Mike Franks (tennis)

For other people named Mike Franks, see Mike Franks (disambiguation).
Mike Franks
Country (sports)  United States
Born (1936-12-23)December 23, 1936
Los Angeles, USA
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Plays Right-handed
Singles
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 2R (1957)
Wimbledon 3R (1957, 1964)
US Open 4R (1958)
Medal record
Maccabiah Games
1961 Israel Men's Doubles

Myron ("Mike") Jay Franks (born December 23, 1936) is a former excellent tennis player. He was the #1 ranked Junior player in 1954. He was on the Junior and Senior Davis Cup squads.

Mike was ranked # 3 in doubles in America in 1956, 1957, and 1959 and was ranked # 7 in America in singles in 1959.[1]

Background

Born on December 23, 1936 in Beverly Hills, California, Franks started playing tennis in 7th grade and continued at Beverly Hills High School. He took lessons from Frank Feltrop at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel. He often practiced with Bill Tilden and Pancho Gonzales.

Tennis career

In 1954, Franks was seeded #1 in the Junior Singles draw at the National Tennis Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In 1953, he had won the National Junior Doubles Title with Jon Douglas.

Franks attended the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played #1 Singles for 3 years on a team consisting of Mike Green, Franklyn Johnson(former USTA President), John Cranston, John Lesch, and Joe Blatchford(former Director of the Peace Corps). He was runner-up to Alex Olmedo in the Pac-10 Singles Championships in 1956 and 1958.[1] UCLA was on NCAA probation in 1957. Franks only singles losses in college were to Olemedo. After college Franks lived with clothing designer and tennis player Oleg Cassini while serving part of his Navy commitment in New York City.

In 1959, he won the Pacific Southwest Doubles Title with Barry MacKay, and the Southern California Singles Championship by defeating Alex Olmedo in the finals. Olmedo won Wimbledon one month later. In 1961, Franks and Donald Dell became the first Americans to play tennis in Russia.

Franks has singles wins over champions Rod Laver, John Newcombe, Arthur Ashe, Herb Flam, Hugh Stewart, Charlie Pasarell, Dennis Ralston, Allen Fox, Bob Hewitt, Fred Stolle, Tom Brown, Vic Seixas, Sam Giammalva, Ron Holmberg, Donald Dell, Ray Moore, Gil Shea, Pancho Contreras, Armando Viera, Rafael Osuna, Alex Olmedo, Barry MacKay, Mal Anderson, Billy Knight, Ulf Schmidt, Jon Douglas, Warren Woodcock, Mike Green, and others during his playing career.

In 1957, he and Mike Green reached the Quarterfinals of Wimbledon Men's Doubles losing to Lew Hoad and Neale Fraser.

Franks recommended Pancho Segura for the Head Professional position at the Beverly Hills Tennis Club, and he was hired.

Franks married Gloria Delson Cahn, former wife of songwriter Sammy Cahn in 1965. He was inducted to the Beverly Hills High School Hall of Fame on October 10, 2013.

Pan American Games

Franks won a bronze medal at the 1959 Pan-American Games.[1]

Maccabiah Games

Franks, who is Jewish, won the Doubles Championship at the 1961 World Maccabiah Games with partner Dick Savitt.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Franks, Mike". Jews In Sports. Retrieved April 25, 2015.

External links



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