Vernon Gordon (Bob)
Kirby
Male
South Africa
1911-06-22
Durban, South Africa
1994-09-27
Perth, Australia
Kirby was educated at the Durban High School where he played cricket and football. He started tennis at the age of five and played in his spare time while at school.[2]
In May 1931 Kirby and his teammate and compatriot Norman Farquharson, were runners-up in the doubles final of the French Championships, losing in straight sets to the American pair George Lott and John Van Ryn.[3] In July he won against George Lyttleton-Rogers in the final of the Wimbledon Plate, a tournament for players who were defeated in the first or second rounds of the singles competition at the Wimbledon Championships. Later in July Kirby beat his doubles partner in straight sets in the singles final of the Scottish Championships at Peebles.[4][5][6] He also won the North of England Championships in Scarborough, North Yorkshire in singles and doubles.[4]
In 1933 he won the Kent Championships and in January 1934 he was victorious in the Estoril tournament.[7]
In 1934 Kirby reached the singles quarterfinal of the Wimbledon Championships but lost in four sets to American Sidney Wood.[8][9] Later that same year at the U.S. National Championships he defeated future Grand Slam winner Don Budge in the fourth round to reach the semifinal in which he lost to eventual champion Fred Perry in four sets.[10][11] In 1935 he reached the mixed doubles final of the Australian Championships with the Australian Birdie Bond. They were defeated by Australian Louise Bickerton and Frenchman Christian Boussus in three sets.[12][13][14]
Kirby reached the singles final of the South African Championships on four occasions (1933, 1935, 1937, 1938). He was victorious in the doubles in 1931[15] and 1932.[16]
He was ranked the third in the South African rankings in 1932 and World No. 9 in 1935 by J. Brooks Fenno, Jr. of The Literary Digest.[1][16] In 1937 he was ranked No. 1 in South Africa.[17]
Between 1931 and 1937 he played in ten ties for the South African Davis Cup team. The best team result was reaching the semifinal of the European Zone in 1935 against Czechoslovakia. Kirby had a Davis Cup match record of 16 wins vs. 8 losses and was more successful in doubles (7/1) than singles (9/7).[18]
1928 - 1947
23
131
90
1937 - East Grinstead (Amateur)
1937 - Leicester (Amateur)
1937 - Minehead (Amateur)
1937 - New Forest Tournament (Amateur)
1935 - St. Anne's on Sea (Open)
1934 - Paddington (Amateur)
1934 - Estoril (Amateur)
1934 - North of England Hardcourts (Open)
1934 - Tunbridge Wells (Open)
1934 - West Twickenham (Amateur)
1933 - Tunbridge Wells (Open)
1933 - Sidmouth (Amateur)
1933 - South of England Championships (Amateur)
1933 - Hastings and St. Leonard's-on- Sea (Amateur)
1933 - Buxton (Amateur)
1933 - Kent Championships (Open)
1933 - Dulwich Covered Courts (Amateur)
1931 - Scottish Championships (Amateur)
1931 - Buxton (Amateur)
1931 - North of England Championships (Open)
1931 - Southampton (Amateur)
1931 - Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) (Open)
1928 - Eastern Province (Open)
Semifinals
D.H. Martin 1 *
Vernon Kirby
?
Round 2
William (Willie) Muir 1 *
Vernon Kirby
w.o.
Semifinals
Pieter F. de Beer 1 *
Vernon Kirby
8-6
5-7
6-0
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
J. Melman
6-3
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Pat Buckley
7-5
6-3
6-2
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Norman Ravinsky
6-2
6-1
6-3
Quarterfinals
Keith Hedley 1 *
Vernon Kirby
4-6
7-5
5-7
7-5
ret.
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
A.J. Halliday
7-5
6-1
6-3
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
L. van Winkel
6-2
6-2
9-7
Quarterfinals
Victor G. Harris 1 *
Vernon Kirby
4-6
6-4
6-2
4-6
6-1
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
T.W. Martin
?
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
William (Willie) Muir
?
