Colin Long (tennis)
Colin Long (3 March 1918 – 8 November 2009) was an Australian tennis player. He had a notable mixed doubles partnership with fellow Australian Nancye Wynne Bolton. Together they won four Mixed Doubles (1940, 1946, 1947 and 1948) at the Australian Championships, which is an all-time record. In singles, he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian four times (1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950) and the fourth round of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals in 1947. He was a major commentator for Channel 7 for both golf and tennis until the late 1980s.
| Full name | Colin Foster Long |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia |
| Born | 3 March 1918 Melbourne, Australia |
| Died | 8 November 2009 (aged 91) |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1947, 1948, 1949, 1950) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (1947) |
| US Open | 4R (1947) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | F (1939, 1948) |
| Wimbledon | SF (1947) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1940, 1946, 1947, 1948) |
| Wimbledon | F (1947) |
Life outside tennis
Long was born in Melbourne and attended Melbourne Grammar School, where he was school captain in 1937.[1] He was a lieutenant in the AIF in World War Two, serving in the Middle East.[1]
He worked for Dunlop Sport before joining Spalding, where he became deputy chief executive. He appeared as a commentator on Seven Network tennis telecasts in the 1960s and 1970s[1] and also commentated on golf up until the late 1980s alongside Peter Alliss.[2]
In 1943 he married Florence Pelling. She survived him, along with their son and daughter.[1]
Grand Slam finals
Doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1939 | Australian Championships | Grass | Don Turnbull | John Bromwich Adrian Quist | 4–6, 5–7, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1948 | Australian Championships | Grass | Frank Sedgman | John Bromwich Adrian Quist | 6–1, 8–6, 7–9, 3–6, 6–8 |
Mixed doubles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-ups)
| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Scoree |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1938 | Australian Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | Margaret Wilson John Bromwich | 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1940 | Australian Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | Nell Hall Hopman Harry Hopman | 7–5, 2–6, 6–4 |
| Win | 1946 | Australian Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | Joyce Fitch John Bromwich | 6–0, 6–4 |
| Loss | 1947 | Wimbledon Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton |  Louise Brough John Bromwich | 6–1, 4–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1947 | Australian Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | Joyce Fitch John Bromwich | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 1948 | Australian Championships | Grass | Nancye Wynne Bolton | Thelma Coyne Long Bill Sidwell | 7–5, 4–6, 8–6 |
References
- Phillips, Stephen. "Doubles ace and media smash". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 26 January 2019.
- "Saturday tv". The Age. 17 February 1983. p. 14 – via Newspapers.com.
External links
- Colin Long at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Colin Long at the International Tennis Federation
- Colin Long at the Davis Cup