Arthur James Willard (22 April 1893 – 10 June 1968), better known as ''Jim Willard'', was an Australian

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball c ...

player.

Tennis career

Willard won two mixed doubles titles alongside

Daphne Akhurst Daphne Jessie Akhurst (22 April 1903 – 9 January 1933) known also by her married name Daphne Cozens, was an Australian tennis player. Akhurst won the women's singles title at the Australian Championships five times between 1925 and 1930. A ...

at the

Australasian Championships The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open ...

, the future

Australian Open The Australian Open is a tennis tournament held annually at Melbourne Park in Melbourne, Australia. The tournament is the first of the four Grand Slam tennis events held each year, preceding the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open. ...

, in

1924 Events January * January 12 – Gopinath Saha shoots Ernest Day, whom he has mistaken for Sir Charles Tegart, the police commissioner of Calcutta, and is arrested soon after. * January 20– 30 – Kuomintang in China h ...

and

1925 Events January * January 1 ** The Syrian Federation is officially dissolved, the State of Aleppo and the State of Damascus having been replaced by the State of Syria. * January 3 – Benito Mussolini makes a pivotal speech in the It ...

. Willard also finished singles runner-up to John Hawkes in

1926 Events January * January 3 – Theodoros Pangalos (general), Theodoros Pangalos declares himself dictator in Greece. * January 8 **Abdul-Aziz ibn Saud is crowned King of Kingdom of Hejaz, Hejaz. ** Bảo Đại, Crown Prince Nguyễn P ...

and reached the semifinals in 1927 and 1930. He was the mixed doubles runner-up in Australia in 1926 and

1927 Events January * January 1 – The British Broadcasting ''Company'' becomes the British Broadcasting ''Corporation'', when its Royal Charter of incorporation takes effect. John Reith becomes the first Director-General. * January 7 * ...

, and doubles runner-up at the Australian Championships in

1928 Events January * January – British bacteriologist Frederick Griffith reports the results of Griffith's experiment, indirectly proving the existence of DNA. * January 1 – Eastern Bloc emigration and defection: Boris Bazhano ...

and at the

French Championships The French Open (french: Internationaux de France de tennis), also known as Roland-Garros (), is a major tennis tournament held over two weeks at the Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France, beginning in late May each year. The tournament and ven ...

1930 Events January * January 15 – The Moon moves into its nearest point to Earth, called perigee, at the same time as its fullest phase of the Lunar Cycle. This is the closest moon distance at in recent history, and the next one will be ...

. He participated in the 1924 Wimbledon Championships, losing in the second round of the singles event. He returned at the 1930 Championships where he lost in the first round of the singles event, reached the quarterfinal of the doubles with

Harry Hopman Henry Christian Hopman CBE (12 August 1906 – 27 December 1985) was an Australian tennis player and coach. Early life Harry Hopman was born on 12 August 1906 in Glebe, Sydney as the third child of John Henry Hopman, a schoolteacher, and Jenni ...

and made it to the third round of the mixed doubles partnering

Lolette Payot Lolette Payot-Dodille (; 17 April 1910 – February 1988) was a Swiss-French tennis player. Biography Payot was born on 17 April 1910 at Lausanne. She learned to play tennis age 8 on the courts of the Montchoisi tennis club. At the age of 13, ...

. Willard competed in the singles and doubles event at the

1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), officially the Games of the VIII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIIe olympiade) and also known as Paris 1924, were an international multi-sport event held in Paris, France. The op ...

. In the singles he made it to the third round before being defeated by

Sydney Jacob Sydney Montague Jacob (28 October 1879 – 14 February 1977) was an Anglo-Indian tennis player who represented India at the Davis Cup and Olympic Games. He competed in the singles event at the 1924 Summer Olympics, reaching the quarterfinal in ...

. In the doubles event he teamed up with James Bayley and reached the second round in which they lost to eventual Olympic champions

Vincent Richards Vincent Richards (March 20, 1903 – September 28, 1959) was an American tennis player. He was active in the early decades of the 20th century, particularly known as being a superlative volleyer. He was ranked World No. 2 as an amateur in 1924 b ...

and Frank Hunter. Willard won the Sydney metropolitan championships in October 1929 after a victory in the final against Jack Crawford. He became a professional player in February 1933. From 1933 to 1941, Willard had an endorsement deal with the Alexander Patent Racket Company in Launceston, Tasmania, to produce a range of 'Jim Willard' tennis racquets.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)

Doubles (2 runners-up)

Mixed doubles (2 titles, 2 runners-up)

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Willard, James Australasian Championships (tennis) champions Australian male tennis players 1893 births 1968 deaths Grand Slam (tennis) champions in mixed doubles Olympic tennis players of Australia Tennis players at the 1924 Summer Olympics Professional tennis players before the Open Era Tennis people from New South Wales