Mal Anderson

Malcolm James Anderson MBE (born 3 March 1935) is a former tennis player from Australia who was active from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. He won the singles title at the 1957 U.S. National Championships and achieved his highest ranking of No. 2 in 1957.

Mal Anderson
MBE
Mal Anderson (1972)
Country (sports)
Born (1935-03-03) 3 March 1935
Theodore, Queensland
Turned pro1958 (amateur tour from 1952)
Retired1977
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF2000 (member page)
Singles
Career record473-384 (55.1%) [1]
Career titles17 [1]
Highest rankingNo. 2 (1957, Adrian Quist)[2]
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian OpenF (1958, 1972)
French Open2R (1957)
WimbledonQF (1956, 1958)
US OpenW (1957)
Other tournaments
Professional majors
US ProQF (1959, 1965, 1966)
Wembley ProW (1959)
French ProSF (1962, 1965)
TOCQF (1959)
Doubles
Career record53–28
Career titles4

Background

A right-hander, Anderson started playing tennis when he was eight and became serious about the sport at 16.

Playing career

His two best seasons were 1957 and 1958 when, as an amateur, he twice achieved a ranking of world No. 2.[2][3]

In 1957, Anderson won the US Championships as an unseeded player. Earlier that year, he had reached the semifinals of the Australian Championships and won the French Championship doubles, partnering with Ashley Cooper, the man he went on to defeat in the final of the 1957 US Championships.

In 1958, Anderson was a finalist at both the Australian Championships and US Championships, losing both times to Cooper. Anderson turned professional in late 1958 and went on to win the Wembley Championship in 1959, with a five-set victory over former three-time US Pro champion, Pancho Segura. Anderson did not appear in another major final until 1972, when at age 36, he was a finalist at the Australian Open, losing to Ken Rosewall. In 1973, he captured the Australian Open doubles title along with John Newcombe.

Anderson played on four Australian Davis Cup teams, in 1957, 1958, 1972 and 1973, the team winning twice (1957 and 1973).

On 3 June 1972, Anderson was named a Member of Order of the British Empire "in recognition of service to lawn tennis".[4] On 6 January 2016, he was named as an Icon of Queensland Tennis,[5] and induced into the Brisbane Tennis Trail, in December 2017, at Tennis Av. Park Tennis Av., Ashgrove, by the placement of a Park Bench in Tennis Av. Park in his honour.[6]

Grand Slam finals

Singles: 4 (1 title, 3 runner-ups)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win1957U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Cooper10–8, 7–5, 6–4
Loss1958Australian ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Cooper5–7, 3–6, 4–6
Loss1958U.S. ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Cooper2–6, 6–3, 6–4, 8–10, 6–8
Loss1972Australian OpenGrass Ken Rosewall6–7(2–7), 3–6, 5–7

Doubles: 3 (2 titles, 1 runner-up)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss1957Australian ChampionshipsGrass Ashley Cooper Lew Hoad
Neale Fraser		3–6, 6–8, 4–6
Win1957French ChampionshipsClay Ashley Cooper Don Candy
Mervyn Rose		6–3, 6–0, 6–3
Win1973Australian OpenGrass John Newcombe John Alexander
Phil Dent		6–3, 6–4, 7–6

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title)
Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win1957Australian ChampionshipsGrass Fay Muller Jill Langley
Billy Knight		7–5, 3–6, 6–1

Pro Slam finals: 1 (1 title)
Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Win1959Wembley ProIndoor Pancho Segura4–6, 6–4, 3–6, 6–3, 8–6

Grand Slam singles performance timeline
Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (NH) not held. SR=strike rate (events won/competed)
Tournament195419551956195719581959196019611962196319641965196619671968196919701971197219731974197519761977 SR
Australian Open 1R 3R QF SF F A A A A A A A A A A 3R 1R 2R F 2R A A 3R A 1R 0 / 13
French Open A A A 2R A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A 0 / 1
Wimbledon A 1R QF 4R QF A A A A A A A A A A 3R A A A A A A A A 0 / 5
US Open A 3R 1R W F A A A A A A A A A 3R A A A 3R A A A A A 1 / 6
Strike Rate 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 3 1 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 0 0 / 0 0 / 1 0 / 1 1 / 25

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

Honours

Anderson was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2000.[7] On 23 August 2000, he was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his achievements in tennis.[8]

In 2001, Anderson was inducted into the Australian Tennis Hall of Fame.[7] In 2009 he was inducted into the Queensland Sport Hall of Fame.[9]

References
  1. Garcia, Gabriel. "Mal Anderson: Career Match Record". thetennisbase.com. Madrid: Tennismem SL. Archived from the original on 7 November 2017. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  2. "Times Have Changed, Says Adrian Quist" Archived 6 May 2016 at the Wayback Machine, The Sydney Morning Herald, 27 October 1957.
  3. "Former Champ Martina Honoured", New Straits Times, 27 January 2000.
  4. "Malcolm James Anderson MBE(C)". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  5. https://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/2016/01/us-open-champion-honored-as-icon-of-queensland-tennis%5B%5D
  6. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 11 August 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  7. "Malcolm Anderson - Player profiles". Tennis Australia. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
  8. "Malcolm James Anderson". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 31 December 2012.
  9. "Mr Mal Anderson MBE". Queensland Sport Hall of Fame. qsport.org.au. Archived from the original on 27 January 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2014.
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