Lester Stoefen

Lester Rollo Stoefen (March 30, 1911 – February 8, 1970) was an American tennis player of the 1930s.

Lester Stoefen
Full nameLester Rollo Stoefen
Country (sports) United States
Born(1911-03-30)March 30, 1911
Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
DiedFebruary 8, 1970(1970-02-08) (aged 58)
La Jolla, CA, U.S.
Height6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) [1]
Turned pro1935 (amateur tour from 1930)
Retired1942
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 9 (1933, Pierre Gillou)[2]
Grand Slam Singles results
WimbledonQF (1933, 1934)
US OpenSF (1933)
Professional majors
US ProSF (1935)
Wembley ProSF (1935, 1937)
French ProSF (1936, 1939)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
WimbledonW (1933)
US OpenW (1933, 1934)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon4R (1934)
US OpenF (1934)
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1934Ch)

Career

Stoefen, partnering with compatriot George Lott, won three Grand Slam doubles titles: 1934 Wimbledon Championships, 1933 and 1934 U.S. National Championships. In 1933 he was ranked World No. 9 by Pierre Gillou (president of the Fédération Française de Tennis) and World No. 10 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph.[2][3] Stoefen reached the semi finals of the U. S. Championships singles in 1933, losing to Fred Perry[4]

In 1934 he played for the US Davis Cup team and won all his six matches, including the only match the US won in their defeat in the final against Great Britain.[5] Also in 1934 Stoefen won the U.S. Indoor Tennis Championships singles event, defeating Gregory Mangin in the final in three straight sets.[6]

Stoefen signed a professional contract in November 1934 with promoter Bill O'Brien. In January 1935, at Madison Square Garden, he started a series of head-to-head matches against Ellsworth Vines and by March trailed him 1–25.[1][7]

Personal life

He was the older brother of basketball player Art Stoefen, and both attended Los Angeles High School.[8]

On February 6, 1936 he married actress Ruth Moody in Hollywood.[9]

He died on La Jolla, California on February 8, 1970 of liver cirrhosis.[10][11]

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (3 titles)
Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner1933U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass George Lott Frank Shields
Frank Parker		11–13, 9–7, 9–7, 6–3
Winner1934WimbledonGrass George Lott Jean Borotra
Jacques Brugnon		6–4, 7–5, 6–1
Winner1934U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass George Lott Wilmer Allison
John Van Ryn		6–4, 9–7, 3–6, 6–4

Mixed doubles (1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Runner-up1934U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Elizabeth Ryan Helen Jacobs
George Lott		6–4, 11–13, 2–6

References
  1. McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited. pp. 25–26.
  2. "World's first ten". The West Australian. XLIX (9, 741). Western Australia. September 18, 1933. p. 5 – via National Library of Australia.
  3. "Mr. Wallis Myers' ranking". Sydney Morning Herald. September 22, 1933. p. 12 – via Google News Archive.
  4. "U. S. Open 1933". www.tennis.co.nf.
  5. "Davis Cup – Lester Stoeffen". International Tennis Federation (ITF).
  6. "Sport: Indoor Champion". Time. March 26, 1934.
  7. "Les Stoefen, tennis ace, joins pro ranks". The Gazette and Daily. AP. November 14, 1934. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. "Stanford Cage Star Praises his Brother". Standard-Examiner. UP. January 9, 1936. p. 10 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. "Lester Stoefen Marries American Film Actress". The Argus (Melbourne) (27, 916). Victoria, Australia. February 8, 1936. p. 25 – via National Library of Australia.
  10. "Lester Stoefen, 58, tennis champion" (PDF). The New York Times. February 9, 1970.
  11. Barbara Stoefen (April 28, 2015). "Proof That Addiction Runs in Families?". Barbaracoferstoefen.com.
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