Biography
Bowrey reached the quarters of the Australian (international amateur) Championships in 1965 (losing to John Newcombe), 1966 (losing to Roy Emerson) and 1967 (losing to Emerson) and the US Open quarters in 1966 (losing to Manuel Santana). At the 1967 US Open - Doubles Bowrey and partner Owen Davidson lost the final to Newcombe and Roche 6-8 9-7 6-3 6-3. At the end of 1967, John Newcombe, Roy Emerson and Tony Roche had all signed professional contracts, which left the amateur game devoid of talent. A poor quality field lined up for the 1968 Australian championships, which were held at Melbourne's historic Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club. Bowrey was the top seed. In the final Bowrey met the Spaniard Juan Gisbert, which he won in four sets: 7–5, 2–6, 9–7, 6–4. A month after his Australian triumph Bowrey married the women’s player Lesley Turner. The game went open in April that year and at the first Open Wimbledon Bowrey lost in the second round to Andres Gimeno. Defending his Australian title the following year Bowrey blew a two sets to love lead in the quarters against Ray Ruffels. Bowrey represented Australia in two Davis Cup rounds, the first against the U.S in the World Group Final in December 1968, where he lost to Clark Graebner in five sets and beat Arthur Ashe in four sets. The second in the North & Central America draw in May 1969 versus Mexico, where he won against Joaquin Loyo-Mayo and lost to Rafael Osuna.
Bowrey was also involved in one of the longest matches in tennis history at Wimbeldon in 1970 against Patricio Cornejo that consumed nearly four hours and took 84 games. In 1970 Bowrey with partner Marty Riessen won the Rogers Cup (formerly Canadian Open) in two sets against Fred Stolle and Cliff Drysdale 6–3, 6-2. He also won the Rome ATP World Tour Masters - Doubles that year with Owen Davidson.
Bowrey married fellow tennis professional Lesley Turner in 1968 and went into semi-retirement in 1972 at the age of just 28, becoming a coach.
Read more about this topic: William Bowrey
Famous quotes containing the word biography:
“A great biography should, like the close of a great drama, leave behind it a feeling of serenity. We collect into a small bunch the flowers, the few flowers, which brought sweetness into a life, and present it as an offering to an accomplished destiny. It is the dying refrain of a completed song, the final verse of a finished poem.”
—André Maurois (1885–1967)
“A biography is like a handshake down the years, that can become an arm-wrestle.”
—Richard Holmes (b. 1945)
“Just how difficult it is to write biography can be reckoned by anybody who sits down and considers just how many people know the real truth about his or her love affairs.”
—Rebecca West (1892–1983)