Horace Rice

Horace Rice was an Australian tennis player, born on 5 September 1872 and died on 18 January 1950. The left-handed Rice, who played in knickerbockers and long black socks, won the men's singles title at the 1907 Australasian Championships, beating Harry Parker in the final, and he was runner-up at the championships three times, in 1910, 1911 and 1915. He won the men's doubles in 1915 with Clarence Todd. He reached the semifinals in 1920 aged 47, nearly coming back from two sets to one and 5-2 down against Ron Thomas, and again in 1923 aged 50. His last Grand Slam title, a mixed doubles crown on 18 August 1923, made him at 50 years and 347 days the oldest male Grand Slam champion in tennis history. He came from a musical Sydney family and was a Davis Cup player for Australia.