Leif Shiras
George Livingston "Leif" Shiras (born August 21, 1959) is a former professional tennis player from the United States and now a tennis journalist.
| Full name | George Livingston Shiras |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  |
| Residence | Laguna Hills, California |
| Born | 21 August 1959 Norwalk, Connecticut |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
| Turned pro | 1981 |
| Retired | 1991 |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Prize money | $467,156 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 71–102 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 31 (30 July 1984) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1985) |
| French Open | 2R (1990) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1989) |
| US Open | 2R (1989) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 49–90 |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 57 (17 October 1988) |
Personal life
Shiras attended high school at Shorewood High School in Shorewood, Wisconsin.[1]
Prior to his professional career, Shiras played tennis at Princeton University, where he was an NCAA All-American in 1979 and 1980.
Tennis career
During his career as a player, Shiras reached one top-level final – at the Queen's Club Championships in 1984, where he lost to John McEnroe 1–6, 6–3, 2–6 (having beaten Ivan Lendl in the first round). His best singles performance at a Grand Slam event came at Wimbledon in 1989, where he reached the fourth round. His career-high ranking was World No. 31 in singles (in 1984) and World No. 57 in doubles in (in 1988).
Shiras retired from the professional tour in 1990. Since then, he has worked as a tennis journalist, primarily as a commentator for the Tennis Channel, British Sky Sports and Fox Sports. In 1993, he moved from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to where he currently resides, in Laguna Hills, California, with his two sons, Emmett and Austin, and his wife Maria. Leif broke into broadcasting tennis with Barry MacKay as his partner
In 1995, Shiras won the Wimbledon over-35 men's doubles title (partnering Paul McNamee).
Career finals
Singles (1 loss)
| Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jun 1984 | Queen's Club, London, UK | Grass | |
1–6, 6–3, 2–6 |
References
- Doyle, Candace. "Serving up fund-raiser", Greater Milwaukee Today, May 26, 2004. Accessed September 17, 2007. "He attended Shorewood High School, Shorewood Intermediate School and Lake Bluff Elementary School."
