Ray Ruffels

Last updated

Ray Ruffels
Australian Institute of Sport coaches - Ray Ruffels.jpg
AIS Head Tennis Coach Ray Ruffels in 1981
Full nameRaymond Owen Ruffels
Country (sports)Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia
Born (1946-03-23) 23 March 1946 (age 77)
Sydney, Australia
Turned pro1968 (amateur from 1964)
Retired1980
PlaysLeft-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record452-316
Career titles13
Highest rankingNo. 27 (12 December 1976)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open SF (1968, 1969, 1976)
French Open 4R (1968)
Wimbledon QF (1967)
US Open 4R (1966)
Doubles
Career record219–137
Career titles16
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open W (1977)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon F (1978)
US Open F (1978)

Raymond Owen "Ray" Ruffels (born 23 March 1946) [1] is an Australian former professional tennis player and coach.

Contents

Playing career

Ruffels was an Australian Open semi-finalist in 1968, 1969 and 1975, and a quarter-finalist in 1970 and 1977. In 1978, partnering with Billie Jean King in mixed doubles competition, Ruffels reached the final at Wimbledon and the US Open.

He was a member of the Australian Davis Cup team in 1968, 1969, 1970, and 1977. [1]

Career finals

Doubles (16 titles, 7 runner-ups)

ResultW–LDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Win1–01970 Merion, USHard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bill Bowrey Flag of the United States.svg Jim McManus
Flag of the United States.svg Jim Osborne 		3–6, 6–2, 7–5
Win2–01970 Phoenix, USHard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Crealy Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jan Kodeš
Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Pasarell 		7–6, 6–3
Win3–01970 Buenos Aires, ArgentinaClay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of Yugoslavia (1946-1992).svg Željko Franulović
Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jan Kodeš 		7–5, 6–2, 5–7, 6–7, 6–3
Win4–01971 Auckland, New ZealandGrass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of New Zealand.svg Brian Fairlie
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Raymond Moore 		6–3, 6–7, 6–4, 4–6, 6–3
Loss4–11971 Tehran WCT, IranClay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Newcombe
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Roche 		4–6, 7–6, 1–6
Loss4–21971 Washington WCT, USClay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker
Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen 		6–7, 2–6
Win5–21972 Toronto WCT, CanadaCarpet Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of Australia (converted).svg Roy Emerson
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Rod Laver 		6–4, 4–6, 6–4
Win6–21972 Quebec WCT, CanadaIndoor Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Alexander
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Terry Addison 		4–6, 6–3, 7–5
Loss6–31974 Christchurch, New Zealand Flag of Australia (converted).svg Syd Ball Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei
Flag of the United States.svg Roscoe Tanner 		W/O
Win7–31975 Auckland, New ZealandGrass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of New Zealand.svg Brian Fairlie
Flag of New Zealand.svg Onny Parun 		7–6, RET.
Win8–31975 Baltimore WCT, USCarpet Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Crealy Flag of Egypt (1972-1984).svg Ismail El Shafei
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Frew McMillan 		6–4, 6–3
Win9–31975 Dayton Indoor, USCarpet Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Stone Flag of the United States.svg Paul Gerken
Flag of the United States.svg Brian Gottfried 		7–6, 7–5
Loss9–41975 Orlando WCT, US Hard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Dibley Flag of the United States.svg Brian Gottfried
Flag of Mexico.svg Raúl Ramírez 		4–6, 4–6
Win10–41975 St. Louis, US Clay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Colin Dibley Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ross Case
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Masters 		6–4, 6–4
Win11–41976 Dayton, USCarpet Flag of the United States.svg Sherwood Stewart Flag of Chile.svg Jaime Fillol
Flag of the United States.svg Charlie Pasarell 		6–2, 3–6, 7–5
Win12–41976 Little Rock, USCarpet Flag of Australia (converted).svg Syd Ball Flag of Paraguay.svg Giuliano Pecci
Flag of Pakistan.svg Haroon Rahim 		6–3, 6–7, 6–3
Win13–41976 Boston, USClay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Stone Flag of the United States.svg Mike Cahill
Flag of the United States.svg John Whitlinger 		3–6, 6–3, 7–6
Loss13–51976 Bermuda Clay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Dick Crealy Flag of the United States.svg Mike Cahill
Flag of the United States.svg John Whitlinger 		4–6, 6–4, 6–7
Win14–51976 Bangalore, IndiaClay Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael Flag of India.svg Chiradip Mukerjea
Flag of India.svg Bhanu Nunna 		6–2, 7–6
Loss14–61977 La Costa WCT, USHard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Stone Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bob Hewitt
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Frew McMillan 		4–6, 2–6
Win15–61977 Perth, AustraliaHard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Stone Flag of the United States.svg Nick Saviano
Flag of the United States.svg John Whitlinger 		6–2, 6–1
Loss15–71977 Sydney Outdoor, AustraliaGrass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Stone Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Alexander
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phil Dent 		6–7, 6–2, 3–6
Win16–71977Australian Open-2, Melbourne Grass Flag of Australia (converted).svg Allan Stone Flag of Australia (converted).svg John Alexander
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Phil Dent 		7–6, 7–6

Coaching career

Ruffels was appointed the inaugural Head Coach of the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) tennis program in 1981. He held this position until his retirement in January 1990. [2] Whilst at the AIS, Ruffels coached many young players that would have successful professional careers including: Pat Cash, Wally Masur, Darren Cahill, Todd Woodbridge, Richard Fromberg, Simon Youl and Johan Anderson. [3] After leaving the AIS, he coached Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde, who as a doubles team won many major titles including the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. [4]

In 2009, he returned to Australia to work at the AIS after being a national coach for the United States Tennis Association player development program in California. [5]

In November 2016, he was awarded The President's Spirit of Tennis by Tennis Australia.

