Who was really the last British winner of a Wimbledon final? - Mirror Online Sport Who was really the last British winner of a Wimbledon final? Who were the last British players to claim Wimbledon titles in the men's singles, women's singles, mens doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles events? We bring you right up to speed Share Triple crown: Fred Perry claimed three consecutive titles between 1934-1936 (Photo: Hulton Archive) Share Get daily updates directly to your inbox + Subscribe Thank you for subscribing! Could not subscribe, try again laterInvalid Email Andy Murray will carry the weight of history and a nation on his shoulders tomorrow as he steps out on Centre Court to face Roger Federer . While the Swiss ace has clocked up six Wimbledon titles by himself already, British tennis fans have had few final triumphs to cheer. But we have had some Wimbledon winners, so here is our rundown of the last British winners in Wimbledon finals... Men's singles final No Brit man has won the men's singles event at Wimbledon since Fred Perry sealed a hat-trick of titles in 1936.

Until Murray's win over Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on Friday, Bunny Austin was the last Brit to get there - in 1938. (Photo: Getty) Andy Murray plays Roger Federer in this year's final as the first Brit to reach the Wimbledon men's final in 74 years. It's a far cry from 1877 to 1904 where every final was contested by the British. Australian Norman Brookes crashed the party as runner up in 1905 before winning in 1907. How brash of him. (Photo: Wikipedia) No British woman has won the ladies' singles since Virginia Wade did so in 1977. (Photo: Getty) Women's doubles Virginia Wade was runner up with French player Francoise Durr in 1970, following Ann Haydon Jones - also with Francoise Durr - in 1968. (Durr was a losing doubles finalist six times without ever winning). Anglea Buxton was the last Brit to win the title with American Althea Gibson in 1956.

The best year was 1955, when all four finalists were Brits with Angela Mortimer and Anne Shilcock beating Patricia Ward Hales and Shirley Brasher Broomer. Those were the days. (Photo: Getty) Mixed doubles Andy's older brother Jamie Murray won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007 with Jelena Jankovic. He was the first Briton to do so since the all-British triumph of Jeremy Bates and Jo Durie in 1987. (Photo: Getty) Wheelchair Ladies' finals Lucy Shuker and Jordanne Whiley became the first all-British wheelchair tennis pair to reach a Wimbledon final this year. They play Griffoen and Van Koot on Sunday. (Photo: Getty) Virginia Wade: a Wimbledon champion written out of British history | Sport | The Guardian Pass notes Virginia Wade: a Wimbledon champion written out of British history The Andy Murray headlines have ignored the fact that a Briton won a Wimbledon singles title in 1977. Ah, but she was a woman Virginia Wade with her trophy after winning the Wimbledon women's singles championship in 1977.

Photograph: Pa/PA Archive/Press Association Ima Monday 8 July 2013 07.18 EDT First published on Monday 8 July 2013 07.18 EDT Age: 67. Appearance: Airbrushed. Out of history. Who or what is Virginia Wade ? Until last Sunday, the last British tennis player to win Wimbledon. Huh? When? 36 years ago. Back in 1977. Then how come I've never heard of her? Because journalists have forgotten she exists. Ouch. And, on the front page of the Telegraph: "After 77 years, the wait is over. " Oof. And, on the front page of the Daily Mail: "Andy Murray ends 77 years of waiting for a British champion." Jeez. Even the Daily Mail forgot about her win? Yep. Which is especially unforgivable, since they also published an interview with her, in which she told the paper: "You never forget how it feels to win Wimbledon." Incredible. So where does the 77-year figure come from? That's the figure for the men's championships.

The last British man to win before Murray was Fred Perry in 1936. Meaning the real wait was actually just 41 years? No, in reality, British tennis fans were never made to wait at all. Dorothy Round Little won the women's singles – for the second time in her career – one year later, in 1937. So there have been two British winners since? No, actually there have been four. Four British women have won Wimbledon since Fred Perry? Yep. Partially deaf player Angela Mortimer won the championship in 1961, and underdog Ann Haydon-Jones beat legend of the sport Billie Jean King to win again in 1969. This is a dark day for sports journalism, isn't it? Afraid so. But a good day for feminist writer Chloe Angyal, whose tweet "Murray is indeed the first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years unless you think women are people" has been re-tweeted, at time of writing, 9,425 times. That's a lot, right? It is. But it only really counts when men re-tweet it. Do say: "If Murray wins, he's British.

If he loses, he's Scottish." Don't say: "If Wade wins, she's forgotten." If a British woman won ’77 Wimbledon, why is Murray first winner since ’36? | For The Win By: Chris Chase | July 8, 2013 2:42 pm Follow @chrischaseftw (USA TODAY Sports Images) Open a newspaper or visit any news site on Monday and you’ll find mention of Andy Murray becoming the first British champion of Wimbledon since 1936. But Great Britain has a more recent champion than that. Virginia Wade won the Wimbledon ladies championship in 1977. Is this a sexist whitewashing of history? That’s what some believe, including Chloe Angyal, the editor of Feministing . Murray is indeed the first Brit to win Wimbledon in 77 years unless you think women are people. — Chloe Angyal (@ChloeAngyal) July 7, 2013 Is the ignoring of Wade’s title a dark day for sports journalism, as the Guardian suggests ? Do sites need to add corrections to their stories about Murray being the first winner in 77 years, like Slate did ?

