The Open Era
Australia · born Gosford, New South Wales, 1954 · right-handed · Australian Open champion 1976 at No. 212, the lowest-ranked man to win a major
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212
World ranking when he won the 1976 Australian Open, the lowest of any men's major champion
4
Australian Open doubles titles on grass, 1980 to 1984
1982
Wimbledon singles semi-finalist, seeded 12
No. 15
Career-high singles ranking, May 1982
1983
Davis Cup winner with Australia, final played on grass at Kooyong
Mark Ronald Edmondson was born in Gosford, New South Wales, on 28 June 1954. When he played the 1976 Australian Open he was ranked 212th in the world and working as a hospital cleaner to pay for his tennis. At the Australian Open at Kooyong he beat Ken Rosewall, the world No. 2, in the semi-finals and John Newcombe, the defending champion, in the final. No lower-ranked man has won a Grand Slam singles title since the rankings began in 1973, and he remains the last Australian man to win the Australian Open singles.
He did not win another major singles title, but he became a strong grass court player. He reached the Australian Open semi-finals in 1981 and, seeded 12, the Wimbledon semi-finals in 1982, beating Vitas Gerulaitis before losing to Jimmy Connors. He won six singles titles on the tour and reached No. 15 in the singles rankings in May 1982.
His larger record is in doubles. He won 34 titles, among them the Australian Open four times, with Kim Warwick in 1980 and 1981, Paul McNamee in 1983 and Sherwood Stewart in 1984, and the French Open with Warwick in 1985, and he reached No. 3 in the doubles rankings in 1984. He was in the Australian team that won the Davis Cup in 1983, beating Sweden on grass at Kooyong.
| Australian Open 1976, Kooyong | Semi-final: beat Ken Rosewall. Final: beat John Newcombe 6-7, 6-3, 7-6, 6-1. He won the third-set tie-break from 2-4 down, and the final was held up for nearly 30 minutes in the third set by a gusty cool change |
|---|---|
| Wimbledon 1982 | Seeded 12: beat Vitas Gerulaitis in the quarter-finals, lost to Jimmy Connors in straight sets in the semi-finals |
| Wimbledon mixed 1980 | Final with Dianne Fromholtz: lost to John and Tracy Austin 4-6, 7-6, 6-3, after holding three match points in the second set, one at 5-4 and two in the tie-break |
| Australian Open doubles | Champion 1980 and 1981 with Kim Warwick, 1983 with Paul McNamee, 1984 with Sherwood Stewart; runner-up with Warwick in 1985 |
| Australian Championships | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | Men's singles Australian Open | |
| 1980 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with Kim Warwick |
| 1981 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with Kim Warwick |
| 1983 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with Paul McNamee |
| 1984 | Men's doubles Australian Open | with Sherwood Stewart |
| South Pacific Classic | ||
| 1978 | Men's singles | |
| 1981 | Men's singles | |
| South Australian Championships | ||
| 1981 | Men's singles | |
| 1985 | Men's doubles | with Kim Warwick |
| Brisbane Grand Prix | ||
| 1976 | Men's singles | |
| Surrey Championships (Surbiton) | ||
| 1980 | Men's doubles | with Kim Warwick |
| Bristol (West of England) | ||
| 1981 | Men's singles Bristol Open | |
| New South Wales Championships | ||
| 1987 | Men's doubles New South Wales Open | with Brad Drewett |
Leading grass titles only: the grass majors, tour-level grass events since 1968 and the leading grass championships before 1968. †single source; ‡ sources disagree. Roll of champions
"I thought, 'That's a bit bloody rude.'"
The person behind the player.
Kooyong, 1976
On the eve of the final Edmondson heard Newcombe say: "He beat Ken today, but he doesn't realise he's got to play John Newcombe tomorrow." Edmondson told CNN that he thought it was a bit bloody rude. He won the next day in four sets.
Source: ausopen.com, 2023Kooyong, 1976
After beating Rosewall in the semi-finals, The New York Times reported, Edmondson took the tram home, just like all the fans leaving the Kooyong Lawn Tennis Club.
Source: ausopen.com, 2023Kooyong, 1976
The final began in sweltering heat before a gusty cool change came through. The wind was so strong that play was suspended for nearly 30 minutes in the third set. Edmondson came back from 4-2 down in the tie-break and took the set when Newcombe double-faulted on set point.
Source: ausopen.com, 20231977
A year later he told Australian Tennis Magazine: "When I beat Newcombe in the Australian Open, everyone expected miracles." And: "One day I was unknown and the next I was a new star on the scene."
Source: ausopen.com, 2023Free membership: player news, the grass court Atlas, the rankings and the grass season calendar.
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