Tattersall, Jimmy - World Number One at Tennis

JIMMY TATTERSALL - WORLD NUMBER ONE AT TENNIS

Among the most popular Bygone Derbyshire features are sports articles and those in our ever-growing 'Stories Behind the Pictures' series. Here our regular sports historian Peter Seddon combines the two through a rarely seen archive photograph featuring Jimmy Tattersall of Duffield Lawn Tennis Club.

What a cheerful picture this appears to be. A proud young lad with his tennis trophies on a summer day. Yet there is much more to it than that. Grit, sweat and not a little talent for a start. And a place not just in local sporting circles but in the highest echelons of tennis society.

Consider this intriguing list of tennis stars.

Roger Federer (Switzerland) 1998, Stefan Edberg (Sweden) 1983, Pat Cash (Australia) 1982, Ivan Lendl (Czechoslovakia) 1978, Bjorn Borg (Sweden) 1972, Jimmy Tattersall (Duffield, United Kingdom) 1957.

Jimmy who? Well thereby hangs a tale. For the startling fact is that J. I. 'Jimmy' Tattersall of Duffield, Derbyshire, stands alongside the more illustrious tennis names on an equal footing, at least for a 'moment in time'.

What all the names have in common is that they each won the Boys' Singles Championship at Wimbledon in the stated years. That essentially made seventeen-year-old Jimmy the 'world number one' junior tennis player in 1957.

The picture above was taken by a Derby Evening Telegraph photographer on a gloriously sunny day soon after the 1957 Wimbledon Championships - it shows Jimmy and some of his trophies under the admiring gaze of what is believed to be his mother and younger sister. The Boys Singles' trophy is the one he is clasping with both hands and undisguised pleasure - either that or his broad grin is the bashful one of a modest teenager thrust headlong into the limelight.

Jimmy Tattersall was born in 1940 and became a prominent member of Duffield Lawn Tennis Club and a well-known figure in county tennis. He represented Derbyshire in county matches on 86 occasions.

In 1957 when aged only 17 he was a member of the Duffield first team. Imagine then the club's pride when he entered and won the Boys Singles Championships at Wimbledon in that same year. In the final he defeated I. Ribero of Brazil by the comfortable margin of 6-2, 6-1.

Nor was that his only Wimbledon triumph in 1957, for he was also victorious in the Boys' Doubles final.

And neither was it his first taste of victory at the world's most prestigious tennis venue.

At the previous year's Wimbledon in 1956 he had already won the Boys' Doubles when aged only 16. And for good measure that same year he had completed a magnificent double by emerging a winner in the Junior Mixed Doubles tournament. This he had achieved with Honor Durose, who was also a member of Duffield Tennis Club - a veritable Derbyshire triumph at the 'home of tennis'.

So why did Jimmy Tattersall not follow the other names on the list by going on to achieve great things in senior tennis?

The answer probably lies in two words - 'talent' and 'circumstance'.

While evidently blessed with great tennis talent as a teenager, he just didn't progress to the same level in adulthood. In fact most winners of the Junior titles at Wimbledon experience exactly the same difficulty.

And then circumstance - although little has been written of his adult life, it is believed that Tattersall went on to University and forged a career in industry, possibly ending his working life with National Power. Tennis for him was ever a hobby rather than a profession. Quite simply a living had to be earned - and his tennis, good as it was, couldn't povide it.

Later in life he had links with academic institutions and undertook lecturing assignments. He had a particularly strong relationship with the University of Bradford, and a 1997 edition of their staff magazine said this of him:

'Jimmy Tattersall was an inspirational speaker, and one who everybody admired. And they were always surprised to hear that he had a secret former life. All we saw was a modest, self-effacing, slightly rotund middle-aged man who we liked. Little did we know that at the age of 17 he had been ranked 'world number one' at tennis.'

So there is the story behind this particular picture - at least what is known of it.

Jimmy Tattersall lived the latter period of his life at Evesham, Worcestershire, and remained a keen sportsman until he died there on 4 February 1997, aged only 57.

If anybody knew Jimmy Tattersall and can add to the story - or firm up on his background - just click 'edit' or 'discussion' and begin writing.

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Hi my name is Kate and Jimmy Tattersall was my dad. Unfortunately he died when he was 56 from cancer. He was still living in Evesham, Worcestershire and was a management consultant. He carried on his sports career but turned to squash and was champion of Evesham Rowing Club for many years. Dad met my mum at Milfield Sports school in Somerset and they had three daughters. He was a lovely man.

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SusieRQ said ...

Hi my name is Sue and Jimmy Tattersall was my uncle. Speaking to my dad recently, Jimmy's older brother, I'd like to add a bit of clarity to the article. At the age of 23 Jim had to under-go knee surgery, the surgery did not go as well as anticipated and this actually put an end to any opportunity of a career in Tennis. However it should be added that it was never a career dream but a hobby, at which he was exceptionally gifted.

--SusieRQ 12:53, 24 September 2008 (BST)

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