Brian Fairlie

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Brian Fairlie
Country (sports)Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand
Born (1948-06-13) 13 June 1948 (age 75)
Christchurch, New Zealand
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turned pro1968 (amateur from 1966)
Retired1979
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record187–186 (Open era)
Career titles2
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 3R (1976)
French Open 4R (1977)
Wimbledon 3R (1977, 1978)
US Open QF (1970)
Doubles
Career record174–156
Career titles4
Highest rankingNo. 27 (30 August 1977)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open QF (1977Dec, 1978)
French Open SF (1971)
Wimbledon 3R (1969, 1970, 1977)
US Open 2R (1972)

Brian Fairlie (born 13 June 1948), is a retired tennis player from New Zealand. During his career from 1968 to 1979, he won four titles in doubles, all with the Egyptian player Ismail El Shafei, and 10 singles titles in the Open era (and at least two more in 1967). [1] [2]

Contents

Playing career

Juniors

Fairlie was the 1967 Boys' Singles champion of the Australian Championships. [3]

Professional

Fairlie's best result in a Grand Slam was reaching the semi-finals of men's doubles at the French Open in 1971 with partner Frew McMillan. A year earlier, he reached the singles quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, losing to Tony Roche.

While his highest ATP singles ranking was World No. 24 (in September 1973), Fairlie was ranked inside the world's Top 20 in the late 1960s and early 1970s. [1] [4]

In 1969, his first full year on the circuit, he upset former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion John Newcombe in the quarterfinals of the Heineken Open in Auckland. The tournament's website describes the atmosphere at the event that year: "There was wild excitement in a packed stadium when Kiwi Brian Fairlie pulled off an upset win over Newcombe in five hard-fought sets. When he went on to face Laver, the gates had to be closed against the huge crowds wanting to get in." [5] In both 1975 and 1976, Fairlie reached the finals of this tournament, losing on both occasions to fellow New Zealander Onny Parun.

In 1976, Fairlie played in an Australian Open match notable for having the 13th oldest combined age in Grand Slam history. His age and the age of Frank Sedgman, his opponent, averaged 37 years, 10 months, and 9 days. [6]

In winning the second of his two singles titles (in Manila, Philippines in 1976), he lost only one set during the entire tournament. [7]

Davis Cup

From 1966 through 1979, he played in 48 Davis Cup matches for New Zealand, winning 13 in singles and seven in doubles. [8]

Team Tennis

In 1974, the inaugural year of World Team Tennis, he became a member of the Philadelphia Freedoms; the team posted the league's best record for the year at 39–5. [9]

Career finals

Singles (2 titles, 4 runner-ups)

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1–0Jan 1973London WCT, EnglandHard (i) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Cox 2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4
Loss1–1Feb 1973 Cologne, West GermanyCarpet (i) Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jan Kodeš 1–6, 3–6, 1–6
Loss1–2Jan 1975 Auckland, New ZealandGrass Flag of New Zealand.svg Onny Parun 6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 7–6, 4–6
Loss1–3Mar 1975 London, EnglandCarpet (i) Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Cox 1–6, 5–7
Loss1–4Dec 1975 Auckland, New ZealandGrass Flag of New Zealand.svg Onny Parun 2–6, 3–6, 6–4, 3–6
Win2–4Nov 1976 Manila, PhilippinesHard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Ruffels 7–5, 6–7, 7–6

Doubles (4 titles, 14 runner-up)

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1Jan 1971 Auckland, New ZealandGrass Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg Ray Moore Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Ruffels 		3–6, 7–6, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6
Loss0–2Sep 1972 Los Angeles, U.S.Hard Flag of Egypt.svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of the United States.svg Pancho Gonzales
Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Connors 		3–6, 6–4, 6–7
Loss0–3Oct 1972Alamo WCT, U.S.Hard Flag of Egypt.svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker
Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen 		6–7, 4–6
Loss0–4Nov 1972 Gothenburg, SwedenCarpet (i) Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker
Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen 		2–6, 6–7
Loss0–5Mar 1973Chicago, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Stolle 		7–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss0–6Apr 1973 Cleveland, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Fred Stolle 		2–6, 3–6
Loss0–7Aug 1973 Tanglewood, U.S.Clay Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael
Flag of South Africa (1928-1994).svg Frew McMillan 		3–6, 4–6
Win1–7Apr 1974 St. Louis, U.S.Clay Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Masters
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ross Case 		7–6, 6–7, 7–6
Loss1–8Jan 1975 Auckland, New ZealandGrass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Onny Parun Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ray Ruffels 		6–7, ret.
Loss1–9Apr 1975 Charlotte, USClay Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Chile.svg Patricio Cornejo
Flag of Chile.svg Jaime Fillol 		3–6, 7–5, 4–6
Loss1–10Mar 1976 Mexico City, MexicoClay Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of the United States.svg Brian Gottfried
Flag of Mexico.svg Raúl Ramírez 		4–6, 6–7
Loss1–11Oct 1976 Brisbane, AustraliaGrass Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Australia (converted).svg Syd Ball
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kim Warwick 		4–6, 4–6
Win2–11Oct 1976 Sydney, AustraliaHard (i) Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Australia (converted).svg Syd Ball
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Kim Warwick 		7–5, 6–7, 7–6
Loss2–12Nov 1976 Tokyo, JapanClay Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall 		4–6, 4–6
Win3–12Jul 1977 Newport, U.S.Grass Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of the United States.svg Tim Gullikson
Flag of the United States.svg Tom Gullikson 		6–7, 6–3, 7–6
Win4–12Mar 1978 Cairo, EgyptClay Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of Argentina.svg Lito Álvarez
Flag of the United States.svg George Hardie 		6–3, 7–5, 6–2
Loss4–13Jul 1978 Cincinnati, U.S.Clay Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of the United States.svg Gene Mayer
Flag of Mexico.svg Raúl Ramírez 		3–6, 3–6
Loss4–14Aug 1978 New Orleans, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen
Flag of the United States.svg Dick Stockton 		6–7, 3–6

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References

  1. 1 2 "ITF Tennis : Brian Fairlie : Players Details". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved 20 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Barrett, John. "World of Tennis", Year Books 1968–1972.
  3. ↑ "Find and share free documents in - Page 0". Docstoc.com. 24 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  4. ↑ "Seventies tennis ace Fairlie honoured by club at last - Sport - NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  5. ↑ Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ↑ "Age Records of All Slam Matches". Tennis28.com. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  7. ↑ "1976 Manila – Singles draw". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
  8. ↑ "Davis Cup : Brian Fairlie : Results". Daviscup.com. Retrieved 8 October 2015.
  9. ↑ Collins, Bud; Xander Hollander (1980). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Doubleday & Company, Inc. pp. 164–165. ISBN   0-385-13093-7.
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