Walter Melville
Martin
Male
Canada
1908-08-15
Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
1977-01-04
Toronto, Canada
Walter Melville Martin was the first of the three surviving children born to William Melville Martin (1876-1970) and Violet Florence Martin (née Thompson), both of whom had Scottish ancestors and were born in Ontario, but later lived in Saskatchewan.
William Melville Martin studied law, initially practising as a barrister. He subsequently entered politics, becoming a Member of Parliament for the Liberal Party in 1908 and Premier of the Province of Saskatchewan in 1916, a post he held until 1922. He retired from politics in 1922 and was appointed a judge of the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. In 1941, he was appointed Chief Justice of Saskatchewan, a post he held until his retirement in 1961.
Like his father before him, Walter M. Martin studied law, at the University of Toronto, where he also played ‘Varsity tennis. He was subsequently one of Canada’s top-ranking tennis players for almost a decade, won several provincial championships and was notably runner-up in the men’s singles event at the International Canadian Championship in 1933. He won the men’s doubles title at the same tournament in 1937 (with the American David N. Jones).
A lawyer by profession, Walter M. Martin was later made a judge. He died in Toronto in January 1977 at the age of 68.
--
From https://db4tennis.com/players/male/walter-martin
Walter Martin won his first provincial junior title in 1922 and by 1927 he had won the provincial open singles championship. In the same year he made it to the finals of the National Junior Championships, where he lost to Ellsworth Vines in five sets. He also won three national intercollegiate championships.
Martin was one of the first elite tennis players in the province of Saskatchewan and the best player in the province in his time. Although he began playing on the courts of Saskatchewan, he did most of his playing at the Toronto Lawn Tennis Club. Martin was ranked in the Top 10 in singles play for nine straight years (1927-1935). He achieved the Canadian no. 1 ranking in 1933 and 1935.
At the International Canadian Championships, Martin was a finalist in 1933, losing to the American John Murio in a five-set heartbreaker, 6-3, 4-6, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Partnering Gilbert Nunns, Martin was twice a runner-up in the men’s doubles event at the same tournamet (in 1930 and 1932), but finally took the title in 1937, partnering the American David N. Jones, Jnr. They defeated Laird Watt and Robert Murray in the final in four sets, 8-6, 9-7, 1-6, 6-2.
Walter Martin was a member of the Canadian Davis Cup team in the early 1930s, but only played once, in 1934, against the USA. In 1973, Martin was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the University of Toronto Sports Hall of Fame in 2011.
1924 - 1935
8
73
48
1935 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)
1935 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1933 - Ontario Championships (Open)
1932 - Province of Quebec Championships (Open)
1930 - Western Canada Hard Court Championships (Amateur)
1929 - Western Canada Hard Court Championships (Amateur)
1928 - Western Canada Hard Court Championships (Amateur)
1927 - Saskatchewan Championships (Amateur)
Round 1
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Homer Armstrong
6-1
6-2
Round 2
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Colin Milne
8-6
4-6
6-2
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Darrell L. Kelly
6-1
6-1
Round 4
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Don Lewis
6-4
6-1
Quarterfinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Benjamin Henry (Ben) Neiden
6-3
6-2
5-7
6-0
Semifinals
Richard (Dick) Bennett 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
2-6
3-6
6-3
6-1
9-7
Semifinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
George Leclerc
7-9
6-2
6-4
6-0
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Ross Alfred Wilson
6-0
6-3
6-2
Semifinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
George Leclerc
6-2
6-2
6-2
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Ross Alfred Wilson
2-6
6-3
6-2
9-7
Round 4
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
George Leclerc
4-6
6-2
7-5
Quarterfinals
Robert Dudley Murray 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
4-6
5-7
6-3
6-4
7-5
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Tom Jones
6-2
6-2
Quarterfinals
Henry Prusoff 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-4
6-3
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Quarterfinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Laird Watt
4-6
1-6
6-1
6-2
6-0
Semifinals
Marcel Rainville 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-2
6-0
6-3
Round 2
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
William B. Reese
6-3
6-1
Quarterfinals
Frank Parker 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-1
6-1
Round 4
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Henry Edward Rosenburg
6-1
6-1
Quarterfinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Laird Watt
6-0
6-3
6-1
Semifinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Clarence Melvin (Mel) Dranga
5-7
8-6
7-5
6-4
Final
John Murio 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-3
4-6
4-6
6-2
6-2
Semifinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Peter S. Young
?
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Gilbert Nunns
6-2
6-3
4-6
7-9
6-2
Quarterfinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Keith Werner
6-2
8-6
6-1
Semifinals
Frank Parker 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-0
6-3
6-3
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Leonard Boucher
6-1
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Henry S. Moore
6-0
6-3
6-2
Round 3
George Lott 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-0
6-3
6-1
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Harry Kinloch
6-1
6-1
Round 4
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Merle Moore
10-8
6-3
Quarterfinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
John Murio
4-6
6-3
12-10
7-5
Semifinals
Jack Wright 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-1
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
D. Burdon-Murphy
6-3
6-0
Round 2
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
George W.E. Phillips
6-1
6-0
Round 3
Henry Edward Neer 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
7-5
6-3
Semifinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Jack E. Purcell
6-0
6-3
6-2
Final
Gilbert Nunns 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-0
7-5
6-4
Quarterfinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Garnet H. Raper
6-1
6-2
6-3
Semifinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Roland Longtin
8-6
6-1
6-3
Round 1
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Harry Hayes
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Leo Hiltz
6-4
6-3
Quarterfinals
Willard Crocker 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
4-6
13-11
6-4
Round 1
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
G.A. D\'Arcy
6-1
9-7
Round 2
J. Gilbert (Gil) Hall 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-2
6-1
Round 4
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Keith Werner
7-5
6-3
Quarterfinals
J. Gilbert (Gil) Hall 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-1
3-6
6-0
6-1
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Quarterfinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Jack de Lara
4-6
6-2
8-6
Semifinals
Gilbert Nunns 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
3-6
8-6
6-3
6-2
Semifinals
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Charles William (Charlie) Leslie
6-2
6-2
4-6
6-2
Final
Gilbert Nunns 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-1
6-0
6-2
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Walter William Gyles
6-3
6-2
7-5
Round 4
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Joseph Weldon (Joe) O'Hara
6-2
6-3
Quarterfinals
John Doeg 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
2-6
6-2
6-3
6-3
Semifinals
Arthur Ham 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
13-11
6-0
6-2
Semifinals
Gilbert Nunns 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-3
4-6
4-6
6-2
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Hugh Ellis (Ellis) McMillan
6-2
6-2
6-4
Round 4
Wilmer Allison 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-0
6-1
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Harvey Boale
6-1
6-0
6-1
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Robert Hoogs
6-0
6-3
Round 4
Leon de Turenne 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-4
3-6
7-5
Round 2
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Patrick H. Lester
6-4
3-6
6-4
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
W. Merston
7-5
6-1
Round 4
Sherman Douglass Lockwood 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
w.o.
Final
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
George Harold (Harold) Simpson
6-1
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
William Quillian sr
7-5
6-1
Round 3
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Joseph Leverett (Joe) Cunningham
4-6,
6-4,
6-3
Round 4
Walter Melville Martin 1 *
Archibald MacDonald Duff Fairbairn
6-4
6-4
Quarterfinals
Wallace Wendell Scott 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-4
6-0
6-0
Final
Dr Charles Henry Weicker 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
6-1
6-2
6-0
Final
Dr Charles Henry Weicker 1 *
Walter Melville Martin
?