Pancho Segura hitting his famous two-handed forehand

Pancho Segura, born Francisco Olegario Segura (June 20, 1921) was a leading tennis player of the 1940s and 1950s, both as an amateur and as a professional. He was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, but moved to the United States in the late 1930s and is a citizen of both countries. Image File history File links Pancho_Segura. ... Image File history File links Pancho_Segura. ... June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 1921 (MCMXXI) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar). ... The Australian Rod Laver, a candidate for the greatest player of all time This article is about the sport. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Please wikify (format) this article as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

Segura almost died at his premature birth, then suffered from hernias and malaria. No more than 5'6" (1.68 m) tall, he had badly bowed legs from the rickets that he also had as a child. In spite of this, he had extremely fast footwork and a devastating two-handed forehand that his frequent adversary and tennis promoter Jack Kramer once called "the greatest single shot ever produced in tennis". X-ray of the legs in a two-year-old child with rickets Rickets is a disorder of infancy and early childhood of multiple etiologies. ... Former US Open champion Gabriela Sabatini hits a forehand. ... John Albert Kramer (b. ...

In his 1979 autobiography Kramer included Segura in his list of the 21 greatest players of all time.^[1] He went on to say, "...and while his amateur record is of no consequence, he beat everyone in the pros but Gonzales and me. We beat him with good second serves." Ricardo Alonso González (May 9, 1928 – July 3, 1995), who was generally known as Pancho Gonzales, was the dominant male tennis player in the world for most of the 1950s and early-1960s. ...

By the time he was 17 Segura had won a number of titles in Latin America and was offered a tennis scholarship at the University of Miami. He won the Intercollegiates for three straight years, in 1943, 1944, and 1945, and was also the number 3-ranked American player during those years. He won the U.S. Indoors in 1946 and U.S. Clay Courts in 1944 but was never able to win the national championship at Forest Hills, although he reached the semi-finals a number of times. Kramer writes that he lost "without distinction (to Tom Brown and Drobny) the two times he played Wimbledon, and really, nobody took Segoo seriously. He didn't speak English well, he had a freak shot, and on the grass scooting around in his long white pants with his bowlegs, he looked like a little butterball. A dirty butterball: his pants were always grass-strained." The University of Miami (locally referred to as UM or simply The U) is a private university, founded in 1925, with its main campus in the city of Coral Gables in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States. ... Tom Brown (right) and Jack Kramer at Wimbledon in 1947 Thomas P. Tom Brown, Jr. ... Jaroslav Drobný (October 12, 1921 - September 13, 2001) was an male tennis player born in Prague, Czechoslovakia but became an Egyptian citizen from 1949 to 1954 and then moved to Great Britain, where he died in 2001. ... Wimbledon may refer to: Wimbledon, London, a town in south-west London A constituency based around it, Wimbledon (UK Parliament constituency) Wimbledon station, a train station The Championships, Wimbledon, one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments Wimbledon (film), a movie based on the tennis championships Wimbledon F.C., a...

Long before Open Tennis, Segura turned professional in 1947 and was an immediate crowd-pleaser with his winning smile, infectiously humorous manner, and unorthodox but deadly game. Although he was overshadowed as a player by Kramer and Pancho Gonzales in his professional career, he won many matches against the greatest players in the world and was particularly brilliant in the annual United States Pro Championship. He won the title three years in a row from 1950 through 1952, beating Gonzales twice. He also lost in the finals four times, losing to Gonzales three times and once to Butch Buchholz in 1962 when he was 41 years old. The Open Era in tennis began in 1968, when the Grand Slam events such as the Wimbledon Championships abandoned the longstanding rules of amateurism and allowed professionals to compete. ... Ricardo Alonso González (May 9, 1928 – July 3, 1995), who was generally known as Pancho Gonzales, was the dominant male tennis player in the world for most of the 1950s and early-1960s. ... // The Three Major Professional Tournaments Professional tennis players in the years before the Open era began in 1968 played mostly on tours in head-to-head competition. ... The Three Major Professional Tournaments Professional tennis players in the years before the Open era began in 1968 played mostly on tours in head-to-head competition. ...

In the 1950-1951 professional tour in which Segura played the headline match against Kramer he was beaten 58 matches to 27, a noticeably better performance, however, than Gonzales's record of 27 victories and 96 defeats against Kramer the year before. In the following tour, that of 1952-1953, Segura was reduced to playing the preliminary match, where he beat the Australian Ken McGregor 71 matches to 25. 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Ken McGregor is an Australian tennis player who won the Mens Singles Champions of the Australian Open in 1952. ...

