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General First nameFrederick Reginald
LastnameLaishley
GenderMale
CountryNew Zealand
Date of birth1876-00-00
Place of birth, Scotland
Date of death1922-03-05
Place of deathWellington, New Zealand


About

From The Evening Post (Wellington, NZ), 11 March 1922:

The Late Fred Laishley

Tennis players and many others the length and breadth of New Zealand, and also in Sydney, will be grieved to hear of the death of Fred Laishley, the well-known tennis player. He died on the 5th of this month after a very short illness. As far back as 1891, when Laishley was but a stripling, and only a few years in his ‘teens, he gave promise of being above the average as a player, and often, when in Wellington teams that visited Marlborough, attracted the crowds by his free, graceful style and brilliant play.

In 1895, he competed at his first New Zealand championship, but he did not succeed in winning a New Zealand event until 1903, when he and Harry Parker won the doubles. Laishley by this time was ranked as one of the foremost players in New Zealand, and without doubt he was the hardest driver, both fore- and backhand, of his day.

He represented New Zealand at Sydney against New South Wales in 1904, and when playing against Granville Wright in the last match of the contest, gave a wonderful exhibition of driving and endurance. The matches were even when the above pair entered the court. Laishley took the first set 11-9, then Wright won the next 7-5, and the excitement was intense, but when “4-1, Wright leads,” was hoisted, the victory for New South Wales was loudly proclaimed.

Although both players seemed to have been playing their utmost, Laishley came away with a fine effort, and took five games in rapid succession by hard and brilliant play, thus securing the match, and victory for New Zealand. It was a wonderful effort – a most brilliant uphill fight to victory, and a match never to be forgotten by those who were fortunate enough to witness it.

Laishley held the singles championship of the Thorndon Club in 1901, 1902, 1903, 1905, and 1906, and was also Brougham Hill champion in 1905, 1906, 1907, and 1910. In the earlier days he was a member of the Te Aro and Parliamentary Clubs, in which he more than held his own.

Fred Laishley was a very fine sport, none finer could be found anywhere, and he was a willing tournament worker, as well as in the management of the New Zealand Association. The genial player will go down in tennis history as one of the most brilliant players of Now Zealand, and with spectators and players alike, he was a most popular favourite, both on and off the courts.

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Archive statistics Career1895 - 1908
Tournament wins2
Matches45
Match wins29


Tournament wins 1901 - Wellington Championships (Open)
1900 - Wellington Championships (Open)


Tournaments Brougham Hill Club open - 1908 Wellington Championships - 1907 Australian Open - 1906 New Zealand Championships - 1906 New Zealand Championships - 1905 New South Wales Championships - 1904 Ashburton - 1904 Wellington Championships - 1904 New Zealand Championships - 1903 Wellington Championships - 1903 New Zealand Championships - 1902 Wellington Championships - 1902 New Zealand Championships - 1901 Wellington Championships - 1901 New Zealand Championships - 1900 Wellington Championships - 1900 New Zealand Championships - 1899 New Zealand Championships - 1895