Sven Davidson
 Sven Davidson after winning the 1957 French Tennis Championships. | |
| Country (sports) |
 |
|---|---|
| Born |
13 July 1928 Borås, Sweden |
| Died |
28 May 2008 (aged 79) Arcadia, CA, United States |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2007 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 542-171 (76.2%) [1] |
| Career titles | 50 [2] |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (1957, Adrian Quist)[3] |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1955) |
| French Open | W (1957) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1957) |
| US Open | SF (1957) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1958) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | QF (1951) |
Sven Davidson (13 July 1928 – 28 May 2008) was a Swedish tennis player who became the first Swede to win a Grand Slam title when he won the French Championships in 1957, beating Ashley Cooper and Herbert Flam.
Career
Davidson also reached the French championships final in the two previous years. In 1955 he beat Budge Patty before losing to Tony Trabert.[4] In 1956 he beat Flam and Cooper before losing to Lew Hoad).[5] He also reached the Wimbledon semi finals in 1957 (beating Seixas before losing to Lew Hoad).[6] At the 1957 U. S. Championships, Davidson lost in five sets in the semi finals to Mal Anderson. In 1958 Davidson partnered with Ulf Schmidt to win the doubles title at the Wimbledon Championships defeating the Australian pair Ashley Cooper and Neale Fraser in three straight sets. He played his last Grand Slam event at Wimbledon in 1959.
Davidson reached a career-high singles ranking of World No. 3.[3][7]
He played for the Swedish Davis Cup team between 1950 and 1960.[8]
Davidson was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2007.[8]
Personal life
Davidson lived in Arcadia, California since the 1970s. In 1981, at age 52, he suffered a heart attack while playing a tennis match in Los Angeles.[9] He died in Arcadia on 28 May 2008 as a result of pneumonia.[10]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (1 title, 2 runners-up)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1955 | French Championships | Clay |  | 6–2, 1–6, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Runner-up | 1956 | French Championships | Clay |  | 4–6, 6–8, 3–6 |
| Winner | 1957 | French Championships | Clay | | 6–3, 6–4, 6–4 |
Doubles (1 title)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winner | 1958 | Wimbledon | Grass | | | 6–4, 6–4, 8–6 |
References
- ↑ Garcia, Gabriel. "Sven Davidson: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- ↑ Garcia, Gabriel. "Sven Davidson: Career match record". thetennisbase.com. Tennis Base. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
- 1 2 "Times Have Changed, Says Adrian Quist", The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 1957.
- ↑ "French Open 1955". www.tennis.co.nf.
- ↑ "French Open 1956". www.tennis.co.nf.
- ↑ "Wimbledon 1957". www.tennis.co.nf.
- ↑ "Sven Davidson". International Tennis Hall of Fame & Museum. Retrieved 2 June 2012.
- 1 2 "Sven Davidson". www.tennisfame.com.
- ↑ "Tennis Star Sven Davidson Suffers Heart Attack at 52". The New York Times. 18 January 1981.
- ↑ Richard Goldstein (7 June 2008). "Sven Davidson, 79, Hall of Famer in Tennis, Dies". The New York Times.
External links
- Sven Davidson at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Sven Davidson at the International Tennis Federation
- Sven Davidson at the Davis Cup
- Sven Davidson at the International Tennis Hall of Fame
- Sven Davidson at Scoreshelf.com