Segura, Kramer writes, "was the one pro who brought people back. The fans would come out to see the new challenger face the old champion, but they would leave talking about the bandy-legged little suonuvabitch who gave them such pleasure playing the first match and the doubles. The next time the tour came to town the fans would come back to see Segoo." For this, according to Kramer, Segura made more than $50,000 in each of six or seven years during the 1950s, a time in which "there were very baseball, football or basketball players making $50,000."

Segura, says Kramer, probably played "more matches against top players than anyone in history. Besides my couple hundred, he must have played Gonzales a hundred and fifty, and Budge, Sedgman, Riggs, Hoad and Rosewall all around fifty apiece. I beat him about 80 percent of the time, and Gonzales also held an edge over him. He was close with Budge. Pails beat him 41-31 on the Kramer-Riggs tour, but that was when Segoo was still learning how to play fast surfaces. With everybody else, he had the edge: Sedgman, Rosewall, Hoad, Trabert, McGregor." John Donald Budge (June 13, 1915 - January 26, 2000) was a champion tennis player who became famous as the first man to win in a single year the four tournaments that the Grand Slam of tennis comprises. ... Frank Allan Sedgman, born October 29, 1927, in Mt. ... Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore Bobby Riggs (February 25, 1918–October 25, 1995) was a 1930s/40s tennis champion who gained even more fame in 1973 at the age of 55 as a result of challenge matches against two of the top female players in the world. ... Lewis Alan Hoad, born November 23, 1934 in Glebe, New South Wales, Australia - died July 3, 1994 in Fuengirola, Spain, was a champion tennis player. ... Ken Robert Rosewall, born November 2, 1934 in Sydney, Australia, was a champion tennis player. ... Dinny Pails (born March 4, 1921) won the mens singles championship at the Australian Open tennis tournament in 1947. ... Marion Anthony Trabert (born August 16, 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former star tennis player and longtime tennis author, TV commentator, instructor, and motivation speaker. ... Ken McGregor is an Australian tennis player who won the Mens Singles Champions of the Australian Open in 1952. ...

Segura hitting one of his infrequent backhands at Roland Garros in 1946

According to Kramer, "Possibly Budge's backhand was the better stroke, I'll have to accept that judgment. But put a gun to my head, and I'd have to say the Segura forehand because he could disguise it so much better and hit so many more angles." Kramer goes to say, however, that Segura's "trouble was that he never learned to exploit this great weapon because he used it too often. He didn't know how to pace himself and pick his spots. Perhaps he was too quick for his own good; he was so fast he could run around anything and get to his forehand.... he probably hit his forehand four times as much as his backhand.... Segoo went too far and wasted himself in the process." Image File history File links Segura_Roland_Garros_1946. ... Image File history File links Segura_Roland_Garros_1946. ... Roland Garros has been considered the world’s first fighter pilot. ...

After retiring from the Tour, Segura became a teaching professional for many years in Southern California and is widely credited with helping form the young Jimmy Connors. Southern California Downtown Los Angeles Skyline Vintage Disneyland Southern California, sometimes abbreviated SoCal or colloquially, the Southland, is an informal name for the megalopolis and nearby desert that occupies the southern-most quarter of the state of California. ... Country: United States Residence: Belleville, IL Height: 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) Weight: 70 Kg (155 lb) Plays: Left-handed Turned pro: 1972 Highest singles ranking: 1 (29 July 1974) Singles titles: 109 Career Prize Money: US$8,461,040 Grand Slam Record Titles: 8 Australian Open W (1974...

During the famous "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973, he openly supported Riggs. When King won the match, Segura declared disgustedly that Riggs was only the third best senior player, behind himself and Gardnar Mulloy, and offered to "pick up the mantle" of men's tennis by challenging King to a match. King refused. Billie Jean King (born November 22, 1943 in Long Beach, California) is a retired tennis player from the United States. ... Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore Bobby Riggs (February 25, 1918–October 25, 1995) was a 1930s/40s tennis champion who gained even more fame in 1973 at the age of 55 as a result of challenge matches against two of the top female players in the world. ... Gardnar Putnam Mulloy (born November 22, 1913 in Washington, D.C.) is a tennis player primarily known for his play in doubles matches with partner Bill Talbert. ...

