Willis E. Davis
Davis in 1916
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| Full name | Willis Elphinstone Davis, Jr. |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | United States |
| Born | San Francisco |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) |
| Retired | 1923 |
| College |
University of California, Berkeley University of Pennsylvania |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 9 (1919, A. Wallis Myers) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1919) |
| US Open | SF (1921) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| US Open | F (1920) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| US Open | W (1916) |
| Last updated on: 19 April 2012. | |
Willis Elphinstone Davis, Jr., was an American tennis player who was active in the early 20th century.
Davis was born in San Francisco the son of wealthy painter Willis E. Davis and his wife Elise "Elsie" Kohler Davis. Davis's first prominent tennis match was a doubles competition for the California state championship in 1913 in which he and Lin Murray were eliminated by Clarence Griffin and John Strachan. Davis was playing for the University of California, Berkeley, and won a 1914 match against Stanford University's intercollegiate champion Herbert Hahn. While at Berkeley he joined the secretive fraternity Omicron Delta which had just changed its name from Theta Nu Epsilon, a chapter of the Skull and Bones. He was also a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon.
Becoming known for his very high speed serve, Davis transferred to the University of Pennsylvania, Towne Scientific School, for the 1914–15 school year.The New York Times profiled him as exemplary of the emerging California style of powerful "cannonball service" which Maurice E. McLoughlin had used to become national champion. Davis's explosive serve was observed to have an effective side-breaking spin applied with the top of the racket, a spin which put the opponent off balance. After his serve he usually rushed the net to counter sharply angled return shots. However, Davis was said to have a comparative weakness in his back court game, having put so much effort into perfecting his serve.
Davis won the mixed doubles title at the 1916 U.S. National Championships played at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. Together with Eleonora Sears he defeated Florence Ballin and Bill Tilden in two sets 6–4, 7–5.
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