Phoebe Holcroft Watson
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=September 2011}}
{{Short description|British tennis player (1898–1980)}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
|fullname = Phoebe Catherine Holcroft Watson
|image = Phoebe Holcroft Watson 1928.jpg
|country = {{GBR}}
|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1898|10|07}}
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|1980|10|20|1898|10|07}}
|highestsinglesranking = No. 2 (1929)
|FrenchOpenresult = QF (1929, 1930)
|Wimbledonresult = QF (1927, 1928)
|USOpenresult = F (1929)
|FrenchOpenDoublesresult =W (1928)
|WimbledonDoublesresult = W (1928, 1929)
|USOpenDoublesresult = W (1929)
|Mixed =
|mixedrecord =
|mixedtitles =
|AustralianOpenMixedresult =
|FrenchOpenMixedresult =
|WimbledonMixedresult = SF (1927)
|USOpenMixedresult = SF (1930)
|OthertournamentsMixedDoubles =
|OlympicMixedDoublesresult =
|Team = Yes
|DavisCupresult =
|FedCupresult =
|WightmanCupresult = W (1928, 1930)
}}
Phoebe Catherine Holcroft Watson ({{née}} Holcroft; 7 October 1898 – 20 October 1980) was a tennis player from the United Kingdom whose best result in singles was reaching the final of the U.S. Championships in 1929, losing to Helen Wills in straight sets.{{cite news|title=Helen Wills Takes Sixth National Title|url=http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1929/08/25/page/29/article/helen-wills-takes-sixth-national-title|work=Chicago Tribune|agency=Associated Press|date=25 August 1929|page=1, Part 2}} According to A. Wallis Myers, Watson was ranked in the world top 10 in 1926 and from 1928 through 1930, reaching a career high of world No. 2 in 1929.{{cite book |author=Collins, Bud |title=The Bud Collins History of Tennis: An Authoritative Encyclopedia and Record Book |publisher=New Chapter Press |location=New York, N.Y |year=2008 |pages=695, 701 |isbn=978-0-942257-41-0 }}
Watson won the women's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1928 and 1929 and at the US Championships in 1929, all with partner Peggy Saunders Michell.{{cite web|title=Wimbledon players archive – Phoebe Holcroft-Watson (Watson)|url=http://www.wimbledon.com/en_GB/scores/draws/archive/players/56bf8bee-dc84-404b-b13f-0bcf02170e73/index.html|website=www.wimbledon.com|publisher=AELTC}} Her other Grand Slam title was the women's doubles at the French Championships in 1928 with partner Eileen Bennett.
She was part of the British team that won the Wightman Cup against the United States in 1928 and 1930.
Grand Slam finals
=Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)=
| class="sortable wikitable"
!style="width:40px"|Result !style="width:30px"|Year !style="width:180px"|Championship !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:180px"|Opponent !style="width:90px" class="unsortable"|Score | |||||
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | 1929 | style="background:#ccccff;"|U.S. Championships | Grass | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Helen Wills | 4–6, 2–6 |
=Doubles: 5 (4 titles, 1 runners-up)=
| class="sortable wikitable"
!style="width:40px"|Result !style="width:30px"|Year !style="width:180px"|Championship !style="width:50px"|Surface !style="width:180px"|Partner !style="width:180px"|Opponents !style="width:90px" class="unsortable"|Score | |
| style="background:#ffa07a;"|Loss | 1927
|style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships |Clay |{{flagicon|GBR}} Peggy Saunders Michell |{{flagicon|RSA|1912}} Irene Bowder Peacock |2–6, 1–6 |
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | 1928
|style="background:#ebc2af;"|French Championships |Clay |{{flagicon|GBR}} Eileen Bennett |{{flagicon|FRA}} Suzanne Devé |6–0, 6–2 |
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | 1928
|style="background:#cfc;"|Wimbledon |Grass |{{flagicon|GBR}} Peggy Saunders Michell |{{flagicon|GBR}} Ermyntrude Harvey |6–2, 6–3 |
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | 1929
|style="background:#cfc;"|Wimbledon |Grass |{{flagicon|GBR}} Peggy Saunders Michell |{{flagicon|GBR}} Phyllis Covell |6–4, 8–6 |
| style="background:#98fb98;"|Win | 1929
|style="background:#ccf;"|US National Championships |Grass |{{flagicon|GBR}} Peggy Saunders Michell |{{flagicon|GBR}} Phyllis Covell |2–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
Grand Slam singles tournament timeline
{{performance key|short=yes|active=no}}
| class="wikitable"
! Tournament !! 1923 !! 1924 !! 1925 !! 1926 !! 1927 !! 1928 !! 1929 !! 1930 !! Career SR |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Australia
| align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 0 / 0 |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | France1
| align="center" |A | align="center" |NH | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|2R | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 0 / 4 |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | Wimbledon
| align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#ffebcd;"|QF | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|3R | align="center" style="background:#afeeee;"|1R | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 0 / 8 |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | United States
| align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#D8BFD8;" | F | align="center" |A | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 0 / 1 |
| style="background:#EFEFEF;" | SR
| align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 1 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 3 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" |0 / 2 | align="center" style="background:#EFEFEF;" | 0 / 13 |
1Until 1923, the French Championships were open only to French nationals. The World Hard Court Championships (WHCC), actually played on clay in Paris or Brussels, began in 1912 and were open to all nationalities. The results from the 1923 edition of that tournament are shown here. The Olympics replaced the WHCC in 1924, as the Olympics were held in Paris. Beginning in 1925, the French Championships were open to all nationalities, with the results shown here beginning with that year.
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{French Open women's doubles champions}}
{{Wimbledon women's doubles champions}}
{{U.S. National Championships women's doubles champions}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Watson, Phoebe Holcroft}}
Category:Wimbledon champions (pre-Open Era)
Category:United States National champions (tennis)
Category:French Championships (tennis) champions
Category:Grand Slam (tennis) champions in women's doubles
Category:British female tennis players