Elwood Cooke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elwood Thomas Cooke (born July 5, 1913 in Ogden, Utah – died April 16, 2004 in Apopka, Florida) was an outstanding amateur tennis player in the 1930s and 1940s.
Cooke was ranked in Top 10 in the United States in 1938 (ranked No. 7), 1939 (No. 6), 1940 (No. 9), and 1945 (No. 4).
At Wimbledon, he reached the singles final in 1939 before falling to Bobby Riggs, but won the doubles title that year with Riggs. He was the U.S. Indoor Doubles champion with Riggs in 1940.
At the Cincinnati Masters, he reached both the singles and the doubles final in 1945. He lost the singles final to future International Tennis Hall of Fame enshrinee Bill Talbert, and the doubles final to Talbert and Hal Surface.
He held the Pacific Northwest Sectional singles ranking of No. 2 in 1935, and No. 1 in 1936, and was ranked No. 1 in doubles in the Pacific Northwest (with Don Lewis) in 1935.
In the Oregon State Tournament, he won the singles title in 1936, and the doubles title with Wayne Sabin in 1935 and with Sam Lee in 1936. His 1935 win was over Newton and Bennett who had just won the National Intercollegiate Doubles title.
In the Pacific Northwest Sectional, he won the singles title in 1935 and 1936, and the doubles title with Wayne Sabin in 1935. He was a Naval Officer during World War II, and was married to International Tennis Hall of Famer Sarah Palfrey Cooke.
