Dale Womersley (28 July 1860 – 22 August 1942) was a British tennis player active in the late 19th century. In major tournaments of the time he played at the 1880 Wimbledon Championships where he was beaten in the second round by William Renshaw. Between 1879 and 1882 he won three singles titles.
Career In 1879 Womersely played his first tournament at the Essex County Cricket Club Open at Leyton, where he reached the final, but lost to his brother Nalton Wormersly.Tennis Archives In 1880 he won his first title at the Essex County Cricket Club Tournament against Richard. C. Ball. The same year he won a second title at the Devonshire Park Championships at Eastbourne.
In the summer of 1880 he played at Wimbledon Championships where he progressed to second round, but was defeated by William Renshaw.Draws Archive: 1880. www.wimbledon.com. AELTC In September 1881 he competed at the South of England Championships. The same year he won his third and final title at the Essex Championships at Brentwood, Essex, defeating Champion Branfill Russell, Charles Walder Grinstead, Edward North Buxton, and finally his brother Nalton Womersley on his way to the title. He played his final singles tournament at the Essex Championships in 1882 where he failed to defend his title.
Career finals
Singles:4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up) ResultNo.DateTournamentLocationSurfaceOpponentScoreLoss 1.1879Essex CCC OpenLeytonGrass Nalton Womersley 4–6, 5–6Win 2.1880Essex CCC OpenLeytonGrass R.C. Ball2 sets to 0Win 3.1880Devonshire Park ChampionshipsEastbourneGrass Frederick Brunning Maddison6–4, 3–6, 6–2, 6–3Win 4.1881 Essex Championships BrentwoodGrass Nalton Womersley6–0, 6–4
Work and family Dale Womersley, who was educated at Marlborough College, was the brother of fellow lawn tennis players Albert Womersley and Nalton Womersley and a stockbroker by profession. Womersley played cricket as a wicket-keeper for Essex County Cricket Club in the years before the club was promoted to first-class status in 1894.Obituaries in 1941, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1942. (Available online at CricInfo. Retrieved 11 June 2025.) His son, also named Dale played one first-class cricket match for Essex in 1910.Dale Womersley, CricketArchive. Retrieved 11 June 2025. Obituaries in 1971, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, 1972. (Available online at CricInfo. Retrieved 11 June 2025.) Womersley died at Brentwood in 1942 aged 82.
References
External links ATP player profile Wimbledon/ player profile