Semifinals
Eric Sturgess 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-2
4-6
8-6
2-6
6-4
Poule
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Eric Filby
6-4
7-5
Poule
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Donald Butler
2-6
6-1
6-3
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
H.L. Kemp
6-2
6-1
6-3
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Eric Sturgess
?
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Maxwell Bertram
1-6
6-1
6-2
2-6
6-4
Final
Norman Farquharson 1 *
Vernon Kirby
4-6
4-6
6-3
7-5
6-0
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Georgios Nikolaides
6-0
11-9
7-5
Round 2
John Bromwich 1 *
Vernon Kirby
7-5,2-6,6-4,6-3
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Jean Rimet
6-3
6-4
6-4
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Franjo Kukuljevic
5-7
6-2
8-6
2-6
6-3
Round 3
Antoine (Coco) Gentien 1 *
Vernon Kirby
1-6
6-2
6-2
6-1
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Friedhelm Schröter
4-6
0-6
6-2
6-4
6-3
Round 2
Georg Felix von Metaxa 1 *
Vernon Kirby
4-6
6-4
6-0
9-11
6-2
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Victor J. Christie
6-0
4-6
6-1
6-4
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Archie Lockhart Ross
6-3
6-4
6-3
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Franjo Kukuljevic
0-6
6-1
6-4
6-4
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Harold Matheson Silson
6-2
6-4
6-2
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Franjo Puncec
6-3
10-8
6-0
Final
Josip Palada 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-2
0-6
4-6
6-1
6-0
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Norman Farquharson
6-2
5-7
6-1
Poule
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Dragutin Mitic
6-1
6-1
Poule
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Franjo Kukuljevic
4-6
6-1
6-0
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
John A.S. Collins
6-0
6-3
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Eric Peters
w.o.
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Dennis Coombe
5-7
6-2
8-6
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
George Dodd
6-4
3-6
6-2
6-0
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Dennis H. Taylor
6-3
3-6
6-2
7-5
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
William (Willie) Muir
6-1
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Maxwell Bertram 1 *
Vernon Kirby
3-6
7-5
6-8
9-7
6-0
Round 2
John Bromwich 1 *
Vernon Kirby
4-6
6-2
7-5
6-1
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Jimmy Hunt
6-1
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Jack Crawford 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-1
6-0
5-7
6-2
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Jacques van den Eynde
4-6
6-1
6-3
7-5
Round 3
Ladislav Hecht 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-1
6-0
10-8
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
George Godsell
6-4
4-6
4-6
6-2
5-2
ret.
Round 2
Daniel (Dan) Prenn 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-3
6-3
6-1
Unknown
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Dr Alfred Eustace Fannin
4-6
7-5
9-7
7-5
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
William (Willie) Muir
6-3
7-5
6-4
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Cyril Haldane Robbs
4-6
3-6
6-4
6-1
6-1
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Jack Condon
9-7
6-1
8-6
Final
Norman Farquharson 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-0
6-4
6-1
Semifinals
George E. Lyttleton-Rogers 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-8
6-4
7-5
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Clayton Lee (Teddy) Burwell
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Alberto (Tito) Del Bono
w.o.
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
André Martin-Legeay
4-6
6-4
2-6
7-5
6-0
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Franz Wilhelm Matejka
3-6
6-4
6-8
7-5
6-2
Round 4
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Gottfried von Cramm
6-2
2-6
6-4
6-2
Quarterfinals
Sidney Wood jr. 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-1
6-4
3-6
6-0
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Laird Watt
7-5
6-3
6-1
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Norcross S. Tilney
6-2
6-3
6-0
Round 4
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Don Budge
4-6
6-4
6-4
6-4
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Frank Shields
4-6
6-4
6-4
6-3
Semifinals
Fred Perry 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-2
2-6
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Howard G. Lewis
7-5
9-7
6-1
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Charles Raymond (Ray) Dunlop
6-4
3-6
6-4
6-4
Quarterfinals
Adrian Quist 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-3
6-0
6-2
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Leonard S. Patterson
8-6
12-10
Round 3
John Van Ryn 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-1
6-2
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Roland Journu
6-4
10-8
1-6
6-4
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Richard P.Josiah (Dickie) Ritchie
7-5
6-3
Final
Tatsuyoshi (Ryuki) Miki 1 *
Vernon Kirby
7-5
6-3
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Alan Martin Wedd
6-3
6-4
Final
Nigel G. Sharpe 1 *
Vernon Kirby
8-6
6-2
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Man Mohan Bhandari
6-1
6-2
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Alan Stedman
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Vernon Kirby 1 *
George Godsell
6-2
6-4
6-0
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Edward (Teddy) Higgs
7-5
6-3
4-6
6-4
Round 3
Patrick Spence 1 *
Vernon Kirby
7-9
6-4
4-6
6-4
6-2
Round 2
Maxime Guillemot 1 *
Vernon Kirby
w.o.
