Herbert Flam
Herbert Flam (November 7, 1928 – November 25, 1980) was an American tennis player who in 1957 was ranked by Lance Tingay as the World No. 4 amateur (and World No. 5 by Adrian Quist).[1][2]
Country (sports) | United States |
---|---|
Born | New York City, United States | November 7, 1928
Died | November 25, 1980 52) | (aged
Turned pro | 1945 (amateur tour) |
Retired | 1963 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
Singles | |
Career record | 382-131 |
Career titles | 20 |
Highest ranking | No. 4 (1957, Lance Tingay)[1] |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
Australian Open | SF (1956) |
French Open | F (1957) |
Wimbledon | SF (1951, 1952) |
US Open | F (1950) |
Team competitions | |
Davis Cup | W (1956, 1957) |
Biography
He was inducted into the International Tennis Association Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987,[3] inducted into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1990,[4] inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, and inducted into the University of California at Los Angeles Hall of Fame in 2006.[5] In 2017, he was inducted into the Southern California Tennis Association Hall of Fame.[6]
He was born in New York City, and was Jewish.[7][8][9]
Flam reached his first Grand Slam final at the U.S. championships in 1950, beating Bill Talbert and Gardnar Mulloy before losing to Art Larsen.[10] That year he was ranked Number 2 in the United States.[11]
In 1951 he won the Ojai Tennis Tournament in men's singles.[12] At Wimbledon 1951 Flam beat Frank Sedgman before losing to Dick Savitt in the semifinals.[13] That year he was ranked Number 4 in the US.[11]
In 1952 Flam beat Mulloy and Vic Seixas before losing in the semis to Jaroslav Drobny.[13] That year he was ranked Number 5 in the US.[11] In the 1956 Australian Championships, Flam beat Ashley Cooper before losing in the semifinals to Ken Rosewall.[14][15] In September 1956 Flam won the singles title at the Pacific Southwest Championships, defeating Rosewall in the final in five sets.[16] That year he was ranked Number 2 in the US.[11]
At the 1957 French championships Flam beat Mervyn Rose in a five-set semifinal before losing in straight sets to Sven Davidson in the final.[17] At the U. S. championships, Flam beat Seixas before losing to Cooper in the semi finals.[17] That year he was ranked Number 2 in the US, behind Seixas.[11]
Grand Slam finals
Singles (2 runner-ups)
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1957 | French Championships | Clay | Sven Davidson | 3–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 1950 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Art Larsen | 3–6, 6–4, 7–5, 4–6, 3–6 |
See also
References
- United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 427.
- "Times Have Changed, Says Adrian Quist", The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 1957.
- "ITA Men's Hall of Fame".
- "Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home". scjewishsportshof.com.
- Herb Flam Inducted Into UCLA Athletics Hall Of Fame
- "Sampras Webster Headed to SCTA Hall of Fame". UCLA.
- G.P. Hughes, ed. (1951). Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual and Almanack 1951. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd. pp. 181–182, 184.
- "Maintenance Page". www.usta.com.
- "Wimbledon player archive – Herbie Flam". AELTC.
- Collins, Bud (2016). The Bud Collins History of Tennis (3rd ed.). New York: New Chapter Press. p. 385. ISBN 978-1-937559-38-0.
- "Championship tennis". The Argus (Melbourne). 30 January 1956. p. 14 – via National Library of Australia.
- G.P. Hughes, ed. (1957). Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual 1957. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd. p. 262.
- G.P. Hughes, ed. (1958). Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual 1958. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd. pp. 201–203, 247–250.