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Ronald Holmberg

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Ron Holmberg
Full nameRonald Edward Holmberg
Country (sports)United States
ResidenceCornwall-on-Hudson, New York
New Orleans, Louisiana
Born(1938-01-27)January 27, 1938(age 86)
Brooklyn, New York
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Turned pro1968 with WCT
Retired1973
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record699–454
Career titles28
Grand Slam singles results
French OpenQF (1961)
Wimbledon3R (1964,1966)
US OpenSF (1959)
Professional majors
US ProQF (1969)
Doubles
Career record21–24
Grand Slam doubles results
WimbledonQF (1960)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
US OpenSF (1962) withJan Lehane
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1957Ch)

Ronald "Ronnie" E. Holmberg(born January 27, 1938) is a former Americantennisplayer who competed during the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. He was ranked World No. 7 in 1959 and was ranked in the U.S. Top 10 for nine years. He is currently one of theUSTA's select "Master Professionals" and devotes most of his time coaching, participating and directing charity events and clinics and other tennis related projects. [1] [2]

Summary

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College

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Holmberg won his first tournament at age 12 and won three out of the four possible U.S. National Boys' titles in 1953. He won theJunior Wimbledontitle in 1956. He graduated fromTulane Universitywhere he was a three timeAll-Americanand won the SEC singles twice and doubles championship three times and theNCAAdoubles championship twice.[3][4]

Tennis career

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Holmberg won the Junior Wimbledon title in 1956 defeatingRod Laverin the final.

In 1957, he won theEastern Clay Court ChampionshipsdefeatingTony Vincent.Holmberg played in several Blue Gray events when it was an individual competition.[5]He won the singles championship in 1959 and captured back-to-back Blue Gray doubles titles in 1957 and 1958.[6][7]

Holmberg reached the 1959 U.S. National Championships (theUS Open) Men's Singles semifinals, defeatingDick Savittin five sets,Butch Buchholzin five sets, and Laver in four sets in the quarterfinals, then lost toAlex Olmedo.He reached the quarterfinals at the 1961French Openwhere he lost to Laver.

In December 1962, Holmberg won the Bluebonnet Invitation indoor in Houston, defeatingCliff Richeyin the quarterfinals andFrank Froehlingin the final. In March 1964, Holmberg won theAltamira International Invitationin Caracas, Venezuela, respecitively defeatingNikola Pilić,Rafael Osuna,Manuel Santana,and thenRoy Emersonin the final. In August 1965, Holmberg won theCanadian International Championships,defeatingBilly Lenoirin the semifinals and Lester Sack in the final.

Holmberg won the New York International tournament in August 1968, defeatingTom GormanandJoaquín Loyo-Mayo.The same month, he won theSouthampton Invitationtournament on grass in Long Island, New York, defeatingJaime Fillol,Ray Moore,andGene Scott.

Rankings

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Holmberg was ranked No. 4 in the world in 1959 and ranked in the top 10 of U.S. Men's singles for nine years.[8][9]

He was selected to be a playing member of the U.S.Davis CupTeam four times.

He won numerous international doubles titles with many prominent players such asBarry MacKay(inDavis Cup),Pancho Gonzalez,John Newcombe,Tony Roche,Bob MarkandArthur Ashe.Holmberg and Ashe were ranked No. 3 in the U.S.

Post playing career

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After retiring from professional competition in 1971, he became head coach of tennis and squash at theU.S. Military Academy,West Point. Holmberg continued to be involved in teaching tennis, and he is widely recognized as one of the game's outstanding coaches. He was a member ofTennis Magazine's Instruction Advisory Board, which consisted of the top playing and teaching pros in the game for its duration of 19 years.

Recognition

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He was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall-of-Fame,[4]theUSTAEastern Tennis Hall-of-Fame, Louisiana Tennis Hall-of-Fame[10]and theUSTASouthern Tennis Hall-of-Fame[11]his eighth Hall of Fame He was a recipient of theUSTA“Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1997 for his all-around accomplishment in both playing and teaching and theUSTAGeorge Seewagen Award in 1999 for excellence in playing and service to the game.

