Grant Connell
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Country | Canada | |
Residence | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | |
Date of birth | November 17, 1965 | |
Place of birth | Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada | |
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |
Weight | 180 lb (81 kg)[2] | |
Turned pro | 1986 | |
Retired | - | |
Plays | Left-handed | |
Career prize money | US$2,911,097 | |
Singles | ||
Career record: | 75-100 | |
Career titles: | 0 | |
Highest ranking: | 67 | |
Grand Slam results | ||
Australian Open | F (1990) | |
French Open | - | |
Wimbledon | F (1993, 1994, 1996) | |
US Open | - | |
Doubles | ||
Career record: | 398-237 | |
Career titles: | 22 | |
Highest ranking: | 1 | |
Infobox last updated on: 15:06, 21 January 2007 (GMT-05:00). |
Grant Connell (Pronounced: KAHN-nell[3])(born November 17, 1965 in Regina) is a former professional tennis player from Canada who became the world's number one doubles tennis player in November 1995.
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[edit] As a college player
Growing up in North Vancouver, Connell was an All-American in doubles in 1984 and in singles in 1985 at Texas A&M University. In '85 he lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA individual tennis championships to fellow future pro Mikael Pernfors.
[edit] As a pro doubles player
Connell won 22 career doubles titles during his eleven seasons on the ATP tour (1986 to 1997). He won his first four with fellow Canadian Glenn Michibata. Upon Michibata's retirement from the tour, Connell joined Patrick Galbraith. The Connell-Galbraith tandem won 12 titles together including the 1995 season ending Doubles Championship tournament. Connell's next main partner became Byron Black with whom he won 4 more titles. He also won a title each with Todd Martin and Scott Davis. He was a three-time Wimbledon doubles finalist, once each with Michibata, Galbraith, and Black.
[edit] Titles (22)
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[edit] Runner-ups (26)
No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponent in the final | Score |
1. | 30 March 1987 | Nancy, France | Carpet | Larry Scott | Ramesh Krishnan Claudio Mezzadri |
6–4, 6–4 |
2. | 10 October 1988 | Brisbane, Australia | Hard (i) | Glenn Michibata | Eric Jelen Carl-Uwe Steeb |
6–4, 6–1 |
3. | 29 January 1990 | Australian Open, Melbourne | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Pieter Aldrich Danie Visser |
6–4, 4–6, 6–1, 6–4 |
4. | 26 February 1990 | Philadelphia, U.S. | Carpet | Glenn Michibata | Rick Leach Jim Pugh |
6–4, 6–2 |
5. | 20 August 1990 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Scott Davis David Pate |
4–6, 6–2, 6–2 |
6. | 14 January 1991 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Sergio Casal Emilio Sánchez |
4–6, 6–3, 6–4 |
7. | 4 March 1991 | Chicago, U.S. | Carpet | Glenn Michibata | Scott Davis David Pate |
6–4, 5–7, 7–6 |
8. | 17 June 1991 | London/Queen's Club, England | Grass | Glenn Michibata | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
7–6, 6–4 |
9. | 29 July 1991 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Patrick Galbraith Todd Witsken |
6–7, 6–4, 6–4 |
10. | 12 August 1991 | Cincinnati, U.S. | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Ken Flach Robert Seguso |
6–3, 6–4 |
11. | 13 January 1992 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Wayne Ferreira Jim Grabb |
6–4, 6–3 |
12. | 6 April 1992 | Singapore | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
6–7, 6–2, 6–4 |
13. | 24 August 1992 | Indianapolis, U.S. | Hard | Glenn Michibata | Jim Grabb Richey Reneberg |
4–6, 6–2, 7–6 |
14. | 8 February 1993 | Dubai, UAE | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | John Fitzgerald Anders Järryd |
6–2, 6–1 |
15. | 14 January 1993 | Hamburg, Germany | Clay | Patrick Galbraith | Paul Haarhuis Mark Koevermans |
7–6, 6–4 |
16. | 5 July 1993 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Patrick Galbraith | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
7–6, 6–3, 7–6 |
17. | 26 July 1993 | Washington D.C., U.S. | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Byron Black Rick Leach |
6–4, 7–6 |
18. | 14 January 1993 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Scott Davis | Wayne Ferreira Michael Stich |
7–6, 7–6 |
19. | 17 January 1994 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Patrick Galbraith | Patrick McEnroe Jared Palmer |
6–2, 4–6, 6–4 |
20. | 21 February 1994 | Stuttgart Indoor, Germany | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | David Adams Andrei Olhovskiy |
6–7, 6–4, 7–6 |
21. | 4 July 1994 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Patrick Galbraith | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
7–6, 6–3, 6–1 |
22. | 9 January 1995 | Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Byron Black | Jim Courier Patrick Rafter |
7–6, 6–4 |
23. | 9 October 1995 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Carpet | Patrick Galbraith | Patrick McEnroe Mark Philippoussis |
7–5, 6–4 |
24. | 13 November 1995 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | Patrick Galbraith | Jacco Eltingh Paul Haarhuis |
3–6, 6–2, 7–6 |
25. | 4 March 1996 | Philadelphia, U.S. | Carpet | Byron Black | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
7–6, 6–2 |
26. | 8 July 1996 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | Byron Black | Todd Woodbridge Mark Woodforde |
4–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–2 |
[edit] As a singles pro player
A left-hander, Connell best singles ranking was World No. 67, which he reached in June 1991. His best tour singles results were reaching the semi-finals of the 1991 Chicago, 1991 Singapore, and 1992 Auckland Grand Prix events. A solid grass-court player, Connell in 1991 at Wimbledon played a five-set first round match on Centre Court against Andre Agassi, where Connell went up two sets to one on a second serve ace in a third set tie-breaker. Agassi however won the final two sets to win the match. The following year at Wimbledon saw Agassi win his first Grand Slam event and Connell reach the third round to equal his best ever Grand Slam event showing. He also reached the third round of Wimbledon 1994 and the 1991 Australian Open.
[edit] As a Davis Cup player
Connell played Davis Cup for Canada on numerous occasions posting a career 15 and 6 win-loss record in doubles and an equally impressive 8 and 3 record in singles. He was a member of Canada's 1991 and 1992 teams, its first ever to qualify for the World Group.
[edit] After retiring as a player
Upon retiring from the tour in 1997, Connell became High Performance Director with Tennis BC and real estate agent with a Prudential Financial subsidiary. From February 2001 to June 2004 he also captained Canada's Davis Cup team, as the team in September 2003 won promotion to the World Group for only the second time.