaffan Stockenberg. In the doubles event he teamed up withMervyn Rose to finish as runner-ups after losing the final to teenagersKen Rosewall andLew Hoad. He was beaten in the third round of the1953 Wimbledon Championships in three sets by his countryman Ayre.[10] At theU.S. National Championships he defeatedAtsushi Miyagi in the first round of the singles event but lost in the second in four sets toArt Larsen.
Wilderspin and Hoad won the doubles title at the Dutch Championships in July 1953, defeatingEnrique Morea andHans van Swol in the final in four sets.[11]
In 1954, Wilderspin partneredNeale Fraser in the doubles event of theAustralian Championships. They reached the final in which they were beaten in three straight sets by their compatriotsRex Hartwig andMervyn Rose.[12][8]
Wilderspin was named Australian Tennis Veteran of the Year in 1979.[13] He was inducted into the Western Australian Hall of Champions in 1988.[5]
Wilderspin was awarded aMedal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the2021 Australia Day Honours for "service to tennis."[14]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1953 | French Championships | Clay | Mervyn Rose | Lew HoadKen Rosewall | 2–6, 1–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1954 | Australian Championships | Grass | Neale Fraser | Rex HartwigMervyn Rose | 3–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
On 11 September 1954 he married Enid Bott inPerth.[15]
