Full name Elwood Thomas Cooke US Open SF (1945) Turned pro 1947 Wimbledon F (1939) Retired 1949 | French Open SF (1939) Role Tennis Player Country (sports) United States Name Elwood Cooke Highest ranking No. | |
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Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand) Died April 16, 2004, Apopka, Florida, United States | ||
CALIFORNIAN TENNIS DOUBLES - SOUND
Elwood Thomas Cooke (July 5, 1913 – April 16, 2004) was an amateur American tennis player in the 1930s and 1940s.
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Tennis career
Cooke was ranked in Top 10 in the United States in 1938 (ranked No. 7), 1939 (No. 6), 1940 (No. 9), and 1945 (No. 4), whilst reaching as high as World No. 8 in Gordon Lowe's amateur rankings for 1939.
At Wimbledon, he reached the singles final in 1939 before falling to Bobby Riggs, but won the doubles title that year with Riggs. He was the U.S. Indoor Doubles champion with Riggs in 1940. Cooke reached the semifinals of the French Championships in 1939 and the U.S. National Championships in 1945 (and the quarterfinals of the latter in 1940 and 1943).
At the Cincinnati Masters, he reached both the singles and the doubles final in 1945. He lost the singles final to future International Tennis Hall of Fame enshrinee Bill Talbert, and the doubles final to Talbert and Hal Surface.
He held the Pacific Northwest Sectional singles ranking of No. 2 in 1935, and No. 1 in 1936, and was ranked No. 1 in doubles in the Pacific Northwest (with Don Lewis) in 1935.
In the Oregon State Tournament, he won the singles title in 1936, and the doubles title with Wayne Sabin in 1935 and with Sam Lee in 1936. His 1935 win was over Newton and Bennett who had just won the National Intercollegiate Doubles title.
In the Pacific Northwest Sectional, he won the singles title in 1935 and 1936, and the doubles title with Wayne Sabin in 1935. He was a naval officer during World War II, and was married to International Tennis Hall of Famer Sarah Palfrey Cooke.
After he retired from tournament play, he was the head tennis professional at Sunningdale Country Club in Scarsdale, New York from 1961–1981.
Personal life
He was married to tennis star Sarah Palfrey from 1940 to 1949.