Forgotten Scottish Wimbledon Champion who died in tragic bike crash
As this year's Wimbledon unfolds without Andy Murray in the draw for the first time since his retirement, fans at SW19 have kept his legacy alive in their own way, some jokers in the crowd have been heard shouting 'Come on Andy!' during matches, raising a few nostalgic smiles.
Murray, of course, remains a national hero, having famously won the Wimbledon men's singles title twice, in 2013 and 2016, breaking an almost 80-year drought for British champions that stretched back to Fred Perry's 1936 triumph.
But what many don't realise is that the Dunblane-born star was also the first Scottish-born men's champion since Harold Mahony in 1896, a figure largely forgotten today but once a towering presence in Victorian tennis, both figuratively and literally, Scottish Daily Express reports.
Born in Edinburgh's Charlotte Square, Mahony hailed from an Irish family based at Dromore Castle in County Kerry. His father, a wealthy landowner and barrister, had private tennis courts built on the castle grounds to nurture his son's talent.
The 6ft 3in Mahony had a long reach and a 'spiteful backhand', qualities that made him a fearsome competitor in an era of wooden rackets and gentlemanly play.
He reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 1891 before sailing to the United States to further develop his game, an early forerunner of modern training stints in Florida, and returned five years later to seize the championship title in 1896.
In the final, then known as the challenge round, Mahony defeated reigning champion Wilfred Baddeley in a gruelling five-set battle: 6-2, 6-8, 5-7, 8-6, 6-3.
The match stretched across 57 games, a Wimbledon final record that would stand until 1954, when Jaroslav Drobny overcame Ken Rosewall in 58.
Although Mahony also took home a silver medal at the 1900 Olympic Games, his Wimbledon win remained the peak of his career.
Yet he was adored by fans, with The Independent describing him as having a 'casual and irresponsible attitude' and a 'generous heart'.
A talented musician and something of a ladies' man, Mahony was in demand for personal tennis coaching at country houses throughout Britain.
It's also believed he may have been romantically involved with Charlotte 'Lottie' Dod, the greatest female tennis player of her time.
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Dod won her first Wimbledon ladies' title in 1887 at just 15 years old and claimed five in total. By 1891, Mahony was staying at the Cheshire home of Dod and her widowed mother, as recorded in that year's census. She was also known to holiday in Scotland, fuelling speculation about their close bond.
Tragically, Mahony's life was cut short on 27 June 1905 in a bicycle accident near his family home in Kerry.
A newspaper report from the time reads: 'He was descending a steep hill near Caragh Lake, Co. Kerry, lost control of his machine, and was thrown heavily to the ground, sustaining fatal injuries.'
As The Independent poignantly noted, 'His body was found, alongside his broken bike... And Lottie Dod? She never married.'
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