Andrew G.
Ziffo
Male
England
1868-08-11
Kensington, London, England
1955-05-28
Paddington, London, England
Andrew Ziffo was born on 11 August 1868 in Kensington, London. He was the son of George Luke Ziffo (1831-1909), a grain merchant who was born on the Greek island of Syros in the Aegean Sea, and Julia Ziffo (née Franghiadi; 1839-1917), who was a native of Manchester, England. She was the daughter of Stephen Franghiadi (1793-1877) and Angeliki Franghiadi (née Drakos; 1806-96), Greek emigrants to England.
George Luke Ziffo was the son of George Loukas Ziffo (1800-76), a merchant, and Despina Ziffo (née Capari; 1809-84), who emigrated from Greece to England in the mid-nineteenth century. George Luke Ziffo and Julia Franghiadi were married on 21 July 1860 in Liverpool. They had seven children together – five sons and two daughters. In addition to Andrew Ziffo (the family’s names tended to be anglicized), these were Despina (1861-1953), Luke (1862-1914), Stephen (1865-1921), George (1866-1938), Emmanuel (1869-71) and Angeliki (1876-1901).
Andrew Ziffo’s brothers Luke, Stephen and George also took part in lawn tennis tournaments, but with less success than Andrew himself. Indeed, due to professional commitments none of the brothers, including Andrew, had much time to devote to lawn tennis. In the late nineteenth century the company Ziffo Sons & Co., Merchants, had offices at 79-80 Palmerston Buildings, Old Broad Street, in Bishopsgate in the City of London.
Throughout his whole lawn tennis career, if such it can be called, Andrew Ziffo only took part in the men’s singles event at a tournament around a dozen times. However, Andrew Ziffo’s success at the South of England Championships in particular, where he won the men’s singles title three times in a row, in 1888, 1889 and 1890, means that he earned a place, albeit a modest one, in lawn tennis history.
The Eastbourne tournament was first held in 1881, and a men’s singles event continued to be held there until 1974 before being discontinued. It was revived in 2009. The tournament venue has always been Devonshire Park, Eastbourne. Initially it was held in mid-September and closed the grass court season in England for many years, but nowadays the tournament is held in the run-up to Wimbledon. An open women’s singles event has been held at the same tournament almost uninterruptedly since 1881.
Andrew Ziffo took part in the men’s singles event at Wimbledon in 1888, 1889 and 1890, but won only one match in those three years. His lack of practice due to professional commitments meant that he was unable to mount anything like a serious challenge for the biggest of prizes in lawn tennis. In 1891, he attempted to defend the men’s singles title at the South of England Championships but was beaten by the challenger, Harry Barlow, in the challenge round, 6-3, 7-5, 6-0. After that, Ziffo’s name disappears from the records of lawn tennis tournaments.
When the Census of England and Wales was taken on 2 April 1911, Andrew Ziffo was living in a house at 30 Manchester Street in Marylebone, West London. The census return does not mention anyone else. Andrew Ziffo describes himself as an “Agent, Skin Trade” and a “Worker” on the same form. When the Register of England and Wales was taken on 29 September 1939, Andrew Ziffo was a tenant in a building at 52 York Street in Marylebone. The register lists his profession as “Skin Commission Agent”. He died, unmarried, on 28 May 1955 in Paddington General Hospital in London at the age of 86.
In his book Lawn Tennis Recollections, first published in 1898, fellow lawn tennis player Herbert Chipp wrote the following about Andrew Ziffo:
“A finer, freer, more natural style than Andrew Ziffo’s has never been seen. His game was brilliancy itself. And the brilliancy sometimes developed into rashness. In one respect he reminded me of William Renshaw more than anyone I have ever played – in his power of returning the ball into his opponent’s court with the minimum loss of time. For this reason, to indulge in a game with him was almost as exhausting as when one was pitted against William Renshaw himself.
“There was not a stroke which Ziffo did not possess. If there was a defect in his game, it arose more from lack of steadiness and judgment – he seldom or never lobbed – than from any fault of execution; it was the natural exuberance of youth which required the chastening influence of experience. Circumstances compelled him to abandon the pursuit of the game before he had gained that experience. He was still in his salad days when the more serious business of life called him away from the pastime in which he had already made a name for himself.
“His best form was shown at Eastbourne, where he won the cup, and with it the South of England Championship, in three successive years, from 1888 to 1890 inclusive. It was decidedly hard lines that he was unable to capture the trophy for good and all. But a fourth consecutive victory was required, and this Ziffo failed to compass.
“He never took a very prominent part in the Championships at Wimbledon. This was probably due to want of steady practice, a most essential preparation for the daring type of game which he affected. But owing to business claims he could not often spare the necessary time.
“He was equally good at ground stroke or volley; forehanded or backhanded the return was made with equal ease and decision. His strokes were of the severe, low and slashing order, and he possessed a capital overhead service. His movements were very rapid, and as he forced the game persistently he often ran his opponent off his legs.
“Had Ziffo been able to continue playing, maintaining his best form, and in the course of time adding thereto a leaven of steadiness and judgment, I feel sure that he would have risen to the highest position. A player of greater potentialities and of more admirable style has probably never been seen. He was the John Keats of lawn tennis.”
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1885 - 1891
3
22
14
1890 - South of England Championships (Amateur)
1889 - South of England Championships (Amateur)
1888 - South of England Championships (Amateur)
Challenge Round
Harry Sibthorpe Barlow 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-3
7-5
6-0
Round 1
George Richmond Mewburn 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-2
6-4
6-3
Challenge Round
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
James Baldwin
7-9
6-1
6-2
7-5
Round 2
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
William Herbert Cohen
6-3
6-1
6-1
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-2
6-2
6-0
Challenge Round
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Henry (Harry) Grove
4-6
6-3
1-6
9-7
6-4
Round 2
Frederick Lawrence Rawson 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
10-8
6-3
3-0
ret.
Round 1
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Oswald Milne
7-5
6-3
6-1
Round 2
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Frederick Lawrence Rawson
6-1
6-2
6-4
Quarterfinals
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Harry Stanley Scrivener
6-1
6-4
6-0
Semifinals
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
George Hillyard
6-2
8-6
6-2
Final
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Harry Sibthorpe Barlow
4-6
6-2
7-5
6-3
Round 1
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
William C. Taylor
6-1
6-3
6-4
Round 2
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Percy Bateman Brown
6-3
6-3
7-5
Round 3
Herbert Wilberforce 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-3
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Quarterfinals
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Anthony Sophocles Constantinidi
6-0
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Frank Still
5-7
6-3
3-6
6-4
7-5
Final
Ernest Wool Lewis 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-2
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Andrew G. Ziffo 1 *
Harry Stanley Scrivener
6-4
5-7
6-3
6-2
Quarterfinals
Harry Sibthorpe Barlow 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-3
1-6
6-1
2-6
6-1
Round 2
Edward James Avory 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-4
6-5
6-3