John Redfern Deykin born (27 July 1867 – 30 March 1899) also known as Redfern Deykin or J.R. Deykin was an English tennis player of the late 19th century. In 1884 competed at both the Irish Championships and Wimbledon Championships,[1] then considered two of the most important major tennis events.[2][3][4] He was active from 1881 until 1894 and contested 24 career singles finals, and won 11 titles.
In 1889 Deykin would play at seven events this year winning three titles and losing three finals. At the Staffordshire Lawn Tennis Tournament he won that title against Ireland's William Drumond Hamilton. At the Waterloo Tournament in Liverpool he was a losing finalist to James Baldwin. Playing at the Edgbaston Open Tournament he reached the final again, but lost to James Baldwin. He collected a second Midland Counties title against Harold Weston Carlton in a close five set match.[6] He then played the Exmouth Lawn Tennis Club Tournament, but lost in the final to one of the top players in the world at that time Ernest Wool Lewis. Deykin also reached the Staffordshire Tennis Tournament final for the second time before losing to Irishman Grainger Chaytor.
In 1890 Deykin entered seven tournaments this year, winning two titles. He retained his title at the Waterloo Tournament against William Parkfield Wethered, he retained his Midland Counties title defeating Henry Guy Nadin by three sets to one.[7] In 1891 he played at six events that year, he did not win any titles, but was a losing finalist at the Edgbaston Open against R.A. Bennett. He also failed to retain his Waterloo title in Liverpool losing to Jacob Gaitskell Brown. In 1892 he reached the semi-finals of the Burton-on-Trent Open. In 1894 Dekin played his last tournament at the Midland Counties Championships, and was a losing finalist that year to R.A. Bennett.[8]
John died on 30 March 1899 at the age of 37 the organisers of the Midland Counties tournament named the silverware awarded to winners of the gentleman's singles handicap event 'The Deykin Memorial Challenge Cup',[9] to be played for the following year.[10]
He was the son of James Deykin,[12] and nephew of William Redfern Deykin of the company Deykin & Sons. One of John's younger sister's Ann Ethel Deykin (5 September 1872 – 25 November 1959) was also a tennis player.
^Sport and Athletics in 1908: An Annual Register Including the Results of the Year 1908 (to November) of All the Important Events in Athletics, Games, and Every Form of Sport in the United Kingdom, Together with the Winners, Records, and Notable Achievements of Past Years ; Also a Full List of Results in the Olympic Games. London: Chapman & Hall. 1908. p. 305.