Personal

Ruffels married professional tennis player Anna-Maria Fernandez and they have two children, Ryan and Gabriela; both have taken up golf as a career. [6] [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Newcombe</span> Australian tennis player

John David Newcombe AO OBE is an Australian former professional tennis player. He is one of the few men to have attained a world No. 1 ranking in both singles and doubles. At the majors, he won seven singles titles, a former record 17 men's doubles titles, and two mixed doubles titles. He also contributed to five Davis Cup titles for Australia during an age when the Davis Cup was deemed as significant as the majors. Tennis magazine rated him the 10th best male player of the period 1965–2005.

Clark Graebner is a retired American professional tennis player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tony Roche</span> Australian tennis player

Anthony Dalton Roche AO MBE is an Australian former professional tennis player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Okker</span> Dutch tennis player (born 1944)

Thomas Samuel Okker is a Dutch former tennis player who was active from the mid-1960s until 1980. He won the 1973 French Open Doubles, the 1976 US Open Doubles, and two gold medals at the 1965 Maccabiah Games in Israel. He was ranked among the world's top-ten singles players for seven consecutive years, 1968–74, reaching a career high of world No. 3 in 1974. He also was ranked world No. 1 in doubles in 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick McEnroe</span> American tennis player

Patrick William McEnroe is an American former professional tennis player, broadcaster, and former captain of the United States Davis Cup team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Todd Woodbridge</span> Australian tennis player (born 1971)

Todd Andrew Woodbridge, OAM is an Australian former professional tennis player and current personality of the Nine Network, working as a broadcaster for Wide World of Sports and host of game show Tipping Point Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Woodforde</span> Australian tennis player

Mark Raymond Woodforde, OAM is a former professional tennis player from Australia. He is best known as one half of "The Woodies", a doubles partnership with Todd Woodbridge.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonas Björkman</span> Swedish tennis player and coach

Jonas Lars Björkman is a Swedish former professional tennis player. He is a former world No. 1 in doubles, and also a former world No. 4 in singles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup doubles championships. As of 2019, he is ranked in the top 40 on the all-time ATP prize money list with over $14.5 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Bowrey</span> Australian tennis player

William Bowrey is a former Australian tennis player. He was ranked world No. 8 in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Ralston</span> American tennis player (1942–2020)

Richard Dennis Ralston was an American professional tennis player whose active career spanned the 1960s and 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason Stoltenberg</span> Australian tennis player

Jason Stoltenberg is an Australian former professional tennis player.

Wally Masur is a tennis coach, television commentator, and former professional tennis player from Sydney, Australia. He reached the semifinals of the 1987 Australian Open and the 1993 US Open, achieving a career-high singles ranking of world No. 15 in October 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Darren Cahill</span> Australian tennis player and coach

Darren Cahill is an Australian tennis coach and former professional tennis player. In addition, Cahill is a tennis analyst for the Grand Slam events on the US sports network ESPN and a coach with the Adidas Player Development Program and at ProTennisCoach.com.

George Martin Lott was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the great doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John Doeg in 1929 and 1930; and Les Stoefen in 1933 and 1934.

Allan Stone is a former tennis player from Australia. He played amateur and professional tennis in the 1960s and 1970s. He was ranked as high as world No. 36 in singles and world No. 12 in doubles on the ATP rankings.

Todd Reid was an Australian professional tennis player. He excelled as a junior and peaked in the Men's Tour in September 2004, reaching a career-high singles ranking of world No. 105.

Anna-Maria Fernandez is an American former professional tennis player active during the 1980s. She won five WTA titles during her career, all in doubles. Her career high ranking in singles was number 19, in approximately 1979–1980. She was a member of the University of Southern California's national championship team and captured the AIAW singles national championship title in 1981. She was named the National Collegiate Player of the Year (1981) winning the Broderick Award as the nation's best female collegiate tennis player. She earned a BA degree in Broadcast Journalism from USC (1983).

Shane Barr is a former professional tennis player from Australia.

Ryan Ruffels is an Australian professional golfer.

Gabriela Ruffels is an Australian former tennis player and current professional golfer. Starting at the age of eight, Ruffels started playing tennis and won twenty one International Tennis Federation doubles events in Europe. She also was the number one ranking Australian junior when she was twelve. After switching from tennis to golf in 2015, Ruffels primarily competed in Australia from 2016 to 2017. In 2018, Ruffels joined the USC Trojans women's golf team at the University of Southern California. With USC, Ruffels appeared at the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships from 2018 to 2019 in both the individual and team events.

References

  1. 1 2 "Ray Ruffels". Tennis Australia. Retrieved 21 January 2023.
  2. ↑ Australian Sports Commission. Annual report 1989-1990 (PDF).
  3. ↑ "Tennis at the Australian Institute of Sport". Australian Web Archive . Archived from the original on 19 January 2000. Retrieved 27 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  4. ↑ "Ray Ruffels wins The President's Spirit of Tennis Award". Tennis Australia website. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ruffels returns to coach Aussie youngsters". ABC News. 24 July 2009. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  6. ↑ "The Inside Story: Ryan Ruffels". Golf Australia website. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
  7. ↑ "Little sister steals limelight". Golf Australia website. Retrieved 27 September 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.