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The drought continues

Steven LynchFebruary 3, 2015
Andy Murray lost his fourth Australian Open final - and third to Novak Djokovic - on Sunday © Getty Images
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Who were the last British winners of the Australian Open tennis? asked Sally-Ann Porter

In a story familiar to dedicated Wimbledon fans (or sufferers), the last British man to win the Australian title was none other than Fred Perry, 81 years ago now in 1934.

Perry was only the fifth British man to win it (the long sea journeys involved back then discouraged too many overseas entrants), following Colin Gregory (1929), Algernon Kingscote (1919), Gordon Lowe (1915), and James Parke, who was actually Irish, in 1912.

Andy Murray has done his best to end the drought, reaching the final four times - but he has lost each one so far, to Roger Federer in 2010 and Novak Djokovic in 2011, 2013 and 2015. The previous British finalist in the men's singles in Australia was John Lloyd, who lost to Vitas Gerulaitis in December 1977.

There was some more recent success on the women's side. Virginia Wade won the Australian Open in 1972, beating Evonne Goolagong in the final, and Angela Mortimer won it in 1958. The only other British winner was Dorothy Round, in 1935.

Perry is also the most recent winner of the men's doubles Down Under, partnering fellow Brit Pat Hughes in 1934, although Jeremy Bates lost in the final in 1988.

Virginia Wade won the women's doubles with Margaret Court in 1973. But the most recent British triumph of all came in the mixed doubles in 1991, which was won by Bates and Jo Durie.

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