Walter Senior (1910 – Unknown) was an American

tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...

player in the 1930s and 1940s.

Career

Senior won the 1936 California State championships over a young

Joe Hunt Joseph Raphael Hunt (February 17, 1919 – February 2, 1945) was an American tennis player of the late 1930s and early 1940s from Southern California. He was the number one ranked American in 1943 and won the US Open (tennis), US singles champi ...

, displaying "swift, steady, well-planned tennis". Senior's best year on the circuit was 1937. He won several tournaments including the Western States title, four state championships and the Canadian championships. Senior won the Wisconsin State title beating

Elwood Cooke Elwood Thomas Cooke (July 5, 1913 – April 16, 2004) was an amateur American tennis player in the 1930s and 1940s. Tennis career Elwood Cooke started playing tennis before his junior year at Benson Polytechnic High School. He played for the sc ...

in the final. He won the Illinois state title over former US champion

Wilmer Allison Wilmer Lawson Allison Jr. (December 8, 1904 – April 20, 1977) was an American amateur World No 4 ranked tennis champion of the 1930s. Allison was both a fine singles player and, along with his frequent partner, John Van Ryn, a great doubles ...

in three straight sets for the loss of just three games. Allison had an injured nerve in his right arm throughout the tournament, but Senior "was at the top of his game and forced Allison into numerous errors". The match lasted 45 minutes. Senior won the Michigan State title beating George Toley in the final in four sets; his forehand drives gave him control of the match. Senior won the

Canadian championships Canadian Championships refers to a number of national-level competition in Canada. It may refer to: * Canadian Championship, the national championship tournament for professional soccer * Canadian Figure Skating Championships * Canadian Professiona ...

in five sets against Bobby Murray. Senior "varied his long-hitting game with drop shots and clever cuts and at one stage of the last set he took 15 straight points". In the Idaho state final, he beat Fred Dixon in straight sets. "He drove his shoulder-high forehand with blazing speed, backhanded placements down the sidelines and showed nice judgment of lobs. It was his drop shot that finally did the business, however". Senior turned professional at the end of the year. Senior was a quarter finalist at the US Pro in 1938, 1940 and 1945.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Senior, Walter 1910 births American male tennis players Tennis players from California Year of death unknown 20th-century American sportsmen