Harold Segerson Mahony was a Scottish-born Irish tennis player who is best known for winning the singles title at the Wimbledon Championships in 1896.
Background
Mahony was born in Scotland but lived in Ireland for the majority of his life. His family were Irish including both of his parents, the family home was in County Kerry, Southwestern Ireland. Mahony was born at 21 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh to Richard John Mahony, an Irish barrister and prominent landowner.
Career
His career lasted from 1890 until his death in 1905. The family had a home in Scotland but spent most of their time at Dromore Castle, in County Kerry, Ireland. Harold trained on a specially built tennis court at Dromore.
Mahony made his Wimbledon debut in 1890 exiting in the first round.
He reached the semi-final in 1891 and 1892. Mahony spent some time in America in the mid-1890s, before returning to England and finally taking the Wimbledon crown in 1896.
In the final he beat Wilfred Baddeley of Great Britain in five sets: 6–2, 6–8, 5–7, 8–6, 6–3. In 1895 Mahony forfeited the defence of his title due to illness.
Mahony was 1.91m (6 ft 3in) tall and possessed a formidable backhand.
His forehand was less notable, his fellow-player, George Hillyard, wrote that he "never did acquire the right method of hitting the ball on the forehand". Mahony was killed on 27 June 1905, aged 38, in a bicycling accident while descending a steep hill near Caragh Lake in Company Kerry. Doubles.
Views
Under the challenger system Mahony was entitled to defend the Wimbledon title in 1897 but this time he was beaten in the Challenge Round in three straight sets by Reginald Doherty.