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Victor G. Harris
6-3
3-6
6-0
6-4
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Roy John Malcolm
6-2
6-4
6-4
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Jack Condon
9-7
8-6
6-1
Final
Colin Robbins 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-1
1-6
4-6
9-7
6-4
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Colin Robbins
8-6
6-4
Final
Norman Farquharson 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-2
9-7
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
George E. Lyttleton-Rogers
8-6
6-2
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Jack Lysaght
4-6
6-2
6-2
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Irving Horace (Laddie) Wheatcroft
6-2
6-2
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Colin Ritchie
6-1
6-2
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
George E. Lyttleton-Rogers
7-5
6-1
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Clarence Medlycott (Jimmy) Jones
6-3
6-1
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Tatsuyoshi (Ryuki) Miki
6-2
6-3
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Henry Culley
7-5
8-10
6-2
Final
Norman Farquharson 1 *
Vernon Kirby
7-5
6-2
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Roy John Malcolm
12-10
2-6
7-5
6-1
Semifinals
Maxwell Bertram 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-1
6-4
7-5
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Roy John Malcolm
7-5
4-6
6-3
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Frederick Hardwicke Lowe
6-3
6-2
6-4
Final
Colin Robbins 1 *
Vernon Kirby
in
5
sets
and
64
games
Round 1
Jiro Satoh 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-3
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Hector Chiesa
w.o.
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Oscar De Minerbi
2-6
6-4
6-1
5-7
6-1
Round 4
Pat Hughes 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-1
6-4
6-2
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Louis Weimer
6-1
6-0
6-1
Quarterfinals
Maxwell Bertram 1 *
Vernon Kirby
11-9
7-5
6-1
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Herman David
4-6
6-1
7-5
Semifinals
John Colin Gregory 1 *
Vernon Kirby
13-11
4-6
6-1
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Louis Raymond
6-4
6-4
6-3
Final
Norman Farquharson 1 *
Vernon Kirby
7-5
3-6
6-3
1-6
6-3
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Ted Avory
6-4
12-10
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
J.L. (Jack) Chamberlain
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Ian Collins
6-2
6-3
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Norman Farquharson
6-2
13-11
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Jack Lysaght
7-5
6-2
Final
Jiro Satoh 1 *
Vernon Kirby
3-6
9-7
7-5
Final
Jiro Satoh 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-2
8-6
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Robert Tinkler
6-3
6-2
Final
Jiro Satoh 1 *
Vernon Kirby
6-4
6-3
Round 3
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Hira-Lal Soni
w.o.
Quarterfinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Guy Cooper
6-3
4-6
6-2
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Benjamin (Benny/Beni) Berthet
6-2
7-5
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
George E. Lyttleton-Rogers
2-6
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Richard P.Josiah (Dickie) Ritchie
6-4
5-7
6-3
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Frank Wilde
6-2
6-3
Final
Jiro Satoh 1 *
Vernon Kirby
8-6
1-6
6-0
Final
Vernon Kirby 1 *
Denis Reginald Fussell
6-4
6-4
Quarterfinals
Colin Robbins 1 *
Vernon Kirby
3-6
6-0
6-3
5-7
6-1