No, not unless you want to change the entire way we discuss major two-gender sports, like tennis, basketball, golf, swimming, track and gymnastics. In those sports, we don’t cross-pollinate records. The sports and athletes are treated as equal, but separate. Roger Federer isn’t chasing Steffi Graf on the all-time Grand Slam list. When talking about where Missy Franklin could rank on the list of all-time great swimmers, it’s generally assumed you’re comparing her with Janet Evans, not Michael Phelps. After Serena Williams lost at Wimbledon, announcers didn’t need to specify that the top seed, but not the male top seed, was eliminated. Virginia Wade with her Wimbledon trophies in 1977. (AP) Think about it this way: When up-and-coming teen star Laura Robson wins Wimbledon in five years, should the headlines say “first Brit to win Wimbledon since Andy Murray” or “first Brit to win Wimbledon since Virginia Wade?” It will be the latter, as it should be. Then, in the copy, the fact that Robson is the first British woman to win will be specified. Clarification like that is necessary.

And most of this alleged bias comes from headlines, which is more about practicality than sexism. Headlines and soundbites can only be so long, so keeping them short and punchy is necessary. The body of the text is where the finer points are made. Every piece I’ve read on Murray mentions that he’s the first man to win since 1936 and eventually gets to his Scottish, not English, descent. But none of that fits in the headline. It goes in the copy. The WTA seems to agree with our larger point. This is a tweet the WTA sent about Robson, who moves to a career-high No. 27 in the rankings this week: #WTA Odds N’ Ends: @LauraRobson5 becomes 1st Brit inside Top 30 since April 1987, Jo Durie–> #tennis — WTA (@WTA) July 8, 2013 That’s not sexist to Andy Murray, who’s been in the top 30 for years, is it? For that matter, Jonathan Marry, a Brit, won the doubles title at Wimbledon last year? Why is one man winning more important than another man winning?

Shouldn’t Murray be the first British man to win Wimbledon since 2012? Absolutely not. Doubles isn’t singles and men’s singles isn’t women’s singles. Andy Murray and Virginia Wade now stand together in history. They don’t need to be fighting for position on the same step. The History Of The Championships, Wimbledon, Wimbledon History How did it all begin? The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club was founded in 1868 and is responsible for the world's leading tennis tournament. Lawn tennis, originally known as ‘Sphairistike, was invented by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield and was introduced at the Club in 1875. Two years later, the Club was renamed “The All England Croquet and Lawn Tennis Club” and the first ever Lawn Tennis Championship took place. A new code of laws was drawn up and most of these laws still stand today. During this first Championship, only one event took place; the Men’s Singles, which was won by Spencer Gore. Around 200 spectators paid one shilling each to watch the final.

Just five years later, in 1882, the Club’s main activity became lawn tennis and so in 1884, the All England Club (by this point the word “croquet” had been dropped from their name) decided to add two further events; the Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles (Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913). By the early 1900s the Club had outgrown its home in Worple Road , Wimbledon , where it had been since its formation. A lot had changed since the first ever Lawn Tennis Championship in 1877 (in which the final attracted 200 spectators) and the old grounds were no longer able to cope with the huge crowds who flocked to the event each year. And so, in 1920, the decision to move was taken. A site was chosen just a mile or so from the Worple Road site – and the major undertaking of designing and constructing the new Centre Court began. Well known architect Captain Stanley Peach was commissioned to design the new Centre Court . To convince the Club’s Committee, he built a huge scale model of Centre Court .

His original blueprints for the Centre Court still exist (discovered recently in a basement storage area of the offices of Stanley Peach & Co). A driving force throughout the project was Commander George Hillyard, secretary of the Club since 1907 and once a men’s doubles finalist. Hillyard collaborated with Peach on the ambitious design and his mission for the Club was clear: ‘‘Let us look to it that we construct and equip our ground that it will immediately be recognised as the finest, not only in England Wimbledon is acknowledged to be the World’s premier tennis tournament and a Long Term Plan was unveiled in 1993 by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which will improve the quality of the event for spectators, players, officials and neighbours in years to come. The first stage of the Plan was completed in time for the 1997 Championships and involved building the new No. 1 Court, a Broadcast Centre, two extra grass courts, and a tunnel under the hill to link Church Road Somerset Road . The second stage involved the removal of the old No.

