William Marshall

Who was William Marshall?

William Cecil Marshall was an amateur tennis player, famous for finishing runner-up in the very first Wimbledon tournament to Spencer Gore in 1877.

W.C. Marshall was a defensive player who was no match for the aggressive Gore in the final, the Wimbledon local winning 6–1, 6–2, 6–4 in 48 minutes. There was a formally dressed crowd of about 200 who paid a shilling each to stand and watch; there were no bleachers. A field of 22 competitors assembled to play and had to finish by Thursday because an important cricket match was scheduled for Friday.

He also reached the third round in the 1879 tournament.