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General First nameRobert Ian (Bob)
LastnameMark
GenderMale
CountryAustralia
Date of birth1937-11-28
Place of birthAlbury, NSW, Australia
Date of death2006-07-23
Place of death, South Africa


About

BOB Mark has died in South Africa 50 years after he began an illustrious international tennis career that took him from Albury to Wimbledon.

Mark, 68, was one of Australia’s greatest players in a golden era dominated by Rod Laver, Margaret Court, Neale Fraser, Roy Emerson, Ashley Cooper, Ken Rosewall and Lew Hoad. Robert Ian Mark was born in Albury in November, 1937, the elder son of Aubrey and Patricia Mark.

He attended Albury Public School and Albury High School and it was at the latter that teacher George Sheumack introduced him to tennis.

Mark rapidly won the junior and senior championships at Albury High and entered the Easter and other tournaments, sparking an interest from sponsors Dunlop.
After he worked briefly at Burtons sports store in Olive St, he moved to Melbourne at 16 or 17 and was successful at state and national levels.

He won the national junior championship at 17 and improved his performance with the help of Frank Sedgman.
Soon after turning 21, Mark had an astonishingly successful year. He joined the 1959 Davis Cup team with Laver, Emerson, Fraser and non-playing captain Harry Hopman.

Mark and Laver took out the 1959 Australian doubles by beating Don Candy and Bob Howe.
And Mark and Sandra Reynolds won the Australian mixed doubles. In July, 1959, Mark and Laver were runners-up at Wimbledon to Emerson and Fraser, but beat them to take the 1960 Australian doubles again.

In 1961, Mark and Laver beat Emerson and Marty Mulligan in Melbourne. Later in 1961, Mark and Albury’s Margaret Court won the US mixed doubles.
International tennis led to meetings with royalty and Hollywood celebrities such as Jane Russell.
But his life took a new turn when he returned home to Albury.

Mark married Merryl, a ranked South African tennis player, the ceremony taking place at St David’s Church, just up the road from his old sports shop. The couple moved to Natal and Mark started a career in tennis coaching.
He also became men’s singles champion of South Africa.
Mark last visited Albury about 1982, but was not forgotten on the Border.

In 1995 he was inducted into the Albury-Wodonga Sporting Hall of Fame. Mark died at home on July 23.

He is survived by his wife of 45 years, their three children, three grandchildren and only brother, Darrell.

The Border Mail

Media


Archive statistics Career1954 - 1964
Tournament wins11
Matches324
Match wins200


Tournament wins 1962 - South African Championships (Grand Prix Circuit)
1962 - Orange Free State ()
1961 - Manly Seaside Tournament (Open)
1961 - Newport Casino (Amateur)
1960 - Kent Championships (Open)
1960 - South West Districts VIC ()
1959 - Tasmanian Championships (Amateur)
1957 - Wangaratta Australia Day (Amateur)
1957 - New South Wales Hard Court Championships (Amateur)
1957 - Albury Easter Tournament (Amateur)
1956 - Bairnsdale Labour Day (Amateur)


Tournaments South African Championships - 1964 Southern Transvaal Championships - 1964 Johannesburg Pros - 1964 Eastern Transvaal - 1964 Albury Easter Tournament - 1964 Northern Transvaal - 1964 South African Championships - 1963 Southern Transvaal Championships - 1963 Western Province - 1963 Border Championships - 1963 Natal Sugar Circuit Championships - 1963 South African Championships - 1962 Eastern Province second edition - 1962 Orange Free State - 1962 Border Championships - 1962 Australian Open - 1961 Wimbledon - 1961 Roland Garros - 1961 US Open - 1961 Cannes Championships - 1961 Newport Casino - 1961 Pacific Coast Championship - 1961 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1961 US Clay Courts - 1961 Queens Club Tournament - 1961 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1961 South African Championships - 1961 Argentina International Championships - 1961 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1961 West of England Championships - 1961 Conde de Godo - 1961 Perth Amboy Invitation - 1961 Düsseldorf International - 1961 Manly Seaside Tournament - 1961 Wolverhampton - 1961 Sao Paulo International - 1961 Tuscaloosa Grass Court Invitation - 1961 Australian Open - 1960 Wimbledon - 1960 South Australian Championships - 1960 Roland Garros - 1960 US Open - 1960 Victorian Championships - 1960 New South Wales Championships - 1960 Newport Casino - 1960 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1960 US Clay Courts - 1960 Queens Club Tournament - 1960 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1960 Queensland Championships - 1960 Kent Championships - 1960 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1960 Lausanne - 1960 Metropolitan Grass Court Championships of Sydney - 1960 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1960 Manly Seaside Tournament - 1960 Bastad - 1960 South West Districts VIC - 1960 Australian Open - 1959 Wimbledon - 1959 Roland Garros - 1959 US Open - 1959 Victorian Championships - 1959 New South Wales Championships - 1959 Swiss International Championships - 1959 Queens Club Tournament - 1959 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1959 Kent Championships - 1959 Australian Hard Courts Championship - 1959 Tasmanian Championships - 1959 Auckland - 1959 Roland Garros Consolation - 1959 Australian Open - 1958 Wimbledon - 1958 South Australian Championships - 1958 Roland Garros - 1958 US Open - 1958 Victorian Championships - 1958 New South Wales Championships - 1958 Newport Casino - 1958 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1958 Queens Club Tournament - 1958 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1958 Queensland Championships - 1958 North of England Championships - 1958 Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament - 1958 Australian Hard Courts Championship - 1958 Düsseldorf International - 1958 Auckland - 1958 New South Wales Hard Court Championships - 1958 Bastad - 1958 Gstaad - 1958 Australian Open - 1957 Wimbledon - 1957 South Australian Championships - 1957 Roland Garros - 1957 US Open - 1957 Victorian Championships - 1957 New South Wales Championships - 1957 Newport Casino - 1957 Irish Championships - 1957 Queens Club Tournament - 1957 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1957 Kent Championships - 1957 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1957 Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) - 1957 Roland Garros Qualifying - 1957 Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament - 1957 Australian Hard Courts Championship - 1957 Düsseldorf International - 1957 New South Wales Hard Court Championships - 1957 Gstaad - 1957 Albury Easter Tournament - 1957 Wangaratta Australia Day - 1957 Australian Open - 1956 Wimbledon - 1956 Roland Garros - 1956 US Open - 1956 Victorian Championships - 1956 New South Wales Championships - 1956 Newport Casino - 1956 Eastern Grass Court Championships - 1956 US Clay Courts - 1956 Pacific Southwest Championships - 1956 Queensland Championships - 1956 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1956 West of England Championships - 1956 Surrey Championships - 1956 Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament - 1956 Australian Hard Courts Championship - 1956 Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championship - 1956 South Australian b - 1956 Bairnsdale Labour Day - 1956 Victorian Championships - 1955 New South Wales Championships - 1955 Victorian Hardcourt Championships - 1954