Jamsetji Merwanji (also spelled Jamsetjee; born 1871/2 [n 1]) was an Indian professional racquets player, who was world champion of the sport from 1903 to 1911.
He was a Parsi who worked as a "marker" (club professional) at the Bombay Gymkhana. In 1903 in England, he played Gilbert Browne [2] at Queen's Club and Prince's Club for the vacant world title, winning by five games to one. [3] The world title was contested by challenge, and the distance between India and Britain or America meant he never had to defend his title until 1911. [1] His closest rival in India was his brother Padanji, who was a marker in Pune. [1] He was finally challenged in late 1909, for 5,000 rupees, by Charles Williams, who had beaten amateur E. M. Baerlein to become English champion. [4] The contest did not take place until 1911, when several Indian sports teams journeyed to Britain around the coronation of George V and 1911 Imperial Conference. [5] Jamsetji easily beat Baerlein in a warm-up match, [6] but Williams, 17 years Jamsetji's junior, beat him at Queen's Club by five games to nil. [5] [7] [1]