1 Court complex in order to make way for the new Millennium Building to provide extensive facilities for the players, press, officials and Members, and also the extension of the West Stand of Centre Court, creating a further 728 seats. The third stage is currently under way with the recent redevelopment of the turnstile area, the construction of the new Museum Building at Gate 3, a permanent 2,600 sq ft Wimbledon Shop, Club offices and Ticket Office, an increase in Centre Court capacity from 13800 to 15000, and a new restaurant and bars. Rain has frequently interrupted play at The Championships and so this year, for the first time, a new retractable roof will be in use on Centre Court . During The Championships, this roof is to be kept primarily closed in an attempt to protect play from inclement. 2009 also sees an increase in the court’s capacity to 15,000 and the installation of new, wider padded seating for the comfort of the spectators. Wimbledon Over the years, Wimbledon has developed many unique traditions, including: strawberries and cream , royal patronage, a strict dress code for competitors, and ball boys and girls.

However, one not so popular tradition of the rain stopping play should hopefully be avoided in 2009, with the installation of a retractable roof on Centre Court . This will come as a relief after the 2008 Men’s Final lasted 7 hours, ending in darkness and making it the longest Men’s Final in history. The British are very proud of the tournament and such unique traditions help emphasise this fact but something we are no doubt less proud of is the fact that the Singles event hasn’t actually been won by a British man since Fred Perry in 1936 or a British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977. Previous FRED PERRY 1934, 1935, 1936 Ever since becoming world table-tennis champion as a 20-year-old in 1929 Fred Perry, the son a Labour MP, had set his sights on becoming as dominant on the larger stage. He had been playing the game for only seven years when in 1934, aged 25, he won the first of his three consecutive singles titles at Wimbledon .

His 1934 victory was against Crawford, the holder, in three sets in the final. The following year, he mastered the German, Baron Gottfried von Cramm, in the final in three sets. In 1936, Perry beat Don Budge in the semi-finals and in the final (the last singles Perry played in the Championships) he again beat von Cramm in straight sets. There never was a more effectively forceful British player. At Wimbledon he took three successive titles and won 21 consecutive singles. The record stood until Björn Borg, arrived on the scene in the 1970s and Perry was the first to congratulate him. BJöRN BORG 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980 Never in the history of lawn tennis did any player accomplish so much and in so brief a time as the Swede, Björn Borg. He was more coolly dominating and ruthless at Wimbledon than any previous modern challenger, precociously successful in Paris and on clay courts, clinically efficient in the Davis Cup and entirely a sporting phenomenon.

Only the US title was to escape his grasp: he lost in the final four times. Having won the junior tournament at Wimbledon in 1972 aged 16, it was in 1976 at his fourth attempt that Borg wove the first major strands in his unique Wimbledon tapestry. He lost a set to no-one, his victims including Guillermo Vilas, the hard serving Roscoe Tanner in the semis and the touch genius Ilie Nastase in the final. It would not be until 1981 that he next lost at Wimbledon . The span was from 1st July 1975, when Ashe beat him in the quarter finals, to 4th July 1981 with McEnroe his victor in the final: 41 matches in a continuity of victory and five successive titles! After the first Borg’s subsequent titles were more onerously gained. In 1977, he overcame the American Vitas Gerulaitis in a brilliant five set semi final. In the final he survived in a five-setter against Jimmy Connors.

In 1978 Borg made an awkward start in his opening match but proceeded dominantly to the final beating Connors again, this time quite easily. In 1979, the final also had the champion against the ropes, before Borg beat Tanner in five sets. In 1980 Borg had his notable confrontation with McEnroe in the final. It was among the best ever played at that stage. Borg won the final set by 8-6 to be champion for the fifth time. In 1981, though McEnroe at last got his hands on the famous gold cup with a victory in four sets. For Borg it was virtually the end. Only 25, the years of intense effort had taken their toll. Later, in 1981, he suddenly retired from the mainstream. Idolised by young spectators and awesomely admired by all, Borg’s legacy was immense. His example made the double fisted backhand and patience an orthodoxy.

His coolness under pressure, his speed about the court, his utter dependability from the back of the court through the use of heavy topspin, his fast reflexes on the volley, his formidable serve, his bloody-minded refusal to lose – all these attributes, honed to perfection by coach Lennart Bergelin – pointed the way forward. Björn Borg ranks as one of the giants of the game. PAT CASH 1987 Born in Melbourne, Australia in 1965, Patrick Hart Cash first came into the tennis spotlight in the early 1980s, and in 1981, he was ranked the top junior tennis player in the world. The following year, Cash won the junior titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open and the same year, he turned professional, going on to win his first top-level singles title in Melbourne. He soon established a reputation as a hard-fighting serve-and-volleyer and for wearing his trademark black-and-white checked headband and his cross earring.

In 1983, aged just 17, he became the youngest player ever to win a singles Davis Cup final and a year later he reached the men’s singles semi-finals at both Wimbledon and the US Open, losing to John McEnroe and Ivan Lendl respectively. He was also the runner-up in the Men’s Doubles competition at Wimbledon with McNamee and again the following year with Fitzgerald. In 1986, Cash claimed a 3-2 victory over Swede, Mikael Pernfors, in the Davis Cup and just a year later came the crowning in moment of his career, his triumph at the 1987 Wimbledon Championship, beating World No.1, Ivan Lendl in straight sets. This victory made him one of only a handful of players to win junior Wimbledon and senior Wimbledon singles titles (others include Stefan Edberg and Roger Federer). Pat Cash continued on the full-time circuit until his retirement in 1997, despite Achilles tendon, knee and back injuries. Since retiring, Cash now lives in London and has coached many top players, including Greg Rusedski and Mark Philippoussis.

