Herbert Fortescue
Lawford
Male
England
1851-05-15
Bayswater, Middlesex, England
1925-04-20
Dess, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
Lawford won the first major men's doubles tennis tournament, the Oxford University Men’s Doubles Championship, in 1879 partnering Robert Erskine. This event was a precursor to the Wimbledon men's doubles championship, introduced in 1884, and it 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. In 1885 he won the singles title at the inaugural British Covered Court Championships.
Although he played a significant role in the early history of tennis—winning Wimbledon once and reaching the final five additional times—Lawford made a more substantial contribution in technically advancing the game. He unveiled the “Lawford forehand,” introducing topspin into the sport with that revolutionary shot. Aggressive and unwavering, he was equipped with power, speed and uncanny accuracy. He came to the game late in life, taking his crown at Wimbledon when he was 36.
Herbert was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006.
1878 - 1890
10
117
93
1887 - Wimbledon (Grandslam)
1886 - Irish Championships (Amateur)
1885 - British Covered Court Championships (Amateur)
1885 - Irish Championships (Amateur)
1884 - London Athletic Club (Amateur)
1884 - Irish Championships (Amateur)
1883 - Prince's Club Tournament (Amateur)
1883 - London Athletic Club (Amateur)
1882 - London Athletic Club (Amateur)
1880 - Prince's Club Tournament (Amateur)
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Archibald Thomson
w.o.
Round 2
Deane B. Miller 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
w.o.
Round 1
John Henry Head 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
w.o.
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Arthur Westlake Andrews
6-1
6-3
6-1
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Andrew G. Ziffo
6-2
6-2
6-0
Semifinals
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
7-5
5-7
6-3
6-2
Round 1
Ernest Wool Lewis 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-2
6-1
6-2
Challenge Round
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-3
7-5
6-0
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Guy Brabazon Pilkington
6-0
6-0
6-1
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Herbert Wilberforce
6-1
6-3
4-6
6-3
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Joshua Francis Pim
6-3
1-6
4-6
6-3
6-2
Final
Willoughby James Hamilton 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-1
6-0
4-6
6-0
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Harry Sibthorpe Barlow
6-0
9-7
6-3
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Oswald Milne
7-5
6-0
6-3
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Henry (Harry) Grove
4-6
6-3
7-5
7-5
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw
1-6
6-3
3-6
6-4
6-4
Challenge Round
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
William Charles Renshaw
w.o.
Challenge Round
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
7-5
6-2
9-7
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Henry (Harry) Grove
0-6
6-0
4-6
6-4
6-2
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Willoughby James Hamilton
8-6
6-1
8-6
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Toler Roberts Garvey
6-3
6-2
6-0
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Ernest Wool Lewis
6-2
6-3
2-6
4-6
6-4
Challenge Round
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-0
5-7
6-3
6-4
Challenge Round
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Willoughby James Hamilton
5-7
6-4
6-4
7-5
Challenge Round
Edward Lake (Teddy) Williams 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-2
1-6
5-7
6-4
6-4
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Henry (Harry) Grove
6-3
6-2
6-1
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Patrick Bowes-Lyon
6-2
7-5
6-3
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
James Dwight
6-2
6-2
6-3
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw
5-7
6-1
0-6
6-2
6-4
Challenge Round
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
7-5
6-2
4-6
7-5
Challenge Round
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw
4-6
6-2
3-6
6-3
6-4
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Donald Charles Stewart
6-5
6-3
6-5
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Ernest George Meers
6-3
6-3
6-0
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Herbert Chipp
6-2
3-6
4-6
6-3
6-2
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Charles Hoadley Ashe Ross
7-5
6-3
6-0
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Herbert Wilberforce
6-1
6-3
7-5
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Robert Charles Thompson
6-1
6-1
6-2
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Herbert Chipp
7-5
6-4
6-4
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Charles Walder Grinstead
7-5
2-6
6-2
9-7
Challenge Round
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-0
6-4
9-7
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
John Redfern Deykin
6-0
6-2
6-2
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Edward Lake (Teddy) Williams
6-3
6-3
7-5
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Ernest de Sylly Hamilton Browne
2-6
6-1
4-6
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Richard Dudley Sears
6-4
6-3
6-2
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Eyre Chatterton
4-6
6-4
6-3
6-4
Challenge Round
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw
6-1
6-4
6-2
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
R. Playford
6-4
6-2
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Edward Burford Morrison
6-1
6-0
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
G.H. Taylor
6-3
6-4
6-2
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Herbert Chipp
6-2
6-4
4-6
6-3
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Edward Lake (Teddy) Williams
2-6
8-6
6-2
7-5
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Frederick Alexander Bowlby
6-3
6-1
3-6
6-2
Round 1
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
5-6
6-1
3-6
6-2
6-5
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Francis R. Swayne
6-1
6-0
6-2
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Francis Woodcock Perry
6-4
6-1
6-1
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Ernest de Sylly Hamilton Browne
4-6
6-0
2-6
6-0
6-3
Final
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
3-6
6-3
7-5
1-6
6-3
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Marmaduke Strickland Constable
6-0
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
John Galbraith Horn
6-1
6-1
6-3
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Edgar Lubbock
6-2
6-4
6-2
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Edward Lake (Teddy) Williams
6-4
6-2
6-1
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
William C. Taylor
6-2
6-0
6-1
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
H.A. Hance
w.o.
