Toomas Leius

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Toomas Leius
Toomas Leius.jpg
Leius in 1959
Country (sports)Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Born(1941-08-28)28 August 1941
Tallinn, Reichskommissariat Ostland [1]
Died7 February 2025(2025-02-07) (aged 83)
Singles
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 3R (1969)
French Open QF (1965)
Wimbledon 3R (1960, 1963)
US Open 2R (1962)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open QF (1969)
Wimbledon QF (1963)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open 1R (1969)
French Open F (1971)
Wimbledon 3R (1967)
Team competitions
Davis Cup FEu (1967, 1969, 1970)
Medal record
Representing Flag of the Soviet Union.svg  Soviet Union
Men's Tennis
Summer Universiade
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1970 Turin Mixed Doubles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1965 Budapest Men's Singles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1965 Budapest Men's Doubles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1965 Budapest Mixed Doubles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1970 Turin Men's Singles
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1970 Turin Men's Doubles

Toomas Leius (28 August 1941 – 7 February 2025) was an Estonian tennis player who competed for the Soviet Union. [2]

Contents

Career

Leius was the boys' singles champion at the 1959 Wimbledon Championships. He won the Soviet Championships in 1963, 1964, 1965 and 1968. He also won the Moscow International Indoor Championships five times from 1961 to 1963, 1965, 1969. Other good performances during his career include reaching the final of the 1964 Queen's Club Championships, which he lost to Roy Emerson, and taking Rod Laver to five sets at the 1969 Heineken Open. He was a gold medalist in the mixed doubles at the 1970 Summer Universiade in Turin, with Tiiu Parmas.

His best performance in the singles draw of a Grand Slam tournament came at the 1965 French Championships, where he made the quarter-finals. [3] He was due to face South African player Cliff Drysdale in the quarter-final but the Soviet delegation made him forfeit the match, in protest against apartheid. Leius and Winnie Shaw were mixed doubles runners-up at the 1971 French Open.

He was a regular fixture in the Soviet Davis Cup team during the 1960s and appeared in a total of 20 ties, from which he managed 23 wins, 17 of them in singles. [4]

Murder conviction and prison

On 13 May 1974, Toomas Leius strangled his wife Ene Leius (née Visnapuu) to death after finding her in bed with another man. He was sentenced to eight years in prison and was released after serving five years for good behavior. [5] [6]

Later life and death

Leius worked as a tennis coach after leaving prison and spent some time as captain of the Estonia Fed Cup team. [7]

Leius died on 7 February 2025, at the age of 83. [8]

Grand Slam finals

Mixed doubles: 1 (0–1)

ResultYearChampionshipSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss1971 French Open Clay Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Winnie Shaw Flag of France.svg Françoise Dürr
Flag of France.svg Jean-Claude Barclay
2–6, 4–6

Awards

References

  1. ATP World Tour: Toomas Leius
  2. ITF Tennis: Toomas Leius
  3. Tennis Archives: Toomas Karlovich Lejus
  4. Davis Cup: Tomas Leius
  5. Brown, Cameron (2005). Wimbledon Facts, Figures & Fun. AAPPL.
  6. Fyodorov, Gennady (23 September 1997). "Former Soviet Soccer Star Arrested for Killing Woman". The Moscow Times .
  7. Fed Cup - Tie details - 2000 - Estonia v Madagascar
  8. "Suri Eesti tenniselegend Toomas Leius". Delfi Sport. 8 February 2025. Retrieved 8 February 2025.
Awards
Preceded by Estonian Sportspersonality of the Year
1961
Succeeded by
Preceded by Estonian Sportspersonality of the Year
1963
Succeeded by
Preceded by Estonian Sportspersonality of the Year
1965
Succeeded by