Also during his retirement, he has opened a number of tennis academies and for The 2009 Championships, Keith Prowse is delighted to offer the exclusive opportunity for our guests to play tennis with Pat Cash on the morning of their visit to The Championships at the Speakeasy venue ; thereafter, Pat will join guests to discuss the order of play, his thoughts on the current players and sign autographs. ROGER FEDERER 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 The career of Roger Federer is still unfinished. By the close of 2008, still only 27, the Swiss superstar has already achieved tennis immortality. His total of 13 Grand Slam victories among the men is second only to Pete Sampras’s 14. By reaching the final of ten consecutive Grand Slam championships and winning Wimbledon and the US Open back-to-back four times in a row, he set records that may never be equalled. Until overtaken by Rafael Nadal in August 2008, Federer had been ranked number l in the world for 237 consecutive weeks.

There was early evidence that Roger had exceptional talent: in 1998 he won the junior singles and doubles titles at Wimbledon (only two others have done that). He also beat 17 times champion Pete Sampras in the fourth round at Wimbledon Two years later he joined Björn Borg, Pat Cash and Stefan Edberg as Wimbledon ’s only junior champions who went on the win the men’s singles. His victories over Andy Roddick in the semi final and Mark Philippousis now placed him at the top of the game. Between 2004 and 2007, the confidence factor lifted Federer to another level. His further Wimbledon final victims have been Andy Roddick (2004 and 2005) and Rafael Nadal (2006 and 2007). His five wins in a row equalled Björn Borg’s record in the 1980s and the Swede was present on Centre Court in the Royal Box to witness Federer’s feat in 2007.

Even when his reign came to an end in 2008 at the hands of an inspired Nadal, Federer produced a performance of heroic proportions as he came back from two sets down and saved two match points in the fourth-set tiebreak before going down 9 7 in the fifth set of a compelling battle full of glorious shot making. Two months later, a fifth consecutive US Open triumph saved Federer’s year. A natural athlete, Federer’s speed of thought and movement, when allied to an abundant talent with the racket, give him options that others envy. Many consider that we have been witnessing the greatest striker of a tennis ball who ever lived. As with Sampras, however, there is one piece still missing; the French Open title on clay has eluded his grasp, losing three finals in a row to Rafael Nadal. Perhaps his two finest weapons are his serve and his forehand. Both are hit with easy grace; both are deadly. A strong right wrist allows him to apply fizzing topspin on the forehand when necessary to create sharp angles; it also produces heavy slice or topspin on the serve. Federer has reminded us all how beautiful this game can be.

British Tennis Players As one of the four major tennis tournaments, and possibly the toughest, Wimbledon is the tournament that all players set out to win during their career. Winning a singles title at the Championships automatically assures that a player goes down in Wimbledon tennis history. The first Wimbledon Men’s Singles champion was British player, Spencer Gore, who won the first title back in 1877 and for the next 40 years, British males dominated the title. This was probably due to that fact that it was predominantly British males who entered the Championships in its early years. However, between 1907 and 1912 this trend changed and Australian players, Norman Brookes and Arthur Wilding, kick-started the dominance of international male players. Since then, few British tennis players have earned the title Men’s Singles Champion. Fred Perry was the last British Men’s Singles Champion, winning the title for the third and final time in 1936. This is something which has become a long-standing joke among the British media in the weeks preceding the Championship as over the years, many British players have tried and failed to win the title.

Virginia Wade was the last British tennis player to win Wimbledon , winning the Ladies Singles title in the tournament’s centenary year. Throughout her long and successful career she won three Grand Slam singles titles and four Grand Slam doubles titles but winning Wimbledon in 1977 was the pinnacle of her career Since Wade, no British play has won the Championships but perhaps the player who has come closest to claiming the title in recent years is Tim Henman. Henman appeared in four semi finals of Wimbledon ; however, he never managed to get into a final. Andy Murray is currently ranked the highest British player. In 2006, Murray reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time and last year he was knocked out at the quarter finals stage by eventual champion, Rafael Nadal. Could he become Britain ’s next Wimbledon Champion in 2009? When Does The Tournament Take Place ? Every year, the tournament begins on the Monday which falls between 20 and 26 June and is scheduled to last 14 days. Traditionally, there is no play on the “Middle Sunday” as this is considered to be a rest day.

