 Cooke at the 1939 Wimbledon Championships | |
| Full name | Elwood Thomas Cooke |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | July 5, 1913 Ogden, Utah, U.S. |
| Died | April 16, 2004(2004-04-16) (aged 90) Apopka, Florida, U.S. |
| Turned pro | 1947 (amateur from 1935) |
| Retired | 1949 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 8 (1939,Gordon Lowe)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | SF (1939) |
| Wimbledon | F (1939) |
| US Open | SF (1945) |
| Other tournaments | |
| US Pro | QF (1947,1948,1949) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1939) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1939) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1939) |
| US Open | F (1939) |
Elwood Thomas Cooke (July 5, 1913 – April 16, 2004) was an amateur Americantennis player in the 1930s and 1940s.
Elwood Cooke started playing tennis before his junior year atBenson Polytechnic High School. He played for the school team in the Portland Interscholastic League, never losing in singles matches and finishing with the team in 2nd place in his junior and senior years.[2]
Cooke was ranked in Top 10 in the United States in 1938 (ranked No. 7), 1939 (No. 6), 1940 (No. 9), and 1945 (No. 4), whilst reaching as high as world No. 8 inGordon Lowe's amateur rankings for 1939.[1]
At Wimbledon, Cooke reached the singles final in 1939 (beatingBunny Austin andHenner Henkel before falling toBobby Riggs), but won the doubles title that year with Riggs. He was the U.S. Indoor Doubles champion with Riggs in 1940. Cooke reached the semifinals of theFrench Championships in 1939 (losing toDon McNeill)[3] and theU.S. National Championships in 1945 (losing toFrank Parker).[4] He reached the U. S. quarterfinals in 1940 and 1943.
At theCincinnati Masters, he reached both the singles and the doubles final in 1945. He lost the singles final to futureInternational Tennis Hall of Fame enshrineeBill Talbert. In the Oregon State Tournament, he won the singles title in 1936. In the Pacific Northwest Sectional, he won the singles title in 1935 and 1936. He was a naval officer duringWorld War II, and was married to International Tennis Hall of FamerSarah Palfrey Cooke.[5]
After he retired from tournament play, he was the head tennis professional at Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, New York from 1961 to 1981.
He was married to American tennis playerSarah Palfrey from 1940 to 1949.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1939 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Bobby Riggs | 6–2, 6–8, 6–3, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1939 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bobby Riggs |  Charles HareFrank Wilde | 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 9–7 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1939 | French Championships | Clay |  Sarah Palfrey |  Simonne Mathieu Franjo Kukuljević | 4–6, 6–1, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1939 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Sarah Palfrey | Alice Marble Harry Hopman | 7–9, 1–6 |
