Rodney Heath

For the football player, see Rodney Heath (American football).

Rodney Wilfred Heath (15 June 1884 – 26 October 1936) was an Australian tennis player.

Rodney Heath

Full name	Rodney Wilfred Heath
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	15 June 1884 Melbourne, Australia
Died	26 October 1936(1936-10-26) (aged 52) Melbourne, Australia
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	133–61 (68.5%)[1]
Career titles	9[1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (1905, 1910)
French Open	1R (1925)
Wimbledon	QF (1911)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	W (1906, 1911)
Wimbledon	F (1919)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	W (1911)

Personal

Heath was the second son of F. W. Heath who was the official timekeeper at the Victorian Racing Club and Victorian Amateur Turf Club. Rodney's brother C. V. Heath won the South Australian men's singles title in 1902.^[2] In June 1915 Heath left Australia to join the Royal Flying Corps in England. He was promoted to the rank of major two years later.^[3][4] In 1916 Heath was injured when he crash-landed his plane after flying into a snowstorm en route from England to France.^[5]

Tennis career

Heath was the Men's Singles champion at the inaugural Australasian Championships in 1905 defeating Albert Curtis in four sets. He won again it five years later, in 1910, after a victory in the final against Horace Rice in three straight sets.^[6][7][8]

In 1911 he played in the Davis Cup challenge round in New Zealand against the United States and defeated William Larned in four sets.^[9]

In 1919 he reached the final of the Wimbledon Men's Doubles tournament with Randolph Lycett.

Death

On 26 October 1936, 9 months before his 53rd birthday, Heath was found dead in the bedroom of his sister's home in Melbourne, Australia. It is said that Heath died from melanoma in his stomach.

Grand Slam finals

Singles

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Win	1905	Australasian Championships	Grass	Arthur Curtis	4–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–4	[10]
Win	1910	Australasian Championships	Grass	Horace Rice	6–4, 6–3, 6–2	[10]

Doubles: 5 (2 titles, 3 runners-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1906	Australasian Championships	Grass	Anthony Wilding	Cecil C. Cox Harry Parker	6–2, 6–4, 6–2	[11]
Loss	1910	Australasian Championships	Grass	James O'Day	Ashley Campbell Horace Rice	3–6, 3–6, 2–6	[12]
Win	1911	Australasian Championships	Grass	Randolph Lycett	John Addison Norman Brookes	6–2, 7–5, 6–0	[13]
Loss	1914	Australasian Championships	Grass	Arthur O'Hara Wood	Ashley Campbell Gerald Patterson	5–7, 6–3, 3–6, 3–6	[12]
Loss	1919	Wimbledon	Grass	Randolph Lycett	Pat O'Hara-Wood Ronald Thomas	4–6, 2–6, 6–4, 2–6	[14]