Lestocq Robert
Erskine
Male
Scotland
1857-09-06
Edinburgh, Scotland
1916-05-29
Llandridod Wells, Wales
Lestocq was a student 1861 in 40-41 Brunswick Street, Hove, Sussex. He was listed as a resident in the census report in 87 Harley Street, Marylebone, London, 1871.
He was a Scottish tennis player who was active during the first years after the introduction of lawn tennis. He was also a Liberal politician.
Erskine was one of the 21 players that took part in the inaugural 1877 Wimbledon Championship singles competition. In the first round he defeated H. Wheeler in straight sets. In the second round he played against J. Lambert who became the first player in Wimbledon history to retire a match, conceding to Erskine after losing the first two sets. Erskine lost in the quarterfinal to William Marshall in three straight sets. The following year, 1878, he again entered the singles event and reached the final of the All-Comers tournament. After a win over A.W. Nicholson in the first round, a bye in the second, a win over F.W. Porter in the third round he reached the quarterfinal in which he defeated C.G. Hamilton in a five-set match. In the semifinal he won against future Wimbledon champion Herbert Lawford but lost the All-Comers final in straight sets to Frank Hadow who would defeat Spencer Gore in the Challenge round to win the title. His last Wimbledon appearance was in 1879 when he reached the second round, after a first-round victory over F.W. Porter, in which he lost to eventual champion John Hartley.
Erskine won the first major men's doubles tennis tournament, the Oxford University Men’s Doubles Championship, in May 1879 partnering Herbert Lawford. This event was a precursor to the Wimbledon men's doubles championship, introduced in 1884, and was played over the best of seven sets ending in a score of 4–6, 6–4, 6–5, 6–2, 3–6, 5–6, 7–5.
1877 - 1879
0
15
11
Round 1
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
F.W. Porter
6-0
6-1
6-1
Round 2
John Thorneycroft Hartley 1 *
Lestocq Robert Erskine
6-4
6-5
5-6
0-6
6-5
Round 2
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Arthur Basil Brooke
6-5
6-0
Quarterfinals
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Henry Lyle Mulholland
w.o.
Semifinals
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Otway Edward Woodhouse
2
sets
to
1
Final
Edgar Lubbock 1 *
Lestocq Robert Erskine
6-1
6-0
8-6
Round 1
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
A.W. Nicholson
6-1
6-1
6-3
Round 2
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Mr. Clapham
w.o.
Round 3
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
F.W. Porter
6-1
6-3
5-6
6-1
Quarterfinals
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Charles Gipps Hamilton
6-4
3-6
6-1
3-6
6-5
Semifinals
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-3
6-1
6-3
Final
Patrick Francis (Frank) Hadow 1 *
Lestocq Robert Erskine
6-4
6-4
6-4
Round 1
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Henry Thomas W. Wheeler
6-2
6-5
6-2
Round 2
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
J. Lambert
6-2
6-1
ret.
Quarterfinals
William Cecil Marshall 1 *
Lestocq Robert Erskine
6-5
5-6
6-4
6-1