Teimuraz Kakulia

Teimuraz Kakulia
Full name Teimuraz Kakulia
Country (sports)  Soviet Union
Born (1947-04-26)26 April 1947
Tbilisi, Georgian SSR
Died 25 August 2006(2006-08-25) (aged 59)
Tbilisi, Georgia
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Turned pro 1966
Retired 1978
Singles
Career record 29–34
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 91 (April 8, 1975)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 3R (1973)
French Open 2R (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974)
Wimbledon 3R (1972, 1976)
US Open 4R (1976)
Doubles
Career record 11–28
Career titles 0
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open SF (1972)
French Open 2R (1970, 1971, 1972, 1974, 1975)
Wimbledon 2R (1974)
US Open 2R (1974, 1976)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Wimbledon 2R (1972, 1973, 1974, 1975)
Teimuraz Kakulia
Medal record
Tennis
Representing  Soviet Union
Summer Universiade
1973 Moscow Singles
1973 Moscow Doubles
1973 Moscow Mixed Doubles

Teimuraz Kakulia (Georgian: თეიმურაზ კაკულია,26 April 1947, Tbilisi, Georgian SSR — 25 August 2006, Tbilisi, Georgia) was a Soviet tennis player and Soviet/Georgian tennis coach.

Tennis career

Teimuraz Kakulia started playing tennis at the age of 11. For the most part of his tennis career he remained in the shadow of his older colleague and friend, Alex Metreveli, losing to him five times in the singles finals of the USSR tennis championships. Together they took five men's doubles titles at the Soviet championships, and Kakulia also won the tournament once with Marina Chuvyrina in mixed doubles.[1]

Other highlights of Kakulia's career were winning bronze medals in the mixed doubles exhibition event at the 1968 Olympic Games at the age of 21; winning the tennis tournament at the 1973 Summer Universiade in singles, men's doubles and mixed doubles; and reaching 1972 Australian Open semifinals in men's doubles (with Metreveli). In singles, his best achievements were reaching 4th round at the 1976 US Open as well as victories over Eddie Dibbs and Mark Edmondson. He also won the Wimbledon Plate tournament for the players making an early exit from the main Wimbledon Championships.

In addition, Kakulia has played an integral part in the Soviet Davis Cup team victories at the Europe Zone in 1974 and 1976 after which the team advanced to the Inter-Zonal stage. As a team member, Kakulia was also a four-time European amateur champion.

In 1977, Teimuraz Kakulia was awarded the Distinguished Master of Sport of the USSR rank, the highest in the Soviet sports classification. He was only the second Soviet tennis player to join WCT, with Metreveli being the first one.

After finishing his active playing career, Kakulia focused on coaching. He was a member of the Soviet national team coaching group. Leila Meskhi, bronze medalist at the 1992 Olympics, was the most successful among his trainees. During the last 10 years of his life illness prevented from coaching.

Grand Slam Tournament Performance Timeline (Singles)

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# A P Z# PO G F-S SF-B NMS NH
(W) Won; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (F-S) silver or (SF-B) bronze Olympic medal; a (NMS) downgraded Masters Series/1000 tournament; (NH) not held.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated either at the conclusion of a tournament, or when the player's participation in the tournament has ended.
Tournament 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976
Australian Open A A A A A A 3R A A 2R
French Open A A A 2R 2R 2R 1R 2R 1R A
Wimbledon Q2 A A A A 3R 1R 2R 1R 3R
US Open A A A A A 1R A 2R A 4R

References

  1. ↑ (in Russian) Individual USSR Championships at the Encyclopedia of Russian Tennis
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