This tradition has only been broken three times in the history of the Championships; in 1991, 1997 and 2004, when rain forced play. The Grounds All of the nineteen courts which are used for Wimbledon are made of rye grass and the two main courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, are usually only used for the two weeks of the Championships (although under exceptional circumstances, play can be extended into a third week). The other seventeen courts are used throughout the year for other events. Today, Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event still played on grass courts. opened in 1922 when the Club moved from Worple Road to Church Road . It usually plays host to both the semi-finals and the finals of each of the main events, as well as many of the earlier matches. At the south end of the court is the Royal Box from which members of the Royal Family and other dignitaries are able to watch. No.1 Court The second most important court is No. 1 Court.

The current court was built in 1997 with an increased capacity of 11,000 Ball boys and ball girls Each year, ball boys and girls play an essential role in the smooth running of The Championships and since 1969 have been provided by local schools, having an average age of 15. Prospective candidates are nominated by their headteacher and must undergo and series of written and fitness tests before being selected Wimbledon Dark green and purple are the traditional colours of Wimbledon . Until 2005, Green clothing was worn by the chair umpire, linesmen, ball boys and ball girls but in 2006 a new navy blue and cream uniform designed by Ralph Lauren was introduced. Trophies The Men’s Singles champion receives a silver gilt cup. This trophy has been awarded since 1887 and bears the inscription: "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World." The Ladies' Singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish". The salver is decorated with figures from mythology. Winners of the Men's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups.

The runner-up in each event receives an inscribed silver plate. The trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England Club, The Duke of Kent, and by his sister, Princess Alexandra, the Honourable Lady Ogilvy. Hospitality at July 9, 2012 - 12:22 pm | Victorian Period As this year’s Wimbledon Championship ends, let’s celebrate the tournament’s beginning. On 9 July 1877, the first ever Wimbledon event—the Gentlemen’s Singles—was held. Spencer Gore, a former cricketer, won out of a field of 22. Two hundred spectators paid one shilling apiece to watch the event. The event, of course, was held at the All England Tennis and Croquet Club, which was founded as the All England Croquet Club in 1868. In 1876, a year or so after its invention by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, tennis was added to the club’s activities and in the spring of 1877 the club was re-titled The All England Croquet and Tennis Club.

To celebrate the name change, they instituted the first Lawn Tennis Championship, drawing up a new code of laws that are very similar to the rules still in use today. By the early 1880s, lawn tennis was the predominant activity at the club, and in 1884 Ladies’ Singles and Gentlemen’s Doubles were added. Ladies’ Doubles and Mixed Doubles joined in 1913. The club moved to its present home on Church Road in 1922, and the Championship was first televised in 1937. Today, Wimbledon is considered to be one of the, if not the premier tennis tournaments in the world. It’s the oldest tennis tournament in the world and is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, along with the Australian Open, French Open, and US Open. Though Andy Murray tried this year, the last time a British man won the singles event was in 1936, when Fred Perry defeated Gottfried von Cramm in the quickest final of the 20th century (second quickest of all time). The last British woman to win the singles event at Wimbledon was Virginia Wade in 1977. Share this: Never miss a post!

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Email Address WIMBLEDON WIMBLEDON The Championships, Wimbledon, commonly referred to as simply "Wimbledon", is the oldest and arguably most prestigious event in the sport of tennis . Held every June or July (starts 6 weeks before the first Monday in August), the tournament is the third Grand Slam event played each year, preceded by the Australian Open and the French Open, and followed by the U.S. Open. The tournament (which is the only one of the Grand Slam events played on grass) lasts for two weeks, subject to extensions for rain. Separate tournaments are simultaneously held for Gentlemen's Singles, Ladies' Singles, Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles. Youth tournaments ï¿½ Boys' Singles, Girls' Singles, Boys' Doubles and Girls' Doubles ï¿½ are also held. Additionally, special invitational tournaments are held: the 35 and over Gentlemen's Doubles, 45 and over Gentlemen's Doubles, 35 and over Ladies' Doubles and wheelchair doubles.

Wimbledon Championships close of play 2004 History The Championships were first played under the control of the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in 1877 at a ground near Worple Road, Wimbledon; the only event held was Gentlemen's Singles. In 1884, the All England Club added Ladies' Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles. Ladies' Doubles and Mixed Doubles were added in 1913. The Championships moved to their present location, at a ground near Church Road, in 1922. As with the other three Grand Slam events, Wimbledon was contested by top-ranked amateur players until the advent of the open era in tennis in 1968. Britons are very proud of the tournament but it is a source of national anguish and humour ï¿½ no British man has won the singles event at Wimbledon since Fred Perry in 1936, and no British woman since Virginia Wade in 1977. Events There are five main events held at Wimbledon: Gentlemen's Singles, Ladies' Singles, Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles.

