 Davis in 1916 | |
| Full name | Willis Elphinstone Davis Jr. |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | United States |
| Born | 16 December 1893 San Francisco, California, United States |
| Died | 15 December 1936 (aged 42)[1] Fort Whipple, Arizona, United States |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] |
| Retired | 1923 |
| College | University of California, Berkeley University of Pennsylvania |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 9 (1919,A. Wallis Myers)[3] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1919) |
| US Open | SF (1921) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1920) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| US Open | W (1916) |
Willis Elphinstone Davis Jr. (1893–1936) was an Americantennis player who was active in the early 20th century.
Davis was born in San Francisco, the son of wealthy painterWillis E. Davis and his wife Elise "Elsie" Kohler Davis. Davis's first prominent tennis match was a doubles competition for the California state championship in 1913 in which he and Lin Murray were eliminated byClarence Griffin andJohn Strachan. Davis was playing for the University of California, Berkeley, and won a 1914 match against Stanford University's intercollegiate championHerbert Hahn.[4] While at Berkeley he joined the secretive fraternity Omicron Delta which had just changed its name fromTheta Nu Epsilon, a chapter of theSkull and Bones. He was also a member ofDelta Kappa Epsilon.[5]
Becoming known for his very high speed serve, Davis transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, Towne Scientific School for the 1914–15 school year.[4][6]The New York Times profiled him as exemplary of the emerging California style of powerful "cannonball service" whichMaurice E. McLoughlin had used to become national champion. Davis's explosive serve was observed to have an effective side-breaking spin applied with the top of the racket, a spin which put the opponent off balance. After his serve he usually rushed the net to counter sharply angled return shots. However, Davis was said to have a comparative weakness in his back court game, having put so much effort into perfecting his serve.[4][7]
Davis won the mixed doubles title at the 1916U.S. National Championships played at thePhiladelphia Cricket Club. WithEleonora Sears, he defeatedFlorence Ballin andBill Tilden in two sets 6–4, 7–5.[8]
At the 1916Cincinnati Open, he was a finalist in the All-Comers singles tournament (losing toBill Johnston) and paired withDean Mathey to reach the finals in men's doubles (where they lost to Johnston andClarence Griffin).
Also in 1916, Davis won the Clay Court Championship, beating Conrad Doyle in the final in straight sets.[9] In the 1916 Pennsylvania State Championship Davis scored a memorable victory overBill Tilden in the semifinal, 3–6, 6–3, 13–11, and then claimed the title against Graig Biddle in the final.[10][11]
In 1918, Davis joined the Aviation Section, U.S. Signal Corps as a pilot. He trained in Oakland, California, San Antonio and New York to fly and fight in World War I.[12] As a lieutenant in theAmerican Expeditionary Forces, he was sent to France with fellow players Griffin andCharles S. "Chuck" Garland to participate in a friendly tennis match against French and British soldier/players, but the match was rescheduled for earlier and the three missed it. After the war, Davis competed at Wimbledon in 1919.[13]
A. Wallis Myers ofThe Daily Telegraph ranked Davis as World No. 9 in 1919.[3]
In 1920, Davis reached the final of the men's doubles championship withRoland Roberts but were defeated by fellow CaliforniansClarence Griffin andBill Johnston in three straight sets.[14] He won the singles title at thePacific Coast Championships (now SAP Open) in 1920 with a victory over Clarence Griffin in the final.
His best Grand Slam singles result came at the 1921 U.S. National Championships where he reached the semifinals and lost in straight sets to multiple championBill Tilden, though the first went to 10-8.
He won the 1921 invitation tennis tournament of the Meadow Club in both singles and doubles. In the singles finals, he defeatedVincent Richards in four sets, and in the doubles finals, he andWatson Washburn defeated brothersHoward andRobert Kinsey.[15] Davis retired from professional competition in 1923.[4]
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1920 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Roland Roberts | Clarence GriffinBill Johnston | 2–6, 2–6, 3–6 |
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1916 | US National Championships | Grass |  Eleonora Sears | Florence BallinBill Tilden | 6–4, 7–5 |