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
R. Mansell Jones
6-0
6-1
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Frederick Alexander Bowlby
6-0
6-1
6-2
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
G.H. Taylor
w.o.
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Herbert Chipp
6-0
6-2
6-2
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Edward Lake (Teddy) Williams
6-2
6-1
6-0
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
B. Follett
6-4
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Arthur John Stanley
6-1
6-2
6-3
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Herbert Wilberforce
6-2
6-5
6-5
Semifinals
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-4
4-6
6-2
3-6
6-0
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
A. Taylor
6-1
6-3
6-2
Round 2
Ernest de Sylly Hamilton Browne 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-4,
4-6,
6-2,
0-6,
6-3
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Michael Gallwey McNamara
6-1
6-1
6-3
Round 2
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-3
2-6
3-6
6-5
6-4
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
James Herbert Crispe
w.o.
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
E.C. Palmer
6-0
6-0
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
John Henry Lewis
6-1
6-0
6-2
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Augustus Adolphus Saint John Marriott Nepean
6-1
6-3
6-0
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
G.H. Taylor
6-3
6-1
ret.
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Otway Edward Woodhouse
6-1
4-6
6-2
6-3
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Charles John Cole
6-0
6-2
6-3
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
W.H. Edward
6-3
6-2
6-2
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
H.C. Jenkins
6-4
6-3
6-0
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
George S. Murray Hill
6-1
6-1
6-0
Semifinals
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
1-6
6-3
6-2
5-6
6-3
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Ernest Edward Knox
6-0
6-4
6-1
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Ernest de Sylly Hamilton Browne
6-3
3-6
9-7
ret.
with
injured
arm
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
James Ernest (Ernest) Renshaw
6-0
0-6
9-7
6-4
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Richard Taswell Richardson
5-7
7-5
3-6
6-4
9-7
Challenge Round
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
1-6
6-4
6-3
6-1
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
F.W. Maude
w.o.
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Joseph Constable Maxwell-Scott
6-0
6-4
6-3
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Charles John Cole
6-1
6-0
6-0
Semifinals
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-5
3-6
6-4
6-5
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
John Elwyn Eddis
6-2
6-2
6-4
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
William Bolding Monement
6-2
6-1
6-1
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Richard Taswell Richardson
1-6
6-3
0-6
6-5
6-4
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
William Henry Darby
6-0
6-3
6-1
Semifinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
George Montague Butterworth
6-2
6-3
6-3
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Otway Edward Woodhouse
6-5
6-4
6-0
Challenge Round
John Thorneycroft Hartley 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-3
6-2
2-6
6-3
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Robert Hassard
6-0
5-6
6-3
6-4
Round 2
William Charles Renshaw 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-5
3-6
6-3
6-3
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Rev. Edmond Bennet Brackenbury
6-1
6-2
6-1
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
F. Daubeny
6-1
6-4
6-4
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
William Charles Renshaw
2-6
3-6
6-3
6-5
6-5
Quarterfinals
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Captain Blane
6-5
6-1
6-4
Final
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Edgar Lubbock
5-7
5-7
6-3
6-0
8-6
Round 1
Edgar Lubbock 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-2
4-6
6-1
6-2
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Frederick William Oliver
1-0
ret.
Quarterfinals
Otway Edward Woodhouse 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
2
sets
to
1
Round 1
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Arthur Louis Keyser
w.o.
Round 2
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
Capt. Grimston
5-6
6-4
6-4
6-5
Round 3
Herbert Fortescue Lawford 1 *
E.R. Seymour
6-5
5-6
6-5
6-4
Semifinals
Lestocq Robert Erskine 1 *
Herbert Fortescue Lawford
6-3
6-1
6-3