Career highlights

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Junior Grand Slam finals

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Singles: 1

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Result Year Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 1956 Wimbledon Grass AustraliaRod Laver 6–1, 6–1

Awards and honors

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  • Inducted into the USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame in 1990[10]
  • Inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1993[3][4]
  • Recipient of theUSTA“Lifetime Achievement Award” in 1997 for his all-around accomplishment in both playing and teaching
  • Received theUSTAGeorge Seewagen Award in 1999 for excellence in playing and service to the game
  • Inducted into the Louisiana Tennis Hall of Fame in 2006[17]
  • Chairman of theLouisianaTennis Patrons Foundation
  • Member of theUSTAselect "Master Professionals"[18][19]
  • Inducted into the 2007 Blue Gray National Tennis Classic Hall of Fame[7]
  • Inducted into theUSTASouthern Tennis Hall of Fame in 2011[11][20]
  • Inducted into the Brooklyn Hall of Fame in 2012[21]
  • Inducted into the Tulane Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980[22]
  • Inducted into Who’s Who at Tulane University in 1960
  • Inducted into theBishop Loughlin Memorial High SchoolHall of Fame in 1991[23]
  • Inducted intoCatholic High School Athletic Association(CHSAA) Sports Hall of Fame

Books and magazines

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  • As a member of the “Instruction Advisory Board" of Tennis Magazine for nineteen years he was featured in the "Classic Instruction Series from Tennis Magazine" which included the following three books: "Tennis Strokes & Strategies", "Tennis: How to Play, How to Win", and "Teach Yourself Tennis!"

Articles

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  • Life Magazine "A Tennis Future in Kids"[24]
  • New York Magazine "How to Play Tennis with Rod Laver and Other Hot-Shots"[25]
  • Sports Illustrated "Scorecard"[26]
  • Sports Illustrated "An Absence Of Homebreds"[27]
  • Sports Illustrated "...these Faces In The Crowd..."[12]
  • Sports Illustrated "Great Scott! Gene Won Another One"[28]
  • Sports Illustrated "Tennis without Trabert"[29]
  • nola.com "Ron Holmberg selected to Southern Tennis Association Hall of Fame"[20]
  • City Park Tennis Club of New Orleans "2011 Interview with Ron Holmberg"[30]

References

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  1. ^"USPTA Master Professional".RetrievedApril 24,2013.
  2. ^"USPTA World Conference on Tennis".RetrievedApril 24,2013.
  3. ^abc"Tulane Men's Tennis All-Time Honor Roll".Archived fromthe originalon October 4, 2011.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  4. ^abcd"Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame (1993)".Archived fromthe originalon July 3, 2017.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  5. ^Blue Gray.https://www.bluegraytennis.com/history/
  6. ^ab"Blue Gray National Tennis Classic / Champions".RetrievedMay 13,2013.
  7. ^abc"2010 Blue Gray Hall of Fame Inductees".RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  8. ^ab"USTA Yearbook - Top 10 U.S. Men's Rankings (1940-1959)".RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  9. ^ab"USTA Yearbook - Top 10 U.S. Men's Rankings (1960-1979)".RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  10. ^ab"USTA Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame".RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  11. ^ab"USTA Southern Tennis Hall of Fame".RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  12. ^ab"...these Faces In The Crowd..."Sports Illustrated.July 16, 1956.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  13. ^"USTA Yearbook - Davis Cup".Archived fromthe originalon March 12, 2012.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  14. ^"Rogers Cup (tennis)#Men.27s singles".{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url=(help)
  15. ^abc"Rogers Cup (tennis)".{{cite web}}:Missing or empty|url=(help)
  16. ^"Farmers Classic / Past Champions".Archived fromthe originalon July 10, 2011.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  17. ^"LA Tennis Patrons Foundation".Archived fromthe originalon May 27, 2011.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  18. ^"uspta.com Ron Holmberg Master Professional".RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  19. ^"2011 USPTA World Conference on Tennis".Archived fromthe originalon March 23, 2012.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  20. ^ab"Ron Holmberg selected to Southern Tennis Association Hall of Fame".nola.com.January 21, 2011.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  21. ^"Bayside, Douglaston Residents Inducted Into Brooklyn Diocese Hall of Fame".October 15, 2012.RetrievedAugust 19,2015.
  22. ^"Tulane Athletic Hall Of Fame".RetrievedSeptember 17,2015.
  23. ^"Bishop Loughlin Memorial High School".RetrievedSeptember 17,2015.
  24. ^"A Tennis Future in Kids".Life Magazine.September 6, 1954.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  25. ^"How to Play Tennis with Rod Laver and Other Hot-Shots".New York Magazine.September 26, 1976.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  26. ^"Scorecard".Sports Illustrated.October 13, 1986.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  27. ^"An Absence Of Homebreds".Sports Illustrated.September 21, 1959.
  28. ^"Great Scott! Gene Won Another One".Sports Illustrated.October 2, 1967.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  29. ^"Tennis without Trabert".Sports Illustrated.October 17, 1955.RetrievedJuly 11,2011.
  30. ^"City Park Tennis Club of New Orleans" Interview with Ron Holmberg "".City Park Tennis Club of New Orleans.July 24, 2011. Archived fromthe originalon March 28, 2012.RetrievedJuly 29,2011.
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