George Mievillle SIMOND

The son of a Swiss-born London banker George Simond also worked in the city as a Bill broker. Three of his brothers, Charles, Septimus and Amadee, who died at the age of 36, were also good standard competitive tennis players. Charles and George both made their Wimbledon débuts in 1894. A regular at the All-England Club between then and 1912, George reached the singles quarter-final in his début year and reached the last eight four times in his first five appearances. He also regularly reached the men’s doubles quarter-finals and went one better on two occasions, reaching the semi-final, firstly in 1901 when he was partnered by Herbert Roper Barrett but they lost to the American pair of Dwight Davis and Holcombe Ward, and again in 1906 when Simond and Clement Cazalet lost in four sets to British compatriots Frank Riseley and Sidney Smith.

George Simond won the silver medal in the covered court men’s doubles event at the 1908 Olympics with George Caridia but lost the final in four sets to Herbert Roper Barrett and Arthur Wentworth Gore. In the first round they came from two sets down to beat fellow Britons George Hillyard and Wilberforce Eaves in a grueling five-setter. Prior to his Olympic appearance Simond had twice won the French Indoor title, in 1898 and 1901, but he could not win the British covered court title, losing the final in 1901 and 1902 to Laurie Doherty and Josiah Ritchie respectively. George enjoyed his finest year in 1905 when he won the Swiss International, Lyon indoor and Middlesex championships. He died at his Monte Carlo home in 1941.