player – Tennisarchives.com

General First nameBenjamin (Ben)
LastnameGreen
GenderMale
CountryAustralia
Date of birth1869-00-00
Place of birthCampbelltown, New South Wales, Australia
Date of death1923-07-26
Place of deathCharlton, Victoria, Australia

About

From The Weekly Times (Melbourne), 4 August 1923

Noted Sportsman Dies – Record of Ben Green

Quite a gloom was felt not only in the Bendigo district but all through the tennis community of Victoria last week when it was known that Ben Green, in his day the best player in Victoria, if not in Australia, had died suddenly. Ben Green was a name to conjure with in the early 1890s and there are many today who think that he could have risen to Norman Brookes’ height had he kept in the game.

In 1892, 1893 and 1894, Green won the Victorian singles championships. Three times – each time with a different partner – he won the Victorian doubles championship: in 1889 with Harry Officer, in 1893 with Oswald Malcolm and in 1894 with Fred Waters. The mixed doubles championship he won in 1891 and 1892 with Miss Ellen Mayne and in 1893 and 1894 with Miss Florrie Waters.

In New South Wales he was very successful, winning the doubles championship in 1891 with Wilberforce Eaves, in 1892 with Oswald Malcolm, in 1894 with Thomas Tatchell and in 1897 with Alfred Dunlop. He also won the New South Wales mixed doubles championship in 1892 with Miss Mayne.

Ben Green was the first of Victoria’s great volleyers. Only 5 feet, 5 inches high he was, yet because of his extraordinary quickness a terror at the net, and he could disguise the direction of his volleys, backhanded particularly, perfectly. This made him such a splendid mixed doubles player. He had no weakness, being strong all round.

Green retired from first-class tennis after 1897 and settled down to practice as a solicitor in Charlton, where he resided up till his death. After giving up tennis he became very good at golf. He was a first-rate sportsman – a good winner and a good loser.

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