Sydney Howard Smith

Sydney Smith
Full name	Sydney Howard Smith
Country (sports)	United Kingdom
Born	3 February 1872; Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK
Died	27 March 1947 (aged 75); Stroud, Gloucestershire, UK
Turned pro	1891 (amateur tour)
Retired	1906
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	318–56 (85.03%)
Career titles	52
Highest ranking	3
Grand Slam singles results
Wimbledon	F (1899, 1900Ch, 1905)
US Open	2R (1904)
Other tournaments
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1902, 1906)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1905, 1906)

Sydney Howard Smith (3 February 1872 – 27 March 1947) was a British tennis and badminton player.

Career

Sydney Smith was the first All England Badminton Men's Singles champion in 1900. He reached his first Wimbledon singles final in 1899, beating Herbert Roper Barrett in an epic five set semi final before losing the all comers final to Arthur Gore in four sets.^[3] In 1900 Smith beat Gore in the all comers final at Wimbledon, before losing to Reginald Doherty in the challenge round in four sets. In 1905, Smith beat Holcombe Ward, Wilberforce Eaves, William Larned and Major Ritchie before losing the all comers final in five sets to Norman Brookes.^[3] Smith and partner Frank Riseley won the Gentlemen's Doubles title at Wimbledon in 1902 and 1906. He was a member of the British Davis Cup team in 1905 and 1906.

His other career highlights included winning the Welsh Championships singles title ten times (1896–1906), the Midland Counties Championships at Edgbaston nine times from (1896–1898, 1900–1905), the Northern Championships singles title seven consecutive times (1899–1905) and the Sussex Championships six times (1899–1902, 1904–1905), the Burton-on-Trent Open three times (1897–1899).^[4]

The Mixed Doubles Trophy, a silver challenge cup and cover presented to the winners of the mixed doubles at Wimbledon, was gifted to the All England Club by Smith's family.^[5]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 1 runner-up

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score	Ref.
Loss	1900	Wimbledon	Grass	Reginald Doherty	8–6, 3–6, 1–6, 2–6	^[6]

Doubles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score	Ref.
Win	1902	Wimbledon	Grass	Frank Riseley	Reginald Doherty Laurence Doherty	4–6, 8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 11–9	^[7]
Loss	1903	Wimbledon	Grass	Frank Riseley	Reginald Doherty Laurence Doherty	4–6, 4–6, 4–6	^[7]
Loss	1904	Wimbledon	Grass	Frank Riseley	Reginald Doherty Laurence Doherty	1–6, 2–6, 4–6	^[7]
Loss	1905	Wimbledon	Grass	Frank Riseley	Reginald Doherty Laurence Doherty	2–6, 4–6, 8–6, 3–6	^[7]
Win	1906	Wimbledon	Grass	Frank Riseley	Reginald Doherty Laurence Doherty	6–8, 6–4, 5–7, 6–3, 6–3	^[7]

References

^ ^a ^b "Sydney Howard Smith: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. The Tennis Base. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
^ "Sydney Howard Smith: Stats". tennisarchives.com. Tennis Archives. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
^ ^a ^b "Wimbledon player archive – Sidney Smith". AELTC.
^ "LAWN TENNIS. BURTON-ON-TRENT OPEN TOURNAMENT. A three day.'The tournament concluded on Wednesday, the following being the principal results; — GENTLEMEN'S SINGLES. S. H. Smith (Holder for past two years) beat S. B. Allen, 6-1. 6-0". Nottinghamshire Guardian. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England: British Newspaper Archives. 29 July 1899. p. 8.
^ "Trophies". All England Lawn Tennis Club. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
^ "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Singles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 16 October 2015.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Wimbledon Rolls of Honour / Gentlemen's Doubles". Wimbledon official tournament website. Retrieved 16 October 2015.