Don Tregonning

Donald Philip Tregonning OAM (born 26 November 1928) is a retired professional tennis player and coach. Tregonning, a student of Melbourne coach Mick Sweetnam,[1] was a member of the international professional tennis community, reaching the mixed doubles semi finals of the 1953 Australian Open,[2] playing twice in the quarter finals of doubles competitions at the Australian Open (1949, 1953) and reaching the quarter finals of the Wembley Professional Championships in 1953. Tregonning played in a famous 1953 Australian Open Round 1 match in which the umpire left the grounds to "go to (his) tea".

Donald Philip Tregonning

OAM
Born (1928-11-26) 26 November 1928
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
NationalityAustralian
Other namesDon
Alma materSwinburne University
OccupationProfessional Tennis Player, Professional Tennis Coach
OrganizationMelbourne School of Tennis; Tennis Coaches Australia Victoria, Inc. (formerly PTAV); Tregonning-Tennis
Spouse(s)Claire (Wendy) Tregonning
ChildrenCarol Tregonning, Philip Tregonning, Christopher Tregonning, Craig Tregonning, John Tregonning

Tregonning is the former head-coach at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club (the then site of the Australian Open), Danish national coach, French national coach (Davis Cup)[3] and for 30 years he coached the Japanese national team and helped them to a 3-2 upset over Australia in the "Australian Davis Cup". His clientele included Wimbledon finalist Kurt Nielsen, Grand Slam competitor Elizabeth Peers-Little, Australian Open doubles finalist Cliff Letcher, Grand Slam competitor Greg Whitecross and "Australian Junior" finalists Bill Durham, Trevor Little, Sally Irvine.

Personal life

Donald Philip Tregonning was born on 26 November 1928 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. In his childhood, he first played Australian Rules football and later discovered tennis as his passion. Tregonning became a member at Grace Park Tennis Club and joined the Mick Sweetnam School of Coaching. Sweetnam regarded Tregonning as more promising than his other student seven time Grand Slam champion Mervyn Rose.[1]

Tregonning studied engineering at the Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.[4]

Tregonning married fellow Australian and nursing sister Claire Wendy Heskett[5] at the Church of Our Lady, London.[6] They have one daughter and four sons. All sons have continued on to become ATP ranked players and professional coaches. Claire Wendy Tregonning, née Heskett, died in 2013.

In the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours (Australia), Tregonning received the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM).[7]

Playing career

In 1948 Tregonning played in the Australian Open, losing to Jack Crawford in a four set Round 2 match. The same year he partnered Mervyn Rose in the Australian Open doubles competition again reaching Round 2. In 1949 Tregonning lost a Round 2 Australian Open match against Bill Sidwell, but partnering Rose was able to secure a spot in the quarter finals of the doubles competition. In the 1950 Australian Open Tregonning once again reached the second round, however, losing a first round doubles match in which he partnered Philip Brophy.[8]

Tregonning received direct entry into the Men's Singles draw of the 1951 Wimbledon Championships but lost in the first round to Brazilian Armando Vieira.[9] Tregonning partnered Peter Cawthorn in the Men's Doubles and reached the third round, including a first round win against Vieira and his partner Leon Norgarb.[10] Partnering Rosemary Bulleid he reached the third round in the Mixed Doubles.[11] Tregonning returned to Wimbledon in 1952, but was defeated in the first round of the Men's Singles by Douglas Scharenguivel.[12] He again partnered Cawthorn in the doubles event, but they were defeated in the first round by Americans Irvin Dorfman and Grant Golden.[13] He was, once again, more successful in the Mixed Doubles reaching the third round together with Gem Hoahing.

In 1953 Tregonning played at the Wembley Professional Championships, then the most prominent professional tennis tournament. He was able to secure a place in the quarter finals being defeated by fellow Australian tennis legend Frank Sedgman.

Tregonning was the runner-up at the 1954 English Professional Championships and 1955 Great Britain Professional Championships.

