Tom Gorman (tennis)

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Tom Gorman
Country (sports)Flag of the United States (23px).png  United States
Born (1946-01-19) January 19, 1946 (age 79)
Seattle, United States
Height5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Turned pro1968 (amateur tour from 1966)
Retired1981
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record415–293 in pre Open-Era & Open Era
Career titles7
Highest rankingNo. 8 (1973, World's Top 10) [1]
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 2R (1970, 1977Jan)
French Open SF (1973)
Wimbledon SF (1971)
US Open SF (1972)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals SF (1972)
Doubles
Career record205–168
Career titles9

Tom Gorman (born January 19, 1946) is a retired ATP tour American tennis player and coach. He won 7 singles and 9 doubles titles and reached semi-finals in the 3 of the 4 ATP tour grand slam events. His ATP ranking peaked at 8 in 1973.

Contents

Career

Gorman was ranked as high as world No. 8 (consensus) for the year 1973 and No. 10 on the ATP rankings (achieving that ranking on May 1 and June 3, 1974). [1] [2]

Gorman won seven singles titles in his career, the biggest coming in 1975 at Cincinnati. He also won nine doubles titles, including Paris in 1971, the same year he reached the French Open doubles final with Stan Smith. Gorman defeated Björn Borg to win the Stockholm Indoor event in 1973.[ citation needed ]

He reached the semifinal rounds in singles at Wimbledon (in 1971), the US Open (in 1972), and the French Open (in 1973); defeating Rod Laver, Jimmy Connors, and Jan Kodeš respectively. Gorman was a member of the winning U.S. Davis Cup team in 1972. As captain–coach, he led the U.S. Davis Cup team to victory in 1990 and 1992. Gorman holds the record for most match wins (18) by a U.S. Davis Cup captain and is the most current American to have won the Davis Cup as a player and a captain.[ citation needed ]

He was named coach of the Men's U.S Olympic Tennis teams in Seoul, South Korea and Barcelona, Spain. He guided the American doubles team of Ken Flach and Robert Seguso to a gold medal in the doubles competition in Seoul in 1988. In 2001, Gorman and his partner Jaime Fillol of Chile won the Super Masters Seniors at the US Open.[ citation needed ]

Gorman received praise for his sportsmanship during his 1972 Masters semifinal against Stan Smith in Barcelona. He had injured his back during the course of match, but opened up a 7–6, 6–7, 7–5, 5–4 40–30 lead and held a match point. Knowing that if he were to win the match he would be in no condition to play in the final against Ilie Năstase, he told the umpire that he could not continue and retired. This allowed Smith to instead play in the final, where he was beaten by Năstase in five sets.[ citation needed ]

He attended Seattle Preparatory School and was the Washington State high school tennis champion three years in a row. Gorman attended and graduated from Seattle University and was a two time All-American. He played in professional tour events in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. For eight years, Gorman served as captain of the United States Davis Cup team, coaching some of America's greatest players and winning world championships in 1990 and '92. He oversaw American dream teams made up of tennis champions Andre Agassi, Michael Chang, Jim Courier, John McEnroe, and Pete Sampras, faced with the unenviable task of dealing with entourages and egos. [3] [4]

In November 2008, Gorman was named Director of Tennis at La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA WEST(TM) which he, along with other top American players including Arthur Ashe, Stan Smith, and Charlie Pasarell, help found in La Quinta, California. [5] He retired from La Quinta in September 2015.[ citation needed ]

Gorman was appointed to the prestigious seven person International Tennis Federation Davis Cup Committee for a two-year term in 2012–14.[ citation needed ]

Family

Gorman and his wife Danni have two grown daughters, Hailey and KellyAnn, and they make their home at Reynolds Lake Oconee in Greensboro,GA.

Career finals

Singles (7 titles, 11 runner-ups)

ResultW-LYearTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Loss0–11968 Cincinnati, U.S.Clay Flag of the United States.svg William Harris 6–3, 2–6, 2–6
Win1–11971 Columbus, U.S.Clay Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Connors 6–7, 7–6, 4–6, 7–6, 6–3
Loss1–21972 Seattle, U.S.Other Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Ilie Năstase 4–6, 6–3, 3–6
Loss1–31972London, EnglandCarpet (i) Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Ilie Năstase4–6, 3–6
Win2–31973 Vancouver WCT, CanadaOther Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Jan Kodeš 3–6, 6–2, 7–5
Win3–31973 Stockholm, SwedenHard (i) Flag of Sweden.svg Björn Borg 6–3, 4–6, 7–6(7–5)
Loss3–41974 Richmond WCT, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Ilie Năstase2–6, 3–6
Loss3–51974 Miami WCT, U.S.Hard Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cliff Drysdale 4–6, 5–7
Loss3–61974 Rotterdam, NetherlandsCarpet (i) Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker 6–4, 6–7, 1–6
Loss3–71974 Manchester, England Grass Flag of India.svg Vijay Amritraj 7–6, 2–6, 4–6
Win4–71975 Cincinnati, U.S.Clay Flag of the United States.svg Sherwood Stewart 7–5, 2–6, 6–4
Win5–71975 Hong Kong Hard Flag of the United States.svg Sandy Mayer 6–3, 6–1, 6–1
Win6–71976 Baltimore, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Ilie Năstase7–5, 6–3
Win7–71976 Sacramento, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael 6–2, 6–4
Loss7–81977 Hong Kong Hard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall 3–6, 7–5, 4–6, 4–6
Loss7–91978Baltimore, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Cliff Drysdale5–7, 3–6
Loss7–101978 Taipei, TaiwanCarpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Brian Teacher 3–6, 3–6, 3–6
Loss7–111979 San José, Costa RicaHard Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bernard Mitton 4–6, 4–6, 3–6

