William Taylor (tennis)

 William C Taylor (1860 – ?) was an English tennis player of the late 19th century. He was a two time semi finalist in singles at the Wimbledon Championships in 1883 and 1888. He was active from 1880 to 1908 played close to 200 matches and contested 10 career singles finals winning 3 titles.

Career
Taylor played his first tournament in late June 1880 at the Prince's Club Championships where he lost in the first round to Benedict Follett. In July that year he also made his debut at Wimbledon Championships, but lost in the first round to J. Devans. In 1882 he won his first singles title at the South of England Championships in Eastbourne against Teddy Williams. In 1883 he reached the final of the Prince's Club Championships where he was beaten in straight sets by Scottish player Herbert Lawford. At the Wimbledon Championships that year he reached the semi finals stage, but was defeated in straight sets by Donald Stewart.

In 1884 he failed to retain his South of England title losing in the final to Teddy Williams, thus reversing the previous years result. At the Wimbledon Championships he progressed to the quarter finals stage, but was beaten by Ernest Wool Lewis. In 1885 he traveled to Ireland to take part in a number of tournaments. At the prestigious Irish Lawn Tennis Championships in Dublin he was soundly beaten in the second round by Ernest Renshaw. He then played for the Fitzwilliam Plate a consolation event for early second round losers in the Irish Championships tournament, he reached the final but was beaten by Frederick Maddison.

After his tour of Ireland he traveled back to England to take part in the Sussex County Lawn Tennis Tournament in Brighton, where he conceded the title by a walkover to Charles Hoadley Ashe Ross. Later that summer playing in Eastbourne he progressed to the final of the South of England Championships before losing in four sets to Ernest Lewis. In 1886 he took part in six tournaments that season his best results in singles came at the Wimbledon Championships when he reached the quarter finals round but lost to Ireland's Toler Garvey. In 1887 he traveled to the Netherlands to take part in an international hard court event called the Anglo Dutch Club Tournament held in Rotterdam where he won the singles title.

In 1888 he traveled to France to take part in the Boulogne International Championship held at the Hotel Bristol in Boulogne-sur-Mer where he won his third singles title against Edgar Chippendale. Later he traveled back to London to compete at the Wimbledon Championships where he reached the semi finals for the second time, before losing to Herbert Wilberforce. Taylor did not win anymore titles after this year, he did however compete at thirty eight tournaments over the next ten years. His best results were as an all comers finalist at the British Covered Court Championships in 1889 where he lost to Wilberforce Eaves. He was a finalist again at the Boulogne International Championship in 1890. In 1891 he was semi finalist at the London Covered Court Championships, and a semi finalist at the London Championships at Queen's Club that year. In 1897 he reached the finals of the Boulogne International again losing to Charles Gladstone Allen. Taylor played his final singles event at the Boulogne International on clay in 1908 where he was beaten by French player Georges Octave Manset.

In doubles play Taylor was an accomplished player apart from reaching the semi finals at the Wimbledon Championships in 1885 partnered with Charles Ross he was a quarter finalist five times in 1884 partnered with Harry Grove, and again in 1886 with Michael G. McNamara, and again in 1887 with George Ziffo, and in 1893 with A. Taylor and 1894 with Wilfred Milne.