Charles Read (squash player)
Encyclopedia
Charles R. Read was a professional squash
player from England
, where professional squash began in 1907. Read was based at the Queen's Club
in London
, and beat C. Bannister of the Bath Club 15-5, 15-13 at the Bath Club to win the first English professional championship title. Read then defended his title as English champion three more times until 1928.
When the British Open
men's championship was instituted in 1930, Read was officially designated the first title holder, and thus played in the first final as the 'defending champion'. The 41-year-old Read, however, lost the inaugural final series, played in home and away legs, 6-9, 5-9, 5-9 and 3-9, 5-9, 3-9 in December 1930 to the 25-year-old challenger Don Butcher
, a professional player from the Conservative Club in London
.
Read was a versatile sportsman, having also been British professional champion at Lawn Tennis
and Rackets
.
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
player from England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where professional squash began in 1907. Read was based at the Queen's Club
Queen's Club
The Queen's Club is a private sporting club in West Kensington, London, England. Founded in 1886, the Queen's Club was the world's first multipurpose sports complex and named after Queen Victoria, its first patron...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and beat C. Bannister of the Bath Club 15-5, 15-13 at the Bath Club to win the first English professional championship title. Read then defended his title as English champion three more times until 1928.
When the British Open
British Open Squash Championships
The British Open Squash Championships is the oldest and most established tournament in the game of squash. It is widely considered to be one of the two most prestigious tournaments in the game, alongside the World Open The British...
men's championship was instituted in 1930, Read was officially designated the first title holder, and thus played in the first final as the 'defending champion'. The 41-year-old Read, however, lost the inaugural final series, played in home and away legs, 6-9, 5-9, 5-9 and 3-9, 5-9, 3-9 in December 1930 to the 25-year-old challenger Don Butcher
Don Butcher
Donald Butcher, a squash player from England, was the first player to actually win the British Open men's title .Butcher was a professional squash player based at the Conservative Club in London when he played in the first British Open final in December 1930...
, a professional player from the Conservative Club in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
.
Read was a versatile sportsman, having also been British professional champion at Lawn Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and Rackets
Racquets (sport)
Rackets or Racquets is an indoor racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada...
.