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Tony Roche He was a country boy, a son of a butcher, from a New South Wales hamlet, barrel-chested and set on continuing the Australian domination at the Grand Slams and Davis Cup in the 1960s - Anthony Dalton Roche - the left-hander who partnered John Newcombe to 12 major doubles victories and proved himself a master on the clay.
Roche had the groundstrokes to succeed on the slow clay, winning the singles in 1966 of French and Italian Championship. He lost five major finals two at the French (1965, 1967), one at Wimbledon the 1968 final to his Rod Laver, and two U.S. championships in 1969 to Laver, completing his Grand Slam and 1970 to Ken Rosewall, players he had idolised as a youngster. The Australian however is best remembered for his doubles exploits, partnering Newcombe to become one of four male pairs to have won all the Big Four. With Newcombe on the right court, they combined to win Wimbledon five times in 1965, 1968-70 and 1974, as Roche hit his wicked lefty serve backed up with expert volleys. In 1968 he signed professional forms to World Champion Tennis with rookies Newcombe, Cliff Drysdale, Nikki Pilic and Roger Taylor. He was in the world Top Ten for six straight years from 1965, reaching a high No. 2 in 1969. Roche won 12 professional singles and 27 doubles titles.
Before shoulder and elbow injury curtailed his career, Australia came calling for a 1977 Davis Cup tie in Sydney. Friends and family watched as the two-time Cup winning player (accompanying Newcombe to doubles victory in 1965 and 1967, against Spain) beat Italy's spearhead Adriano Panatta who had helped win the 1976 Cup, 6-3, 6-4, 6-4. In the last year of his playing career he became player-coach for Phoenix and Boston in World Team Tennis, having won $529,199. He went on to coach several professionals including Ivan Lendl. Grand Slam Record Australian Doubles winner 1965, 1967, 1971, 1976 (Jan); Doubles finalist 1966; Mixed winner 1966; Mixed finalist 1967 French Singles winner 1966; Singles finalist 1965, 1967; Doubles winner 1967, 1969; Doubles finalist 1964 Wimbledon Singles finalist 1968; Doubles winner 1965, 1968-70, 1974; Mixed winner 1976; Mixed finalist 1965, 1969 U.S. Championships Singles finalist 1969-70; Doubles winner 1967 Tournament Record (inc. Davis Cup and Olympics) Italian Championships Singles winner 1966; Singles finalist 1967, 1969; Doubles winner 1964-65, 1969, 1971 Australian Davis Cup
team member 1964-67, 1974-78; winning side 1965, 1967, 1977 |
