The media have made much of the fact that in 2013 a British man has won the Wimbledon singles title for the first time since Fred Perry won it back in 1936. However, a British man did win a Wimbledon title in 1983 also, albeit in the Mixed Doubles and in partnership with Australian Wendy Turnbull. John Lloyd was the British player, and the victory was the first one Britain could claim since Virginia Wade won the Women's Singles title six years earlier.
The Lloyd/Turnbull partnership won their final in three sets, coming from behind to overcome the American pair of Billie Jean King and Steve Denton in a close contest; the first two sets were decided on tiebreaks and the final set was 7-5 to the UK/Australian pair. John Lloyd was for several years the main British hope for tennis success; having been runner-up in the Men's Singles at the 1977 Australian Open. However he never got further than the third round in the singles tournament at his home championships, and it was to be his partnership with Turnbull which brought success.
1983 was also significant in that the singles champions in both men's and women's tournaments also won their respective doubles titles. Men's champion John McEnroe had a straightforward win (his second Wimbledon singles title) in his final against surprise finalist, Kiwi Chris Lewis, winning in straight sets (6-2, 6-2, 6-2) while Martina Navratilova enjoyed a similar result in her final against US teenager Andrea Jaeger, winning 6-0, 6-3.
McEnroe paired up with fellow American Peter Fleming for the men's doubles, the pair winning the title in straight sets against US twin brothers Tim and Tom Gullikson. McEnroe and Fleming were a dominant force in doubles at the time, even though John McEnroe was also winning multiple Grand Slam titles in singles competitions.
Navratilova, by this time a naturalised US citizen herself, paired up with Pam Shriver to defend their Women's doubles title, winning their final against American Rosie Casals and the aforementioned Wendy Turnbull of Australia 6-2, 6-2. Navratilova had thus defended both her singles and doubles titles successfully, as she became the undisputed women's number one.
As for John Lloyd, he would partner Turnbull again the year later to defend their Mixed Doubles title; for both it was to be their final Grand Slam title. Britain would have another Mixed Doubles title to savour in 1987 with UK pairing Jo Durie and Jeremy Bates triumphant, but that would be it at Wimbledon for 20 years, until Jamie Murray (Andy's brother) won the same title in 2007, partnered by Serbian Jelena Janković.
With the media hoopla over Andy Murray's victory, 1983 serves as a reminder that Britain has produced some champions in a sport where lack of success is often decried.
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