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General First nameWillard Frederick
LastnameCrocker
GenderMale
CountryCanada
Date of birth1900-07-21
Place of birthNewton, Massachusetts, United States of America
Date of death1964-02-07
Place of deathMontreal, Quebec, Canada


About

Willard Crocker was born in the town of Newton, Massachusetts, in July 1898, the only child of Harris G. Crocker, a native of the state of Maine, and Edith May Crocker (née Smith), who was also from Massachusetts. After attending Tufts College in Massachusetts, Willard Crocker moved to Canada in order to study medicine at McGill University in Montreal. He subsequently became a naturalized Canadian citizen, but later successfully applied for the restoration of his American citizenship.
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From https://db4tennis.com/players/male/willard-crocker

Willard Crocker began to play tennis at the Quincy Tennis Club in Massachusetts, and was the 1921 Club champion. After moving to Canada, he studied medicine at McGill University in Montreal from 1920 to 1924. Crocker captained the McGill University team in 1920, winning the Canadian intercollegiate singles and doubles titles that year. In 1923, he won the intercollegiate singles title again while serving as team president.

Crocker twice swept both the Ontario and Quebec provincial singles and doubles titles, in 1923 and 1925. In 1923, also he won the Canadian Indoor Championships singles title; at the same tournament he won the doubles three times with his regular partner, Jack Wright, in 1922, 1925 and 1926.

In 1925, Crocker won the singles title at the International Canadian Championships. In doubles play, he won three titles at the International Canadian Championships, all with Jack Wright, in 1923, 1925 and 1929.

Crocker was ranked as one of the top players in Canada for several years and was commended by several critics of the game at the time, both in Canada and in the United States. He was ranked no. 2 in Canada for four straight years, from 1926 to 1929.

Willard Crocker played on the Canadian Davis Cup team for eight straight years, from 1923 to 1930, winning four matches and serving a stint as playing captain in 1926.

Crocker’s game was beautiful to watch, always steady but with flashes of brilliant play that indicated he had studied the game from the theoretical side. His serve was powerful and effective and he had an ability to return everything well. He brought the crowd to their feet time and time again with hard drives off his forehand and his backhand shots down the side lines. His low volleys also were exceptionally good.

Willard Crocker was posthumously inducted into the Canadian Amateur Sports Hall of Fame and, in 1991, into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame.

Source: McGill University

Media


Archive statistics Career1921 - 1931
Tournament wins15
Matches78
Match wins60


Tournament wins 1929 - Southern Ontario (Amateur)
1929 - Canadian Covered Courts (Amateur)
1927 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)
1926 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)
1925 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)
1925 - Canadian International Championships ()
1925 - Castle Point (Amateur)
1925 - Canadian Covered Courts (Amateur)
1925 - Canadian National Championships (Open)
1924 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1924 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)
1923 - Canadian Covered Courts (Amateur)
1923 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1922 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1922 - Canadian Covered Courts (Amateur)


Tournaments Province of Quebec Championships - 1931 Province of Quebec Championships - 1931 Canadian Covered Courts - 1930 Wimbledon - 1929 Canadian International Championships - 1929 Canadian Covered Courts - 1929 Southern Ontario - 1929 Canadian International Championships - 1928 Canadian Covered Courts - 1928 Province of Quebec Championships - 1927 Canadian Covered Courts - 1927 Bermuda Championships - 1926 Ontario Championships - 1926 Province of Quebec Championships - 1926 Canadian International Championships - 1925 Castle Point - 1925 Province of Quebec Championships - 1925 Canadian Covered Courts - 1925 Canadian National Championships - 1925 US Open - 1924 Canadian International Championships - 1924 Ontario Championships - 1924 Province of Quebec Championships - 1924 Canadian Covered Courts - 1924 US Open - 1923 Canadian International Championships - 1923 Ontario Championships - 1923 Canadian Covered Courts - 1923 Canadian International Championships - 1922 Ontario Championships - 1922 Province of Quebec Championships - 1922 Canadian Covered Courts - 1922 Canadian Covered Courts - 1921