In addition, four events are held for juniors: Boys' Singles, Girls' Singles, Boys' Doubles, and Girls' Doubles. (The Mixed Doubles event is not held at the junior level.) Finally, four invitational events are held: the 35 and over Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles, the 45 and over Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles, the 35 and over Ladies' Invitation Doubles, and the Wheelchair Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles. Matches in the Gentlemen's Singles and Gentlemen's Doubles competitions are best-of-five sets; matches in all other events are best-of-three sets. Most events are single-elimination tournaments; in other words, a player who loses a single match is immediately eliminated from the tournament. However, the 35 and over Gentlemen's Invitation Doubles and the 35 and over Ladies' Invitation Doubles are both round-robin tournaments. Each year, the tournament begins six weeks before the first Monday in August. It is held two weeks after the Queen's Club Championships, which is considered the major warm-up for Wimbledon for male players.

Another important warm-up tournament for the men is the Gerry Weber Open, which is held in Halle, Germany at about the same time as the Queen's Club Championships. Wimbledon usually lasts for two weeks; the main events span both weeks, but the junior and invitational events are for the most part held during the second week. Traditionally, there is no play on the "Middle Sunday," which is considered a rest day. However, rain has forced play on the Middle Sunday thrice in Championships history: in 1991, 1997, and 2004. On each of these occasions, Wimbledon has staged a "People's Sunday", with unreserved seating and readily available, inexpensive tickets. Players and seeding A total of 128 players feature in each singles event, 64 pairs in each single-sex doubles event, and 48 pairs in Mixed Doubles. Players and doubles pairs are admitted to the main events on the basis of their international rankings. The Committee of Management and the Referee evaluate all applications for entry, and determine which players may be admitted to the tournament directly. The committee may admit a player without a high enough ranking as a wild card.

Usually, wild cards are players who have performed well during previous tournaments, or would stimulate public interest in Wimbledon by participating. The only wild card to win the Gentlemen's Singles Championship was Goran Ivanisevic (2001); no wild card has ever won the Ladies' Singles Title. Players and pairs who neither have high enough rankings nor receive wild cards may participate in a qualifying tournament held one week before Wimbledon at the Bank of England Sports Ground in Roehampton. The singles qualifying competitions are three-round events; the same-sex doubles competitions last for only one round. There is no qualifying tournament for Mixed Doubles. No qualifier has won either the Gentlemen's Singles or the Ladies' Singles tournaments; in 1977, John McEnroe went farther than any other qualifier in history by reaching the semifinals. Players are admitted to the junior tournaments upon the recommendations of their national tennis associations, and, in the case of the singles events, on the basis of a qualifying competition. The Committee of Management determines which players may enter the four invitational events. The Committee seeds the top players and pairs (thirty-two players in each main singles events, and sixteen pairs in each main doubles event) on the basis of their rankings.

The defending champion is normally, but not always, seeded first. A majority of the entrants are unseeded. Only two unseeded players have ever won the Gentlemen's Singles Championship: Boris Becker in 1985 and Goran Ivanisevic in 2001. No unseeded player has captured the Ladies' Singles title; the lowest seeded female champion was Venus Williams, who won in 2005 as the fourteenth seed. Unseeded pairs have won the doubles titles on numerous occasions; the 2005 Gentlemen's Doubles champions were not only unseeded, but also (for the first time ever) qualifiers. Grounds The nineteen courts used for Wimbledon are all composed purely of rye grass. The speed and the low bounce of grass courts favours serve and volley players. Serve and volleyers such as Rod Laver, John McEnroe, Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, and Pete Sampras have all won the Championships. However, baseliners such as Bjï¿½rn Borg have also performed very well, as have all-court players like Roger Federer.

Among women, the serve and volley strategy is less common; one of the few female serve and volleyers, Martina Navrï¿½tilovï¿½, won Wimbledon on a record nine occasions. The main show courts, Centre Court and No. 1 Court, are used only for two weeks a year, during the Championships. The remaining seventeen courts, however, are regularly used for other events hosted by the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam event played on grass courts. At one time, all of the other Grand Slam events were played on grass. The French Open abandoned grass for its current red clay in 1928, while the U.S. and Australian Opens stayed with grass decades longer. The U.S. Open abandoned grass for a synthetic clay surface in 1975, and changed again to a hard surface with its 1978 move to its current venue. The Australian Open abandoned grass for a different type of hard surface in 1988. The main court, Centre Court, was opened in 1922 when the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club moved from Worple Road to Church Road.

Due to possibility of rain during Wimbledon, a retractable roof is planned for the court; it is expected to be completed in 2009. The court has a capacity of almost 14,000; at its south end is the Royal Box, from which members of the Royal Family and other dignitaries watch matches. Centre Court usually hosts the finals and semifinals of the main events, as well as many matches in the earlier rounds involving top-seeded players. The second most important court is No. 1 Court. The court was constructed in 1997 to replace the old No. 1 Court, which was adjacent to Centre Court, but was demolished because its capacity for spectators was too low. The original No. 1 Court was said to have a unique, more intimate atmosphere, and was a favourite of many players. The new No. 1 Court has a capacity of approximately 11,000. The third-largest court, No. 2 Court, has been dubbed the "Graveyard of Champions" due to its reputation as the court on which many seeded players have been eliminated during the early rounds.

