Colin Dowdeswell (1983) | |
| Country (sports) | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1955-05-12)12 May 1955 (age 70) London, England |
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Prize money | $327,277 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 113–171 |
| Career titles | 1 |
| Highest ranking | No. 31 (12 December 1983) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | 2R (1984) |
| French Open | 2R (1977,1978,1979) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1977,1978,1979,1982,1986) |
| US Open | 4R (1976,1978) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 216–162 |
| Career titles | 11 |
| Highest ranking | No. 24 (24 March 1980) |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1984,1985) |
| French Open | QF (1977) |
| Wimbledon | F (1975) |
| US Open | SF (1976) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | F (1976) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1976,1980) |
| US Open | SF (1984) |
Colin Dowdeswell (born 12 May 1955) is a former professionaltennis player who represented, at different times,Rhodesia, Switzerland and the United Kingdom,[1] and who achieved rank as UK No. 1. During his time on the world tour, he won one singles title and eleven doubles titles.[2] The highlight of his career was reaching the men's doubles final ofWimbledon.
Dowdeswell was born in London but grew up in Rhodesia. He was educated atPrince Edward School and TheUniversity of the Witswatersrand.[3] He also received an MBA at Insead business school in 1987.
Partnering AustralianAllan Stone, Dowdeswell finished runner-up in doubles atWimbledon in 1975. Unseeded, after two straight sets wins, they defeated the No. 7 seedsTom Okker andMarty Riessen in the round of 16 in four sets. They did likewise in eliminating the No. 3 seeds,Bob Hewitt andFrew McMillan, in the quarterfinals. It took Dowdeswell and Stone then five sets to overcome the unseeded team ofDick Crealy andNiki Pilic in the semifinals. They lost the final to another unseeded tandem,Vitas Gerulaitis andSandy Mayer, 5–7, 6–8, 4–6.[4]
Dowdeswell achieved a career-high singles ranking of world No. 31 in 1983 and a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 24 in 1980.[2]
| Result | W–L | Year | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | 1974 | Dublin, Ireland | Hard | 3–6, 8–9 | |
| Win | 1–1 | 1975 | Istanbul, Turkey | Clay | 6–1, 6–4, 6–2 | |
| Loss | 1–2 | 1978 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | 2–6, 4–6 | |
| Loss | 1–3 | 1983 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | 4–6, 6–4, 6–1, 5–7, 3–6 |
| Result | No. | Year | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1. | 1974 | Dublin, Ireland | Hard | 6–3, 6–2 | ||
| Loss | 1. | 1975 | Birmingham, U.S. | Carpet (i) | 1–6, 6–3, 6–7 | ||
| Loss | 2. | 1975 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | 5–7, 6–8, 4–6 | ||
| Loss | 3. | 1975 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | 4–6, 7–9, 1–6 | ||
| Loss | 4. | 1975 | Istanbul, Turkey | Clay | 2–6, 2–6, 2–6 | ||
| Loss | 5. | 1976 | Nuremberg, Germany | Carpet (i) | 6–7, 4–6 | ||
| Loss | 6. | 1976 | Barcelona, Spain | Clay | 2–6, 3–6 | ||
| Loss | 7. | 1976 | Cologne, Germany | Carpet (i) | 1–6, 6–3, 6–7 | ||
| Loss | 8. | 1977 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | 4–6, 6–7 | ||
| Loss | 9. | 1977 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | 6–7, 4–6 | ||
| Win | 2. | 1978 | Sarasota, U.S. | Carpet | 2–6, 6–3, 6–2 | ||
| Loss | 10. | 1978 | Lagos, Nigeria | Clay | 3–6, 6–3, 5–7 | ||
| Win | 3. | 1978 | Berlin, Germany | Clay | 6–3, 6–4 | ||
| Loss | 11. | 1978 | Toronto, Canada | Clay | 3–6, 6–7 | ||
| Win | 4. | 1979 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | 6–3, 7–6 | ||
| Win | 5. | 1979 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | 6–4, 6–2, 2–6, 6–4 | ||
| Loss | 12. | 1980 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | 4–6, 3–6 | ||
| Win | 6. | 1980 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | 6–4, 6–4 | ||
| Win | 7. | 1980 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | 6–3, 6–4 | ||
| Loss | 13. | 1983 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | 7–6, 4–6, 2–6 | ||
| Loss | 14. | 1983 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | 5–7, 2–6 | ||
| Win | 8. | 1983 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | 6–4, 7–5 | ||
| Loss | 15. | 1984 | Kitzbühel, Austria | Clay | 6–2, 6–7, 6–7 | ||
| Loss | 16. | 1984 | Tel Aviv, Israel | Hard | 3–6, 4–6 | ||
| Win | 9. | 1985 | Palermo, Italy | Clay | 6–4, 6–7, 7–6 | ||
| Win | 10. | 1985 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | 3–6, 7–6, 6–4 | ||
| Win | 11. | 1986 | Milan, Italy | Carpet (i) | 6–3, 4–6, 6–1 | ||
| Loss | 17. | 1986 | Nice, France | Clay | 3–6, 6–4, 9–11 |
Dowdeswell participated in oneDavis Cup tie forRhodesia in 1976, posting a 2–0 record in singles and an 0–1 record in doubles. He participated in six Davis Cup ties forGreat Britain from 1984 to 1986, posting an 0–2 record in singles and a 5–1 record in doubles.
Dowdeswell completed his tennis career in 1986 and began a career in financial services and private banking withMerrill Lynch.[2] Married with three children,[2] he resides in Monaco.