html_table doubles value of columns - r

Question

I'm trying to scrape wiki table with this code:
library(tidyverse)
library(rvest)
my_url <- "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_Open_men%27s_singles_champions"
mytable <- read_html(my_url) %>% html_nodes("table") %>% .[[4]]
mytable <- mytable %>% html_table()
The problem is that in the table returned in both columns with names (champion & runner-up) values are doubled. well not exactly doubled, it looks like two forms of presenting name/surname in different order and with comma once. It does not look like that on the original wiki page only "name surname" is visible there. Why does it happen and how to get rid of it? I need those columns to contain 'name surname' only.
head(mytable)
Year[f] Country Champion Country Runner-up Score in the final[4][14]
1 1969 AUS Laver, RodRod Laver[b] ESP Gimeno, AndrésAndrés Gimeno 6–3, 6–4, 7–5
2 1970 USA Ashe, ArthurArthur Ashe AUS Crealy, DickDick Crealy 6–4, 9–7, 6–2
3 1971 AUS Rosewall, KenKen Rosewall USA Ashe, ArthurArthur Ashe 6–1, 7–5, 6–3
4 1972 AUS Rosewall, KenKen Rosewall AUS Anderson, MalcolmMalcolm Anderson 7–6(7–2), 6–3, 7–5
5 1973 AUS Newcombe, JohnJohn Newcombe NZL Parun, OnnyOnny Parun 6–3, 6–7, 7–5, 6–1
6 1974 USA Connors, JimmyJimmy Connors AUS Dent, PhilPhil Dent 7–6(9–7), 6–4, 4–6, 6–3

Answer 1

htmltab could be used to scrap these Wiki tables.
library(htmltab)
#data cleaning steps
bFun <- function(node) {
x <- XML::xmlValue(node)
gsub("\\s[<†‡].*$", "", iconv(x, from = 'UTF-8', to = "Windows-1252", sub="byte"))
}
df1 <- htmltab(doc = "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Australian_Open_men%27s_singles_champions",
which = 4,
rm_superscript = F,
bodyFun = bFun) #this function is not required if you are executing the code from Mac
head(df1)
which gives
# Year[f] Country Champion Country Runner-up Score in the final[4][14]
#2 1969 AUS Rod Laver[b] ESP Andrés Gimeno 6–3, 6–4, 7–5
#3 1970 USA Arthur Ashe AUS Dick Crealy 6–4, 9–7, 6–2
#4 1971 AUS Ken Rosewall USA Arthur Ashe 6–1, 7–5, 6–3
#5 1972 AUS Ken Rosewall AUS Malcolm Anderson 7–6(7–2), 6–3, 7–5
#6 1973 AUS John Newcombe NZL Onny Parun 6–3, 6–7, 7–5, 6–1
#7 1974 USA Jimmy Connors AUS Phil Dent 7–6(9–7), 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
and
df2 <- htmltab(doc = "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Wimbledon_gentlemen%27s_singles_champions",
which = 3,
rm_superscript = F,
bodyFun = bFun) #this function is not required if you are executing the code from Mac
head(df2)
gives
# Year[d] Country Champion Country Runner-up Score in the final[4]
#2 1877 BRI[e] Spencer Gore BRI William Marshall 6–1, 6–2, 6–4
#3 1878 BRI Frank Hadow BRI Spencer Gore 7–5, 6–1, 9–7
#4 1879 BRI John Hartley BRI Vere St. Leger Goold 6–2, 6–4, 6–2
#5 1880 BRI John Hartley BRI Herbert Lawford 6–3, 6–2, 2–6, 6–3
#6 1881 BRI William Renshaw BRI John Hartley 6–0, 6–1, 6–1
#7 1882 BRI William Renshaw BRI Ernest Renshaw 6–1, 2–6, 4–6, 6–2, 6–2