George Holland (tennis), Date of Birth, Place of Birth
TweetGeorge Holland (tennis)
tennis player (1918-)
Date of Birth: 06-May-1918
Place of Birth: Coburg, Victoria, Australia
Profession: tennis player
Zodiac Sign: Taurus 
About George Holland (tennis)
- George Holland (born 6 May 1918) was an Australian tennis player.
- In 1938, tennis legend Don Budge said that, among the younger and less prominent players he had seen on his trip to Australia, Holland had the brightest future.
- "I have selected him after careful study of most of the leading young players.
- I watched many of them in match play during the Australian championships when they did not know I was about" said Budge, in an article in The Sydney Morning Herald on 14 February 1938.
- Budge went on to describe Holland's game by saying "he has a forceful service, hits his ground strokes with freedom and likes to chase them to the net, where he volleys and smashes severely, with just a dash of drop-volleys thrown in occasionally.
- And he possesses a splendid temperament.
- I summed him up as a clear-thinking lad with a heart as big as his happy outlook on life".
- George Holland made his debut in the Australian championships in 1937 and lost to Arthur Huxley in round one.
- At the 1938 Australian championships, 19 year old Holland beat Huxley 10–8 in the fifth set in round one.
- Then in round two Holland caused a big upset by beating reigning French champion and third ranked player in the world Henner Henkel after losing the first 2 sets.
- From the third set onwards, Holland "followed everything to the net and made some glorious volleys" and was in command of the match.
- "His groundstrokes had more penetration, he rarely missed his first serve, and he treated Henkel's cannon-balls in cavalier fashion to take command of the attack" according to The Argus.
- In the quarter finals, Holland lost in four sets to Adrian Quist.
- In the first round of the 1939 Australian championships, Holland lost in round one to Vivian McGrath in straight sets.
- During World War II, Holland reached the rank of Lieutenant.
- After the war, Holland resumed his tennis career.
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