Robert Lindley
Murray
Male
United States of America
1893-11-03
San Francisco, United States of America
1970-01-17
Niagara, New York, United States of America
The first top-of-the-line left-handed player in tournament tennis, Murray ruled the American game impressively for two years. In 1917, he won the championship of his country (then called the National “Patriotic” Championships) for the first time. But when he defeated a promising player named Bill Tilden in the finals of the U.S. Nationals in 1918, he demonstrated indisputably that he was authentic. Boosted by a big serve, the 6’2” Murray was the best player in his nation in 1918.
He graduated from Stanford in 1913 with a degree in chemistry and received a chemical engineering masters degree the following year. During the WWI, he was a chemist whose duties in producing explosives were so important that he had to remain a civilian.
Murray played for the varsity team and became the 1913 Pacific Coast intercollegiate champion.
In the USLTA national rankings, he was the U.S. No. 1 in 1918, and was ranked fourth in 1914, 1916 and 1919.
1914 - 1933
8
54
42
1923 - Niagara International Tournament (Amateur)
1922 - Niagara International Tournament (Amateur)
1921 - New York State Championships (Open)
1921 - Niagara International Tournament (Amateur)
1919 - Greenwich Tennis Club Invitation (Amateur)
1918 - US Open (Grandslam)
1917 - US Open (Grandslam)
1916 - US International Indoor Championships (Amateur)
Round 1
J. Emmett Pare 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
6-1
6-0
6-2
Round 1
Peter A. Peterson 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
3-6
6-4
6-2
3-6
6-2
Round 2
James Kenney 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
3-6
6-2
5-7
6-3
6-3
Round 2
Ed Faulkner 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
6-1
6-1
6-2
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Herbert L. Bowman
6-2
4-6
6-2
3-6
6-3
Semifinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
John Closey Virden jr.
6-2
6-2
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Armand Louis Bruneau
6-2
6-2
6-2
Round 1
Hugh A. Tallant 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
w.o.
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Kirk Mendenhall Reid
7-5
5-7
6-1
6-1
Round 1
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
M. Edward Duthie
6-0
6-0
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Willis Fulton
6-4
7-5
Quarterfinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Ernest Alfred Purkis
6-2
6-2
Semifinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Walter Kenneth Wesbrook
6-3
6-3
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Clifton Bradford Herd
7-5
8-6
6-3
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
L.R. Hayes
6-1
6-3
Round 3
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
H.K. Grimstead
6-1
6-2
Round 4
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Walter Kenneth Wesbrook
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Alexander MacQueen (Alex) Squair 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
0-6
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
William Rosenbaum
6-0
6-0
6-0
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Dean Mathey
6-2
6-4
10-8
Round 3
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Lucien E. (Luke) Williams
6-2
6-2
6-2
Round 4
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Conrad Bartling (Connie) Doyle
6-2
6-2
6-3
Quarterfinals
Bill Johnston 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
5-7
6-1
6-2
6-4
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Dick Williams jr
6-1
6-3
7-5
Round 1
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
John W. (Jack) Dudley
6-0
6-0
6-1
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Hugh Garland Meem Kelleher
w.o.
Round 3
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Roosevelt Pell jr
6-2
6-0
6-0
Round 4
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Fred Alexander
6-8
8-6
6-0
4-6
6-0
Quarterfinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Nathaniel Niles
7-5
6-4
2-6
7-5
Semifinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Samuel Howard Voshell
6-4
6-3
8-6
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Bill Tilden
6-3
6-1
7-5
Round 1
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Edward J. Fixman
w.o.
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Herbert Lavern Westfall
6-2
6-2
Round 3
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Bill Tilden
3-6
6-4
6-3
6-3
Quarterfinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Craig Biddle
4-6
6-1
6-4
4-6
6-2
Semifinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
John Richard Strachan
4-6
6-3
6-3
6-1
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Nathaniel Niles
5-7
8-6
6-3
6-3
Round 1
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Alfred Stackpole Dabney jr
w.o.
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Ernest F. Thomas Jr.
6-3
6-2
6-2
Round 3
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Richard W. Stevens
6-1
6-0
6-0
Round 4
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Karl Howell Behr jr
6-4
6-3
3-6
9-7
Quarterfinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
George Church
3-6
4-6
6-2
6-4
6-4
Semifinals
Bill Johnston 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
6-2
6-3
6-1
Final
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Alrick Hubbell Man jr
6-2
6-2
9-7
Semifinals
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Leon Roberts
6-2
9-7
6-4
Final
Willis Davis 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
3-6
6-4
6-3
3-6
6-3
Round 1
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Frank W. Paul Jr.
w.o.
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Basil Wagner
6-1
6-1
6-3
Round 3
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Harold A. (Harry) MacKinney
7-5
6-1
6-1
Round 4
Karl Howell Behr jr 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
3-6
6-2
7-5
3-6
8-6
Round 1
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
bye
Round 2
Robert Lindley Murray 1 *
Leon Strauss
6-2
6-4
Round 3
Roland Roberts 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
w.o.
Final
Willis Davis 1 *
Robert Lindley Murray
?