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General First nameHenri
LastnameRochon
GenderMale
CountryCanada
Date of birth1924-03-12
Place of birthMontreal, Canada
Date of death2005-02-05
Place of deathMontreal, Canada


About

Henri Rochon was a well respected player during the post WWII era. He arrived on the tennis scene during the mid-1940s when his level of play was at its peak. He starred on the 1946 Davis Cup team with fellow Canadians Brendan Macken, Don McDiarmid and Laird Watt. Rochon competed for his country for eight years in the Americas Zone until 1953 and then came back in 1955 and 1956, as a playing captain. He helped his team win big matches against Cuba (1951) twice against Mexico (1952, 1953) and the West Indies (1955, 1956).

Rochon won the prominent Canadian Open (Rogers Cup) in 1949 as he defeated countryman Lorne Main in four sets 6-3, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2. He was also a three-time finalist at the Canadian Open. The year before he won the title, he lost in the final against American William Tully in straight sets 6-4, 7-5, 6-0. Then in 1950 he lost to fellow Davis Cup team member Brendan Macken. It would be five years until Rochon would see himself in another Canadian Open final as he was up against yet another tough Canadian competitor, Bob Bédard. Rochon lost to fellow Québécois, 8-6, 6-2, 6-1.

?One recalls nostalgically, even wistfully, the Niagara-on-the-Lake era, which defined a place and a period, or the halcyon days of the postwar decade, 1947-56, when men such as Henri Rochon, Lorne Main, and Brendan Macken dominated the Canadian Championships and kept Canada?s name respected abroad,? (Peter Ustinov, Advantage Canada).

Rochon was also an international success as he appeared in the US National Championship 14 consecutive times in singles starting in 1945. His greatest result came in 1951 when he reached the fourth round and found himself up against the No. 5 seed Tony Trabert. They each had won a set and they were on a level playing field, but Rochon was unable to keep it up as he dropped the match in four sets. He also recorded victories over Australian Don Candy in five sets and Britain?s No. 1 Roger Becker. He only competed in the Wimbledon Championship once in 1952 where he won two rounds before losing to England?s Tony Mottram.

Media


Archive statistics Career1941 - 1971
Tournament wins6
Matches185
Match wins103


Tournament wins 1955 - Adirondack Invitation (Amateur)
1949 - Canadian International Championships ()
1949 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1949 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)
1947 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1947 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)


Tournaments Province of Quebec Championships - 1971 Province of Quebec Championships - 1966 Canadian International Championships - 1965 Canadian International Championships - 1964 Province of Quebec Championships - 1964 Verdun - 1964 Eastern Canadian Championships - 1963 Canadian International Championships - 1962 Province of Quebec Championships - 1962 Montreal Cup - 1962 Canadian International Championships - 1961 Dixie Championships - 1960 Quebec Indoors Closed - 1960 Canadian International Championships - 1959 Province of Quebec Championships - 1959 US Open - 1958 Dixie Championships - 1958 O'Keefe International Invitation - 1958 US Open - 1957 Canadian International Championships - 1957 Dixie Championships - 1957 Ontario Championships - 1957 Florida West Coast - 1957 University of Miami - 1957 O'Keefe International Invitation - 1957 US Open - 1956 Canadian International Championships - 1956 US International Indoor Championships - 1956 Dixie Championships - 1956 Florida West Coast - 1956 Province of Quebec Championships - 1956 O'Keefe International Invitation - 1956 US Open - 1955 Canadian International Championships - 1955 US International Indoor Championships - 1955 Dixie Championships - 1955 Florida West Coast - 1955 Province of Quebec Championships - 1955 Adirondack Invitation - 1955 US Open - 1954 Canadian International Championships - 1954 US International Indoor Championships - 1954 US Open - 1953 Province of Quebec Championships - 1953 US Open - 1952 Canadian International Championships - 1952 Dixie Championships - 1952 Province of Quebec Championships - 1952 Middle Atlantic Grass Courts - 1952 Wimbledon - 1951 US Open - 1951 Canadian International Championships - 1951 Queens Club Tournament - 1951 Dixie Championships - 1951 Kent Championships - 1951 Florida State Championship - 1951 Northern Lawn Tennis Association Tournament - 1951 Kingston International Invitation - 1951 Quebec Open - 1951 US Open - 1950 Canadian International Championships - 1950 Sugar Bowl - 1950 US Clay Courts - 1950 Province of Quebec Championships - 1950 Regiment de Chateauguay - 1950 US Open - 1949 Canadian International Championships - 1949 Ontario Championships - 1949 Province of Quebec Championships - 1949 Michigan Indoor Championships - 1949 US Open - 1948 Canadian International Championships - 1948 Bermuda Championships - 1948 US International Indoor Championships - 1948 Province of Quebec Championships - 1948 Coral Beach Club Invitation - 1948 Pan American Championships - 1948 US Open - 1947 Canadian International Championships - 1947 Ontario Championships - 1947 Province of Quebec Championships - 1947 Pan American Championships - 1947 US Open - 1946 Canadian International Championships - 1946 Province of Quebec Championships - 1946 US Open - 1945 Southampton Invitation (Long Island) - 1945 Ontario Championships - 1941 Seigniory Club Tournament - 1941