George Lyttleton Rogers (10 July 1906 – 19 November 1962) was an Irish tennis player, promoter and coach. He won the Irish Championships title three times, (1926, 1936–1937). He was the Canadian and Argentine champion as well. He was a three times runner-up for the Monte Carlo Cup. In 1931 he was the eleventh on the French rankings.
Early life and family
Rogers was born on 10 July 1906 in Athy, County Kildare, Ireland to Anglo-Irish Protestants parents Francis William Lyttelton Rogers, an inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary, and Hessie May Lloyd Sherrie Rogers. Both his elder brothers were killed in action in the First World War while serving in France with the Royal Field Artillery; Francis Lyttelton Lloyd Rogers (4 February 1895 – 7 January 1916) was killed in action in Neuve Chapelle and Richard Henry Lyster Rogers (18 September 1896 – 4 October 1917) was killed in Arras. His great-grandparents Daniel Upton and Marie Lloyd Upton were land-owners in Dublin. In the Irish War of Independence the family home, "Holyrood Castle" in Sandymount, was requisitioned as a machine gun nest by the British Army. His aunt Alice Upton Harvey was a famous Irish music composer. His cousin was George U. Harvey, borough president of Queens between 1929 and 1941. Rogers studied in the Imperial Service College in Windsor.
Amateur tennis career
In April 1928, he was defeated by the Austrian champion Erik Worm for the Beaulieu title. and the next year it happened again but this time he suffered defeat from Emmanuel du Plaix. 1930 In the first days of January, Rogers was repulsed in the final of the Beausite tournament in Cannes by Paul Barrelet de Ricou in straight sets. In the follow-up tournament of Monaco he was beaten in the title match by French riviera-series debutant Bill Tilden in four sets and lost the doubles as well with partner Arne Wilhelm Grahn to Tilden and Charles Herbert Kingsley. In January–February, he entered several riviera tournaments; at New Courts de Cannes doubles contest the Tilden-Kingsley duo saw another victory in the final against Rogers and Worm. At Gallia L.T.C. Cannes, he was stopped in the semifinals of singles and doubles and in the quarterfinal of the mixed doubles. At Carlton L.T.C. Cannes, he lost the Italy's fourth ranked player Placido Gaslini.
For the Beaumont Trophy at Monte-Carlo doubles event Rogers and Tamio Abe were overcame Umberto De Morpurgo and Wilbur Coen. In Menton, he reached the semifinals in singles and doubles. In March, at the Nice Lawn Tennis Club competition the last two, Tilden and Rogers met again but Rogers was unable to overcome Tilden. In late March at the Cannes Championships, the doubles team of Rogers and René Gallepe were subdued by seasoned American duo of Tilden-Coen. At the L. T. C. Biarritz tournament, Raymond Rodel captured the title ahead of Rogers. Henri Cochet and Pierre Landry beat the Rogers Féret duo for the doubles crown. In June he clinched the third place at the Belgian International Championships. In July, he won the Canadian Lawn Tennis National Championships against home-favourite Gilbert Nunns in four sets. During the year 1930 he swept 18 international titles.
1931
In January, he started the season at the Beausite–L.T.C. de Cannes Championship where he captured the title against Swiss Charles Aeschlimann who took revenge in the doubles final on Rogers and Hillyard. In the Beausite tournament, he was finally victorious against Paul Féret who came back from professional tennis to amateur play. They teamed up for the doubles where they couldn't convert two match points against Hillyard and Vladimir Landau, which backfired on them and lost in five sets. In mixed doubles, Rogers and Elizabeth Ryan found their winning form against Phyllis Satterthwaite and Erik Worm and became mixed champions. In the Parc Imperial L.T.C. de Nice Rogers had an easy victory over Edmond Lotan and in the mixed doubles he and Mrs. Marjollet defeated Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston and Mrs. Franke. At Gallia L.T.C. de Cannes Rogers faced Jacques Brugnon for the championship, and Brugnon was triumphant in a five-set match although he gave Rogers two zero-sets. Also in Cannes at the Carlton Club, Brugnon and Henri Cochet fought a four-set battle against the losing team of Rogers-Aeschlimann.