Bill Sidwell facts for kids
| Full name | Oswald William Thomas Sidwell |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  Australia |
| Residence | Sydney, Australia |
| Born | 16 April 1920 Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia |
| Died | 19 August 2021 (aged 101) Caringbah, New South Wales, Australia |
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) |
| Retired | 1951 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 10 (1949, John Olliff) |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| Australian Open | SF (1948, 1949, 1950) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1950) |
| US Open | 3R (1947, 1948) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1949) |
| French Open | F (1947) |
| Wimbledon | F (1947, 1950) |
| US Open | W (1949) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1948) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | F (1948Ch, 1949Ch) |
Oswald William Thomas Sidwell (born April 16, 1920, died August 19, 2021), known as Bill Sidwell, was a talented tennis player from Australia. He was known for his strong doubles play.
Bill reached the finals of five major tennis tournaments, called Grand Slams, in doubles. He won one of these big titles. This was the 1949 U.S. National Championships, where he played with his Australian teammate, John Bromwich.
He also represented Australia in the Davis Cup, a big international team tennis competition. His team made it to the finals in both 1948 and 1949. However, they lost to the United States team both times. When he was younger, Bill won the Australian Open boys' singles event in 1939.
In 1949, a tennis expert named John Olliff ranked Bill as the 10th best player in the world. Bill loved sports his whole life. Even when he was 88 years old, he was still helping to organize golf events. He lived a very long life, turning 100 in April 2020. Bill passed away in August 2021, at the age of 101.
Contents
Grand Slam Finals: Doubles
Bill Sidwell played in five Grand Slam doubles finals. He won one of these important matches.
Winning Moment: US National Championships
Bill won the US National Championships in 1949. He played with his fellow Australian, John Bromwich. They beat another Australian team in a great match.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1949 | US National Championships | Grass |  John Bromwich |
Frank Sedgman George Worthington |
6–4, 6–0, 6–1 |
Runners-Up: Doubles Finals
Bill reached the finals four other times but didn't win. These were at the French Championships, Wimbledon twice, and the Australian Championships.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1947 | French Championships | Clay |  Tom Brown |
 Eustace Fannin Eric Sturgess |
4–6, 6–4, 4–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1947 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Tony Mottram |
 Bob Falkenburg Jack Kramer |
6–8, 3–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1949 | Australian Championships | Grass | Geoff Brown |
John Bromwich Adrian Quist |
6–1, 5–7, 2–6, 3–6 |
| Loss | 1950 | Wimbledon | Grass | Geoff Brown |
John Bromwich Adrian Quist |
5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
Grand Slam Finals: Mixed Doubles
Bill also reached one Grand Slam final in mixed doubles, where a male and female player team up.
Runners-Up: Mixed Doubles Final
He played in the mixed doubles final at the Australian Championships in 1948.
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1948 | Australian Championships | Grass | Thelma Coyne Long |
Nancye Wynne Bolton Colin Long |
5–7, 6–4, 6–8 |