Famous players who have lost on the Graveyard during early round play include John McEnroe, Pete Sampras, and Serena Williams. The court has a capacity of about 3,000. At the northern end of the grounds is a giant television screen on which important matches are broadcast. Fans watch from an area of grass officially known as Aorangi Park, but more commonly called Henman Hill. The "hill" takes its name from local favourite Tim Henman, whom many fans hope will become the first British man to win the tournament since Fred Perry did so in 1936. Due to Tim Henman's early exit and British newcomer Andy Murray's relative success in the 2005 Championship, the hill may be renamed as Murray Mound, Mount Murray, or Murray Field (after the Scottish rugby stadium). The order of play for all courts is displayed on boards around the grounds Dark green and purple (sometimes also referred as mauve) are the traditional Wimbledon colours. Green apparel is worn by the chair umpire, linesmen, ball boys, and ball girls. The All England Club requires players to wear "predominantly white" clothing during matches. No other Grand Slam tournament has such a strict dress code for players.

During matches, female players are always referred to with the title "Miss" or "Mrs". (Formerly, married female players were referred to by their husband's names: for example, Chris Evert-Lloyd appeared on scoreboards as "Mrs. J. M. Lloyd" during her marriage to John M. Lloyd. However, this custom has been abandoned.) On the other hand, the title "Mr" is never used for male players. Previously, players bowed or curtsied to members of the Royal Family seated in the Royal Box upon entering or leaving Centre Court. In 2003, however, the President of the All England Club, HRH The Duke of Kent, decided to discontinue the tradition. Now, players are required to bow or curtsy only if the Queen or the Prince of Wales is present. For the spectators, strawberries and cream is the traditional snack at Wimbledon. Approximately 28,000 kilograms of strawberries and 7,000 litres of cream are sold each year during the Championships. Since 1992 Radio Wimbledon has broadcast commentary, speech and music from 7am to 10pm daily throughout the championship.

It can be heard within a four-mile radius on 87.7 FM and also online Trophies and prize money The Gentlemen's Singles champion receives a silver gilt cup 18.5 inches (about 47 cm) in height and 7.5 inches (about 19 cm) in diameter. The trophy has been awarded since 1887. It bears the inscription "The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World." The Ladies' Singles champion receives a sterling silver salver commonly known as the "Venus Rosewater Dish," or simply the "Rosewater Dish." The salver, which is 18.75 inches (about 48 cm) in diameter, is decorated with figures from mythology. The winners of the Gentlemen's Doubles, Ladies' Doubles, and Mixed Doubles events receive silver cups. The runner-up in each event receives an inscribed silver plate. The trophies are usually presented by the President of the All England Club, HRH The Duke of Kent, and by his wife, HRH The Duchess of Kent. At Wimbledon, more prize money is awarded in the Gentlemen's events than in the Ladies' events.

This is justified by the rules that men must win 3 out of 5 sets to win a match, whereas women only need to win 2 out of 3. The French Open also offered higher prize money for men until 2006, when it joined the Australian Open and the U.S. Open in offering equal prize money. In 2005 Wimbledon prize money exceeded ï¿½10 million (the exact amount was ï¿½10,085,510) in total for the first time.

The sums awarded to the winners of each of the main events in 2005 are as follows (the amounts shown for the doubles events are per pair): 2005 Prize Money Summary: Gentlemen's Singles: ï¿½650,000 Ladies' Singles: ï¿½625,000 Gentlemen's Doubles: ï¿½218,500 Ladies' Doubles: ï¿½203,250 Mixed Doubles: ï¿½90,000 Official Website of Virginia Wade O.B.E - Last British Women's Wimbledon Tennis Singles Champion, 1977 OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF VIRGINIA WADE O.B.E Virginia Wade British Wimbledon Tennis Champion 1977 Virginia Wade was the Number 1 British player for over a decade, but the crowning moment of her career was when she won the Wimbledon Singles Title in 1977. Queen Elizabeth II presented the Trophy, in what was her Silver Jubilee year.

Besides Wimbledon, she also won the 1968 U.S Open Singles Championship and the 1972 Australian Open Singles Titles, as well as four Doubles Titles at the Australian, French and U.S open. Virginia was ranked in the world top ten for 13 consecutive years. She won 55 singles titles and 839 matches- the fourth highest in the history of women’s professional tennis. In 1989 she was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island. She has also been honoured by Queen Elisabeth II with an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) and an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire). A graduate of Sussex University with a Bachelor of Science degree, Virginia became the first woman elected to the Wimbledon Committee. She also played Legends Events for a number of years. Virginia currently provides the TV commentary for the BBC and various networks in the USA. Currently living between London and New York, Virginia enjoys the theatre and classical music. Thank you for visiting my site.

