On this day in 1913...
Kiwi Anthony Wilding won his fourth straight Wimbledon tennis title, beating American Maurice McLoughlin 8-6 6-3 10-8.
Wilding had beaten Brits Arthur Gore (1910, 12) and Herbert Roper Barrett (1911) for his first three championships, but reached the peak of his career in 1913, when he toppled McLoughlin with a performance described as "the best game of his life" by tennis historian A. Wallis Myers.
The following year, he narrowly missed a fifth title, when he lost the final to Australian Norman Brookes, before joining the Royal Marines for World War I.
Wilding also won four Wimbledon doubles titles - two with Brookes - and two Australian Open singles crowns, while also holding the world's three major tennis titles on clay, grass and wood at the same time (1913) - a forerunner to the modern Grand Slam.
His four consecutive Wimbledon titles went unmatched until 1979, when Swedish legend Bjorn Borg matched the feat and then surpassed it the following year.
In May 1915, Wilding was promoted to captain of an armoured car division in France, but a week later, he died when a shell exploded on a dugout he was sheltering in.
1983
American John McEnroe defeated plucky Kiwi rival Chris Lewis 6-2 6-2 6-2 for his second Wimbledon singles title and fifth Grand Slam crown.
The irascible McEnroe would eventually win seven Grand Slam singles titles.
Lewis became only the second NZ player - behind Wilding - to reach the Wimbledon final, the only time he progressed past the third round in a Grand Slam. He upset American ninth seed Steve Denton in the opening round and 12th-seeded South African Kevin Curren in the semis.
2007
Swiss defenders Alinghi edged Team New Zealand by one second to successfully defend the America's Cup off Valencia Spain, winning the final series 5-2.
After lifting the Auld Mug from the Kiwis in 2003, Team Alinghi had fired skipper Russell Coouts, but boasted a management team led by Brad Butterworth, and including Kiwis Warwick Fleury, Simon Daubney and Murray Jones.
With current boss Grant Dalton in charge and Dean Barker at the helm, Team NZ, finished third in the first phase of challenger racing, but were unbeaten through the second and eventually edged Italians Luna Rossa for the right to challenge Alinghi.
Team NZ held a 2-1 lead over the Swiss after three races, but lost four straight to concede the trophy.
Births
1902 - NZ cricketer Jack Newman
Newman played three tests from 1932-33 and served as national selector from 1958-63. He founded Newmans Air, which is now Ansett NZ, and was later knighted for services to tourism and commerce.
1950 - NZ cricketer Ewen Chatfield
1951 - NZ cricket legend Sir Richard Hadlee
Chatfield provided the nagging accuracy and Hadlee the firepower behind New Zealand's bowling attack in 39 tests between 1975-89.
Hadlee captured a world-record 431 test wickets, while Chatfield, a tailend batsman, famously 'died' after being hit in the head by a bouncer from England fast bowler Peter Lever.
