Pat Cash | ||
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Country | ![]() |
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Residence | London, United Kingdom | |
Date of birth | 27 May 1965 | |
Place of birth | Melbourne, Australia | |
Height | 1.82 m (5 ft 111⁄2 in) | |
Weight | 84 kg (190 lb/13.2 st) | |
Turned pro | 1982 | |
Retired | 1997 | |
Plays | Right-handed; one-handed backhand | |
Career prize money | US$1,950,345 | |
Singles | ||
Career record: | 242–149 | |
Career titles: | 7 | |
Highest ranking: | 4 (9 May 1988) | |
Grand Slam results | ||
Australian Open | F (1987, 1988) | |
French Open | 4R | |
Wimbledon | W (1987) | |
US Open | SF | |
Doubles | ||
Career record: | 174–110 | |
Career titles: | 12 | |
Highest ranking: | 6 (13 August 1984) | |
Mixed Doubles | ||
Career record: | {{{mixedrecord}}} | |
Career titles: | {{{mixedtitles}}} | |
Highest ranking: | {{{highestmixedranking}}} | |
Infobox last updated on: 18 July 2006. |
Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash (born 27 May 1965, in Melbourne, Victoria) is a former professional tennis player from Australia who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.
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Cash first came to the tennis world's attention as a junior player in the early 1980s. He was ranked the top junior player in the world in 1981, and in 1982 he won the junior titles at both Wimbledon and the US Open. He turned professional in 1982 and won his first top-level singles title that year in Melbourne.
Cash established a reputation on the tour as a hard-fighting serve-and-volleyer and for wearing his trademark black-and-white checked headband and his cross earing.
In 1983, Cash became the youngest player to play in a Davis Cup final. He won the decisive singles rubber against Joakim Nyström as Australia defeated Sweden 3–2 to claim the cup.
In 1984, Cash reached the men's singles semifinals at both Wimbledon and the US Open. He lost in three sets in the Wimbledon semifinals to John McEnroe and was defeated in the semifinals at the US Open by Ivan Lendl, who won their match in a fifth set tiebreaker. This day regarded as the greatest day in US open history featured the 3 set thriller women's final Evert v Navratilova and a McEnroe v Connors 5 set marathon creating the day now known as 'Super Saturday'
Cash was the runner-up in the men's doubles competition at Wimbledon in both 1984 a with McNamee and 1985 with Fitzgerald.
In 1986, he helped Australia regain the Davis Cup with a 3–2 victory over Sweden. Cash again won the decisive singles rubber, recovering from two sets down against Mikael Pernfors.
In 1987, Cash reached his first Grand Slam singles final at the Australian Open, where he lost in five sets to Stefan Edberg. This was the last Australian Open played at Kooyong on a grass court.
The crowning moment of Cash's career came at Wimbledon in 1987. Having already beaten Mats Wilander in the quarterfinals and Jimmy Connors in the semifinals, Cash defeated the World No. 1, Ivan Lendl, in the final. Cash sealed the victory by climbing into the stands and up to the player's box at Centre Court, where he celebrated with his family, girlfriend, and coach. This started a Wimbledon tradition that has been followed by many other champions at Wimbledon and other Grand Slam tournaments.
In 1988, Cash reached the Australian Open final for the second consecutive year and faced another Swede, Mats Wilander. It was the first men's singles final played at the new Melbourne Park venue, and Wilander won in a four-and-a-half-hour encounter, taking the fifth set 8–6.
Cash played in his third Davis Cup final in 1990. This time, Australia lost 3–2 to the United States.
Cash continued to play on the circuit on-and-off through the mid-1990s. But a series of back to back injuries to his Achilles tendon, knees, and back prevented him from recapturing his best form after winning Wimbledon in 1987. He won his last top-level singles title in 1990 in Hong Kong. His last doubles title came in 1996 at Pinehurst with Rafter.
Since his retirement from the tour, Cash has resided mainly in London. He has coached top players including Greg Rusedski and Mark Philippoussis.He opened a tennis academy on the Gold Coast of Australia and has coached numerous top ranked Australian juniors. He is opening academies in Ko Sumui, Thailand and in the Caribbean St Lucia and Dominican Republic. and He has also worked as a TV color commentator primarily for the BBC. A father of four, Cash's main passion away from tennis and his family is playing the guitar. He took to the stage with INXS at his Australian tennis Hall of fame induction at the 2003 Australian Open and has played with his own band at various events and festivals.
He continues to support various non profit charities including GOAL http://www.goal.ie/ (3rd world development and relief organisation) The Orchid Appeal http://www.orchid-cancer.org.uk/Home (men's cancer) and founded Australia's best known environmental charity Planet Ark http://www.planetark.com/ with mate Jon Dee.
Cash continues to be a draw card on both the ATP and Champions Cup legends tours having won the Hall of Fame event in Newport Rhode Island in 2008 http://www.championsseriestennis.com/newport2008/
For most of his career, Cash was coached by Melbourne born tennis coach, Ian Barclay.
At an early age, Cash had two children out of wedlock with his then girlfriend, the Norwegian model Anne-Britt Kristiansen. In 1990, Cash married Emily. They had two sons, twins Shannon and Jett, before divorcing.
In 1999, Cash checked into a rehabilitation clinic for treatment for his depression and has spoken openly about this disease and past drug and alcohol taking. He has stated publicly that he even considered suicide.[1]
Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
1987 | Wimbledon | ![]() |
7–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
Year | Championship | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
1987 | Australian Open | ![]() |
6–3, 6–4, 3–6, 5–7, 6–3 |
1988 | Australian Open | ![]() |
6–3, 6–7, 3–6, 6–1, 8–6 |
No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent in Final | Score |
1. | 1982 | Melbourne, Australia | ![]() |
6–4, 7–6 |
2. | 1983 | Brisbane, Australia | ![]() |
4–6, 6–4, 6–3 |
3. | 1983 | Melbourne, Australia | ![]() |
6–4, 7–6 |
4. | 1987 | Nancy, France | ![]() |
6–2, 6–3 |
5. | 1987 | Wimbledon | ![]() |
7–6, 6–2, 7–5 |
6. | 1987 | Johannesburg | ![]() |
7–6, 4–6, 2–6, 6–0, 6–1 |
7. | 1990 | Hong Kong | ![]() |
6–3, 6–4 |
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