Doubles (9 titles, 10 runner-ups)

ResultW-LYearTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–11970 Berkeley, U.S.Hard Flag of the United States.svg Roy Barth Flag of the United States.svg Bob Lutz
Flag of the United States.svg Stan Smith
2–6, 5–7, 6–4, 2–6
Win1–11971Paris, FranceClay Flag of the United States.svg Stan Smith Flag of France.svg Pierre Barthès
Flag of France.svg François Jauffret
3–6, 7–5, 6–2
Loss1–21971 French Open, ParisClay Flag of the United States.svg Stan Smith Flag of the United States.svg Arthur Ashe
Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen
6–4, 3–6, 4–6, 9–11
Win2–21971 Stockholm, SwedenHard (i) Flag of the United States.svg Stan Smith Flag of the United States.svg Arthur Ashe
Flag of the United States.svg Bob Lutz
6–3, 6–4
Win3–21973 Copenhagen WCT, DenmarkCarpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mark Cox
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Graham Stilwell
6–4, 6–4
Loss3–31973 Vancouver WCT, CanadaOther Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen Flag of France.svg Pierre Barthès
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Roger Taylor
7–5, 3–6, 6–7
Loss3–41973 Charlotte WCT, U.S.Clay Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker
Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen
6–7, 6–3, 3–6
Win4–41973 Nottingham, EnglandGrass Flag of the United States.svg Erik van Dillen Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Frew McMillan
6–4, 6–1
Loss4–51973 South Orange, U.S.Hard Flag of the United States.svg Pancho Gonzales Flag of the United States.svg Jimmy Connors
Flag of Romania (1965-1989).svg Ilie Năstase
7–6, 3–6, 2–6
Win5–51973 Seattle, U.S.Other Flag of the Netherlands.svg Tom Okker Flag of Australia (converted).svg Bob Carmichael
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Frew McMillan
2–6, 6–4, 7–6
Win6–51973 Osaka, JapanHard Flag of the United States.svg Jeff Borowiak Flag of Japan.svg Jun Kamiwazumi
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ken Rosewall
6–4, 7–6
Win7–51974 Chicago, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen Flag of the United States.svg Brian Gottfried
Flag of Mexico.svg Raúl Ramírez
4–6, 6–3, 7–5
Win8–51974 Washington, D.C., U.S.Clay Flag of the United States.svg Marty Riessen Flag of Chile.svg Patricio Cornejo
Flag of Chile.svg Jaime Fillol
7–5, 6–1
Loss8–61974 Columbus, U.S.Hard Flag of the United States.svg Bob Lutz Flag of India.svg Anand Amritraj
Flag of India.svg Vijay Amritraj
DEF
Loss8–71976 Indianapolis WCT, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Vitas Gerulaitis Flag of the United States.svg Bob Lutz
Flag of the United States.svg Stan Smith
2–6, 4–6
Win9–71976 Sacramento, U.S.Carpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Sherwood Stewart Flag of the United States.svg Mike Cahill
Flag of the United States.svg John Whitlinger
3–6, 6–4, 6–4
Loss9–81977 San Jose, U.S.Hard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Masters Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Bob Hewitt
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg Frew McMillan
2–6, 3–6
Loss9–91977 Taipei, TaiwanHard Flag of Australia (converted).svg Steve Docherty Flag of the United States.svg Pat DuPré
Flag of the United States.svg Chris Delaney
6–7, 6–7
Loss9–101978 Tokyo Indoor, JapanCarpet (i) Flag of the United States.svg Pat DuPré Flag of Australia (converted).svg Ross Case
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Geoff Masters
3–6, 4–6

References

  1. 1 2 Eskenazi, David (2011)."Wayback Machine: Tom Gorman and the Cascades", SportspressNW, July 19, 2011.
  2. ATP Player Profile: Tom Gorman - Rankings History [ permanent dead link ], atpworldtour.com; accessed April 25, 2018.
  3. SPORTS PEOPLE: TENNIS; Chang and Agassi On Davis Cup Team, New York Times, Friday, October 12, 1990
  4. Ex-pro waves the flag for Davis Cup, Portland Tribune, November 20, 2007.
  5. Tennis Champion Tom Gorman Returns to La Quinta Resort & Club and PGA WEST (TM) as Director of Tennis, reuters.com, November 10, 2008.