Granville G. Sharp

Granville Gilbert Sharp was an Australian tennis player. He was a runner-up in doubles alongside Anthony Wilding at the Australasian Championships in Australasian Championships (tennis)|1908]. He won the New South Wales Championships three times.

Tennis career

Sharp started playing tennis in his boyhood, practicing his shots against a wall. In 1896 he played for New South Wales in an interstate match against Victoria. Sharp won the singles title at the New South Wales Championships in 1903, defeating Barney Murphy in the final in straight sets. The following year, 1904, he successfully defend his title after another straight-sets victory in the final, this time against Horace Rice. His third consecutive title was won in 1906 against Stanley Doust. In 1909 he again reached the final but lost in five sets to Rodney Heath. Additionally, Sharp was the NSW doubles champion, partnering G.W. Wright. He was a non-plying member of the Australasian Davis Cup team in 1909 who won the cup against the United States.

Medical career

In September 1906 he travelled to England where he did postgraduate work in 1907 and 1908. When he returned to Sydney he became an honorary assistant physician at Royal [Prince Alfred Hospital]. From 1923 he practised as a consulting physician. In World War II he was involved in recruiting for the Royal Australian Air Force before joining the merchant navy as a ship's surgeon. After SS Nellore was sunk by a Japanese submarine in June 1944 he was adrift in the Indian Ocean for twelve days. After the war Sharp served as a medical officer on merchant ships until 1960.

Personal life

He was educated at the Sydney Grammar School and subsequently enrolled at the University of Sydney. He married Jane Drummond Gordon, née Blackmore in Sydney on 29 June 1911. They had three daughters. Sharp died in Sydney on 19 February 1964 at the age of 85.