Warmest regards A Reminder: Britain's Last Wimbledon Champ Won 36 Years Ago, Not 77 - The Atlantic The Atlantic See our Newsletters > A Reminder: Britain's Last Wimbledon Champ Won 36 Years Ago, Not 77 Andy Murray is the first British man to win in 77 years, but in 1977, Virginia Wade won a title for the home team on the tournament's 100th birthday. Most Popular Text Size AP The United Kingdom is rejoicing, as Scotland's Andy Murray has beaten Serbia's Novak Djokovic to claim his first Wimbledon men's singles title and end the U.K.'s long title drought in his division. Many of the headlines around the world have blared out sentiments like " Andy Murray wins Wimbledon, ends 77-year British drought " and " Inspired Murray ends 77 years of British hurt ." However, let's not forget that 2013 may mark the first time a British man has won in 77 years, but the last time a Brit won a singles title at their home Grand Slam tournament was actually just 36 years ago. And as Wimbledon singles finals go, that one was a pretty big deal, too.

Related Story The (Relative) Triumph of U.S. Women's Tennis at the 2013 French Open In 1977, the popular Englishwoman Virginia Wade finally put a crucial win at the end of a frustrating "try-try-again" story even longer than Andy Murray's. On that day, Britain tossed aside its famous keep-calm mantra just like it did this weekend, as Wade claimed the Wimbledon title for the British on the tournament's 100th anniversary. She was handed the Venus Rosewater Dish by none other than Queen Elizabeth II. Wade had won two Grand Slams and been seeded at the previous 10 Wimbledons—but had famously never made it past the semifinal round of her home tournament. She finally made her breakthrough when she upset the World No. 1, American Chris Evert in a three-set battle in the semifinals.

Just two weeks shy of her 32nd birthday, she then moved on to the first final played between two over-30 players since 1913—and with her 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over 32-year-old Betty Stove of the Netherlands, she became the fourth woman in the second 50 years of Wimbledon to win the tournament. (In its first 50 years, a number of British women won, as back then it was less common for foreign players to enter the All-England Club's annual tournament.) Wade credited her victory to having found new control over her on-court temper. This year's crowd at the All-England Club was, of course, overjoyed to see Andy Murray win his first Wimbledon title and break the British losing streak in men's singles. But in 1977, Wade's victory was no less celebrated: The day after, the Milwaukee Sentinel wrote that Wade had "won her first Wimbledon title at age 31 Friday in front of Queen Elizabeth and a wildly happy, singing British crowd," and that [h]undreds of fans had slept on the sidewalks all night for standing room.

The center court has seen better finals, but nothing quite as emotional. For the crowd, it was the perfect climax to the centenary Wimbledon tournament and an unexpected extra item in the queen's silver jubilee celebrations. They waved union jacks, cheered the queen and Virginia, and sang "For She's a Jolly Good Fellow" as the champion held the silver winner's plate aloft. At Wade's final match, the Queen was in attendance at Wimbledon for the first time since 1962. She wasn't known to be a fan of tennis, but Wade mused during the tournament that perhaps she could "turn the Queen on to tennis." Alas, maybe not: Though the Queen, dressed in pink and white, came down onto the court to present the trophy to Wade after her historic win, she didn't return to the All-England Club until 2010—when she attended a match between Murray and Finland's Jarkko Nieminen . Wade mused that perhaps she could "turn the Queen on to tennis." Alas, maybe not: The Queen didn't return to the All-England Club until 2010—for an Andy Murray match.

Murray and Wade's post-match remarks show that there's a distinctly British way to win Wimbledon: politely, flabbergastedly, and a little cheekily. Just like Murray, who apologized to an on-court interviewer today for being unable to remember any of what had happened in the last few points of the match, Wade found herself a little dazed—"I won't get drunk tonight," she told reporters, "I'm already drunk without drinking"—and struggled to maintain a proper British stiff upper lip during the trophy ceremony. Later, Wade said that as she received the salver from the Queen, the two women "talked a bit, but I wasn't at my most articulate." Wade also surprised some who knew her for her modest manners, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette : "I looked around the dressing room and I felt this week I was the strongest person there. I had the most guts.

I felt," she said fiercely, "it was my tournament and my match." And like Andy Murray, whose Britishness/Scottishness remains hotly debated (see the Andy-Murray-o-Meter if you've ever wanted tongue-in-cheek updates on Murray's waxing and waning popularity in each region since 2005), Wade was also claimed by two nationalities at the time. Wade had an apartment in New York and played team-tennis tournaments for the New York Apples. But according to a Miami News story from 1977, her heritage (she was the daughter of a former Archdeacon of Durban) and her background (she had a degree in mathematics from Sussex University) signaled that Wade was "British to the core," and seemed "more comfortable sipping tea at the All-England Club than wine at a New York City café." But on July 1, 1977, Virginia Wade wasn't just enthusiastically embraced as British—she was regarded as a British hero. "There was the queen handing me the trophy, and the people were all cheering and singing. I couldn't believe what was happening," Wade told reporters later.

"It was like a fairy tale." Thirty-six years later, with the British public's joyful embrace of a victorious Murray, the fairy-tale love story between the Championships Wimbledon and U.K. tennis has another happy ending.

Question: Who, in 1977, was the last British woman to win the singles event at Wimbledon?
Answer: Virginia Wade