Australian Open match without an umpire

Tregonning played in a famous 1953 Australian Open Rd1 match in which the umpire left the grounds to "go to (his) tea,"[14] leaving the two players – Tregonning and fellow Australian Brian Tobin – without an umpire or any ball boys. Harold Cornish, the President of the Victorian Umpires Association, took over, although by this time most of the spectators had left with only eight spectators and three representatives of the press remaining.[15][16]

Coaching career

In 1953 Tregonning travelled to England and partnered with Peter Cawthorn in organising and setting up a tennis school.[17] In 1955 he was appointed Danish national coach, being tasked with preparing the Danish Davis Cup team.[18] Among Tregonning's students was Kurt Nielsen who went on to play in the finals of 1955 Wimbledon competitions becoming the first Dane to play in a Men's singles final of a Grand Slam tournament.[19]

Tregonning was head-professional at Fawkner Park Tennis Courts and for 20 years the head-coach at Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club, which was then the site of the Australian Open. In February 1956 he and five others founded the Professional Tennis Association of Victoria, which later changed its name to Tennis Coaches Australia Victoria, Inc. (TCAV) in 1973. On several occasions Tregonning managed Linton Cup and Wilson Cup teams, before turning to private school coaching at St. Catherine's, Methodist Ladies' College, Mount Scopus Memorial College and others.

The Australian Davis Cup team was under Tregonning's supervision in 1969, Ken McGregor and Frank Sedgeman being able to defend their title. When Harry Hopman was establishing his tennis academy in 1970 and later his International Tennis Camp Tregonning travelled to the United States to assist him in doing so and coaching at the academy and camp.

During his 30 years coaching the Japanese national team Tregonning coached Japanese Olympic quarter finalist Jun Kamiwazumi who would go on to play in the quarter finals of French Open mixed doubles competitions and Japanese player Toshiro Sakai who would go on to becoming a four time Asiad gold medalist and French Open doubles quarter finalist. Both players later beat the Australian Davis Cup team in the "Australian Davis Cup".

Students of Tregonning included Australian junior champion Cliff Letcher who would become a US Open doubles finalist and two time Australian Open doubles finalist and 1979 Australian Open boys' singles and doubles champion Greg Whitecross.

In the 1990s Tregonning took on coaching squads from the Philippines, Japan and China.

In 2010 Tregonning was inducted into the TCAV Hall of Fame with the status of Legend and Founding Member.[20]

Tregonning has retired to coaching from his private court at his home in Templestowe, Melbourne.[21]

Tournament results

Wembley Professional Championships
Singles
Year Round Opponent Score
1953 1 William John (Bill) Moss 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
QF Frank Arthur Sedgman 0-6, 3-6

Australian Open
Singles
Year Round Opponent Score
1948 1 Thomas Pye 8-6, 9-7, 9-7
2 Jack Crawford 4-6, 3-6, 6-3, 3-6
1949 1 Don Goodger 6-3, 3-6, 0-6, 6-2, 6-3
2 Bill Sidwell 2-6, 1-6, 1-6
1950 1 Anthony Maggs 6-4, 7-5, 6-1
2 John Mehaffey 0-6, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6
1953 1 Brian Tobin 4-6, 7-5, 8-6, 3-6, 4-6
2 Ken Rosewall 2-6, 3-6, 6-4, 3-6
Doubles
Year Partner Round Opponents Score
1948 Mervyn Rose 1 Colin Pym, Ken Slater 6-4, 6-4, 5-7, 2-6, 12-10
2 Max Bonner, Tom Warhurst 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, 1-6, 1-6
1949 Mervyn Rose 1
2 Arthur Liddle, Gordon Schwartz 6-4, 6-4, 8-10, 6-4
QF Geoffrey Brown, Bill Sidwell 3-6, 4-6, 2-6
1950 Philip Brophy 1 John Bromwich, Adrian Quist 6-3, 6-0, 6-1
1953 David Yates 1 Max Anderson, John O'Brien 6-1, 7-5, 4-6, 10-8
QF Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall 3-6, 5-7, 7-9

[22]

Mixed Doubles
Year Partner Round Opponents Score
1948 J. Williams 1 Sadie Newcombe, Maurice Newcombe 2-6, 2-6
1949 Dulcie Whittaker 1 Eileen Richardson, Ray Cock 6-1. 2-6, 5-7
1950 Esme Ashford 1 Margaret O'Donnell, Frank Lonergan 6-2, 6-1
2 Nancye Bolton, Colin Long 0-6, 1-6
1953 Pam Southcombe 1 Joy O'Donoghue, Tim Cawthorn 6-1, 6-3
QF Joyce Diggle, John Diggle 6-1, 6-4
SF Maureen Connolly, Ham Richardson 0-6, 4-6

