George Lott

George Martin Lott (October 16, 1906 – December 3, 1991) was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois, United States. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the greatest doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John Doeg in 1929 and 1930; and Les Stoefen in 1933 and 1934. At the U. S. championships singles in 1928, Lott beat Christian Boussus and John Doeg before losing to Frank Hunter in the semi finals.[2] In 1931 Lott beat defending champion Doeg in the semi finals before losing to Ellsworth Vines in the final.[3] In 1934 Lott became a touring professional, thereby giving up his amateur status and the ability to play in Grand Slam tournaments. In 1929 and 1930 he was ranked World No. 6 and No. 7 by A Wallis Myers;[4][5] No. 6 by Pierre Gillon in 1930;[6] and in 1931 was ranked No. 4 by Züricher Sport.[1]

George Lott
Full nameGeorge Martin Lott
Country (sports) United States
Born(1906-10-16)October 16, 1906
Springfield, Illinois, United States
DiedDecember 3, 1991(1991-12-03) (aged 85)
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Turned pro1934 (amateur tour from 1924)
Retired1946
PlaysRight-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1964 (member page)
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 4 (1931, Züricher Sport)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
French OpenQF (1931)
WimbledonQF (1929, 1930, 1934)
US OpenF (1931)
Professional majors
US ProQF (1938)
Wembley ProQF (1935)
Doubles
Grand Slam Doubles results
French OpenW (1931)
WimbledonW (1931, 1934)
US OpenW (1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
WimbledonW (1931)
US OpenW (1929, 1931, 1934)

Lott was the men's tennis coach at DePaul University from 1969 until his death in Chicago on December 3, 1991.[7][8] He had been inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.[9]

He signed a professional contract in November 1934 with promoter Bill O'Brien and in January 1935, at Madison Square Garden, started a series of head-to-head matches against Bill Tilden and by March trailed him 5–26.[10][11]

Lott was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964.[12]

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss1931U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Ellsworth Vines9–7, 3–6, 7–9, 5–7

Doubles (8 titles, 1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1928U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass John Hennessey Gerald Patterson
Jack Hawkes		6–2, 6–1, 6–2
Win1929U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass John Doeg Berkeley Bell
Lewis White		10–8, 16–14, 6–1
Loss1930WimbledonGrass John Doeg John Van Ryn
Wilmer Allison		3–6, 3–6, 2–6
Win1930U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass John Doeg John Van Ryn
Wilmer Allison		8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 13–15, 6–4
Win1931French ChampionshipsClay John Van Ryn Vernon Kirby
Norman Farquharson		6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Win1931WimbledonGrass John Van Ryn Jacques Brugnon
Henri Cochet		6–2, 10–8, 9–11, 3–6, 6–3
Win1933U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Lester Stoefen Frank Shields
Frank Parker		11–13, 9–7, 9–7, 6–3
Win1934WimbledonGrass Lester Stoefen Jean Borotra
Jacques Brugnon		6–2, 6–3, 6–4
Win1934U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Lester Stoefen Wilmer Allison
John Van Ryn		6–4, 9–7, 3–6, 6–4

Mixed doubles (4 titles, 1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1929U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Betty Nuthall Phyllis Covell
Bunny Austin		6–3, 6–3
Win1931WimbledonGrass Anna McCune Harper Joan Ridley
Ian Collins		6–3, 1–6, 6–1
Win1931U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Betty Nuthall Anna McCune Harper
Wilmer Allison		6–3, 6–3
Loss1933U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Sarah Palfrey Elizabeth Ryan
Ellsworth Vines		9–11, 1–6
Win1934U.S. National ChampionshipsGrass Helen Jacobs Elizabeth Ryan
Lester Stoefen		4–6, 13–11, 6–2

Other tennis achievements
  • Davis Cup team member – 1928–31, 1933–34
  • The first player, and one of only four (Bobby Riggs, Mats Wilander and Roger Federer being the other three), to win the tournament now known as the Cincinnati Masters four times: 1924, 1925, 1927 and 1932. Also won the doubles title in 1924 (with Jack Harris) and 1925 (with Thomas McGlinn) and was a singles finalist in 1926 and a doubles finalist (with Thomas Johnson) in 1927.

References
  1. Béla Kehrling, ed. (October 1, 1931). "Külföldi hírek" [International news] (PDF). Tennisz és Golf. III (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Egyesült Kő-, Könyvnyomda, Könyv- és Lapkiadó Rt. 18–19: 3–9. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  2. "U. S. Open 1928". www.tennis.co.nf.
  3. "U. S. Open 1931". www.tennis.co.nf.
  4. "Tilden Ranks Fourth in London Telegraph Rankings", The Toledo News-Bee, September 19, 1929.
  5. Béla Kehrling, ed. (November 20, 1930). "tennis and golf" (PDF). Tennisz és Golf (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Bethlen Gábor irod. és Nyomdai RT. II (21). Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  6. Béla Kehrling, ed. (October 22, 1930). "Külföldi hírek" [International news] (PDF). Tennisz és Golf. II (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Bethlen Gábor Irod. és Nyomdai R.T. 19–20: 375. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  7. "George Lott, Tennis coach, 85" (obituary), The New York Times, Wednesday, December 4, 1991..
  8. "Three-time Wimbledon winner George Lott dead at 85". UPI. December 3, 1991.
  9. Hall of Fame – DePaul University Athletics.
  10. McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited. pp. 25–26.
  11. Howard Barry (January 26, 1935). "Tilden and Lott play tonight on Armory courts". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  12. "Hall of Famers – George Lott". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
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