Segura was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1984. The International Tennis Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit tennis museum at the Newport Casino in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. It maintains a Hall of Fame for prominent personalities and players from the tennis world. ... Newport as seen from the International Space Station. ... 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Notes

1. ^ Writing in 1979, Kramer considered the best ever to have been either Don Budge (for consistent play) or Ellsworth Vines (at the height of his game). The next four best were, chronologically, Bill Tilden, Fred Perry, Bobby Riggs, and Pancho Gonzales. After these six came the "second echelon" of Rod Laver, Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Gottfried von Cramm, Ted Schroeder, Jack Crawford, Pancho Segura, Frank Sedgman, Tony Trabert, John Newcombe, Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, Bjorn Borg, and Jimmy Connors. He felt unable to rank Henri Cochet and René Lacoste accurately but felt they were among the very best.

John Donald Budge (June 13, 1915 - January 26, 2000) was a champion tennis player who became famous as the first man to win in a single year the four tournaments that the Grand Slam of tennis comprises. ... Ellsworth Vines was a champion tennis player of the 1930s, in the opinion of Jack Kramer the greatest player who ever lived. ... William Tatem Tilden II (February 10, 1893 - June 5, 1953), often called Big Bill, was an American tennis player. ... Frederick John Perry (May 18, 1909 - February 2, 1995) was an English tennis player and three-time Wimbledon champion. ... Bobby Riggs Robert Larimore Bobby Riggs (February 25, 1918–October 25, 1995) was a 1930s/40s tennis champion who gained even more fame in 1973 at the age of 55 as a result of challenge matches against two of the top female players in the world. ... Ricardo Alonso González (May 9, 1928 – July 3, 1995), who was generally known as Pancho Gonzales, was the dominant male tennis player in the world for most of the 1950s and early-1960s. ... Country: Australia Residence: San Diego, California, USA Height: 5 ft 8 in (172 cm) Weight: 150 lb (68 kg) Plays: Left Turned pro: 1962 Retired: 1974 Highest singles ranking: 1 Singles titles: 39 Career prize money: US$1,564,213 Grand Slam Record Titles: 11 Australian Open W (60, 62... Lewis Alan Hoad, born November 23, 1934 in Glebe, New South Wales, Australia - died July 3, 1994 in Fuengirola, Spain, was a champion tennis player. ... Ken Robert Rosewall, born November 2, 1934 in Sydney, Australia, was a champion tennis player. ... Gottfried von Cramm (July 7, 1909 - November 8, 1976) was a German tennis champion. ... Fred(e)rick Rudolph Ted Schroeder (born July 20, 1921) was an American male tennis player. ... Jack Crawford John Herbert Crawford, known as Jack Crawford, was a great Australian tennis player of the 1930s. ... Frank Allan Sedgman, born October 29, 1927, in Mt. ... Marion Anthony Trabert (born August 16, 1930 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is a former star tennis player and longtime tennis author, TV commentator, instructor, and motivation speaker. ... John Newcombe. ... Country: United States Height: 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) Weight: 73 kg (160 lb) Plays: Right Turned pro: 1966 Retired: 1980 Highest singles ranking: 1 (1968 and 1975) Singles titles: 34 Career prize money: $2,584,909 Grand Slam Record Titles: 3 Australian Open W (1970) French Open QF... Stan Smith (born December 14, 1946 in Pasadena, California) is an American tennis player who, with his partner Bob Lutz, was one of the best doubles players of all time. ... Björn Borg (born June 6, 1956) is a Swedish tennis player. ... Country: United States Residence: Belleville, IL Height: 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) Weight: 70 Kg (155 lb) Plays: Left-handed Turned pro: 1972 Highest singles ranking: 1 (29 July 1974) Singles titles: 109 Career Prize Money: US$8,461,040 Grand Slam Record Titles: 8 Australian Open W (1974... Henri Jean Cochet (December 14, 1901 in Villeurbanne, near Lyon - April 1, 1987) was a champion tennis player, one of the famous Four Musketeers from France who dominated tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. ... René Lacoste Jean René Lacoste (July 2, 1904 - October 12, 1996) was a famous French tennis player, businessman, and innovator, nicknamed the crocodile by fans; he is now mostly known as being the namesake of the Lacoste tennis shirt, which he introduced in 1929. ...

Sources

• The Game, My 40 Years in Tennis (1979), Jack Kramer with Frank Deford (ISBN 0-399-12336-9)
• The History of Professional Tennis (2003) Joe McCauley

• List of male tennis players