Wimbledon
Singles
Year Round Opponent Score
1951 1 Armando Vieira 5-7, 4-6, 6-8
1952 1 Doug Scharenguivel 2-6, 3-6, 4-6
Doubles
Year Partner Round Opponents Score
1951 Peter Cawthorn 1 Leon Norgarb, Armando Vieira 6-3, 6-1, 9-7
2 Jean Becker, G. Mercier 6-1, 6-0, 6-3
3 Jaroslav Drobny, Eric Sturgess 1-6, 2-6, 6-8
1952 Peter Cawthorn 1 Irvin Dorfman, Grant Golden 6-4, 3-6, 1-6, 2-6
MIxed Doubles
Year Partner Round Opponents Score
1951 Rosemary Bulleid 1
2 Ron Statham, Helen Fletcher 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
3 Hans van Swol, Jean Walker-Smith 6-2, 1-6, 3-6
1952 Gem Hoahing 1
2 Bob Lee, Norma Seacy 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
3 Ricky Morea, Thelma Long 1-6, 2-6

[23]

British Professional
Singles
Year Round Opponent Score
1954 4 Kurt Pohmann 7-5, 2-6, 6-2, 1-6, 2-6
1955 2 Peter Cawthorn 1-6, 5-7, 5-7

English professional championships
Singles
Year Round Opponent Score
1954 QF E.H. Fenton 6-4, 7-5, 6-4
SF William John (Bill) Moss 6-2, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
F Arthur Gordon (Paddy) Roberts 2-6, 6-1, 4-6, 3-6

Great Britain Professional Championships
Singles
Year Round Opponent Score
1955 SF William John (Bill) Moss 6-2, 7-5, 6-2
F Arthur Gordon (Paddy) Roberts 5-7, 3-6, 4-6

References
  1. Kneebone, Harry (15 May 1951). "World of Sport - Success in England". The Advertiser.
  2. "Main Scores". West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954). 17 January 1953. p. 18. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  3. "Outstanding Tennis Coach for Dandenong". The Dandenong Journal. 11 August 1954.
  4. "Swinburne community recognised in Queen's Birthday 2019 Honours List". www.swinburne.edu.au. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  5. "Engagements". The Herald. 20 February 1954.
  6. "The bride wore blue". The Herald. 29 May 1954.
  7. "Queen's 2019 Birthday Honours List" (PDF). Order of Australia Gazette (Government Gazette). Government House, Canberra, Australia: 34. 10 June 2019.
  8. "Donald Tregonning - Results Archive - Australian Open Tennis 2011". pandora.nla.gov.au. Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  9. "The Championships, Wimbledon 2018 - Official Site by IBM" (PDF). www.wimbledon.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  10. "The Championships, Wimbledon 2018 - Official Site by IBM" (PDF). www.wimbledon.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  11. "The Championships, Wimbledon - 1951 Mixed Doubles results" (PDF). Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  12. "The Championships, Wimbledon 2018 - Official Site by IBM" (PDF). www.wimbledon.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  13. "The Championships, Wimbledon 2018 - Official Site by IBM" (PDF). www.wimbledon.com. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  14. Trengove, Alan (9 January 1953). "The Umpire's Verdict: I'll go to tea!". The Argus.
  15. Tierney, Frank (9 January 1953). "Kooyong Stir as Umpire Quits". The Sydney Morning Herald.
  16. "Tennis Umpire Late For Engagement". The Newcastle Sun. 9 January 1953.
  17. "A tennis journey in the Fifties: John (Peter) Cawthorn". tennishistory.com.au. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  18. "Don Tregonning for Denmark". Lithgow Mercury. 15 October 1954.
  19. Robson, Jeremy. Under Cover: A Poet's Life in Publishing. Biteback Publishing.
  20. TCAV (13 August 2014). "TCAV Legends". Tennis Coaches Australia Victoria, Inc. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  21. Medibank (5 January 2014). "Life on the court". Live Better. Retrieved 11 February 2019.
  22. "Australian Open". Archived from the original on 3 February 2011. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  23. "Wimbledon". Retrieved 7 February 2018.
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