Richard Sears (tennis)
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Richard Dudley "Dick" Sears (born on October 26, 1861 in Boston – died on April 8, 1943) was an American male tennis player.
He was undefeated in the U.S. Championships, he won the first of his seven consecutive titles (the all-time record) there in 1881 while still a student at Harvard. Starting in the 1881 first round, he went on an 18-match unbeaten streak at that would take him through the 1887 championships, after which he retired from the game. Not until 1921 was his 18-match unbeaten run overtaken (by Bill Tilden). During his first three championships, Sears did not even lose a single set, never mind a match. Sears was the first 19-year old to win in the U.S., slightly older than Oliver Campbell was in 1890 and slightly younger than the youngest winner in the Open Era, Pete Sampras, in 1990.
After giving up playing lawn tennis, Sears won the U.S. Court Tennis singles title in 1892 and went on to serve as USTA President in 1887 and 1888.
He was inducted in the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1955, where his cousin Eleonora Sears also has a place.
Contents |
[edit] Grand Slam record
[edit] U.S. championships
- Singles champion: 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887
- Doubles champion: 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887
[edit] Grand Slam singles finals
[edit] Wins (7)
| Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1881 | U.S. Championships |  William E. Glynn |
6–0, 6–3, 6–2 |
| 1882 | U.S. Championships (2) | Clarence Clark |
6–1, 6–4, 6–0 |
| 1883 | U.S. Championships (3) | James Dwight |
6–2, 6–0, 9–7 |
| 1884 | U.S. Championships (4) | Howard Taylor |
6–0, 1–6, 6–0, 6–2 |
| 1885 | U.S. Championships (5) | Godfrey Brinley |
6–3, 4–6, 6–0, 6–3 |
| 1886 | U.S. Championships (6) | R. Livingston Beeckman |
4–6, 6–1, 6–3, 6–4 |
| 1887 | U.S. Championships (7) | Henry Slocum |
6–1, 6–3, 6–2 |
[edit] External links
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