Gene Mayer
Gene Mayer (born May 11, 1956) is a former tennis player from the United States who won 14 professional singles titles during his career.
Gene Mayer at the 1979 ABN Tennis Tournament | |
Country (sports) | |
---|---|
Residence | Mill Neck, New York |
Born | Flushing, Queens | May 11, 1956
Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) |
Turned pro | 1973 |
Retired | 1986 (brief comeback in 2001) |
Plays | Right-handed (two-handed both sides) |
Prize money | $1,382,422 |
Singles | |
Career record | 317–158 |
Career titles | 14 |
Highest ranking | No. 4 (October 6, 1980) |
Grand Slam Singles results | |
French Open | 4R (1979) |
Wimbledon | QF (1980, 1982) |
US Open | QF (1982, 1984) |
Other tournaments | |
Tour Finals | SF (1980) |
WCT Finals | QF (1979) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 167–91 |
Career titles | 15 |
Highest ranking | No. 5 (July 9, 1979) |
Grand Slam Doubles results | |
French Open | W (1978, 1979) |
Mayer was born in Flushing, Queens, New York. He grew up in Wayne, New Jersey,[1] and played tennis at Wayne Valley High School, where he went unbeaten in his two years on the tennis team.[2] He was a double hander on both forehand and backhand.
The right-hander Mayer reached his highest ranking on the ATP Tour on October 6, 1980, when he reached the rank of World No. 4.
Mayer has been a resident of Woodmere, New York.[3] In 2005, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.[4]
Gene's older brother Sandy was also a tour player. He achieved the rank of World No. 7 in 1982. They met each other in the Stockholm Open final 1981 and won 5 doubles tournaments together, including 1979 French Open.
Career finals
Singles: 26 (14 wins, 12 losses)
Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1. | 1976 | Hamilton, Bermuda | Clay | 6–7, 2–6 | |
Win | 1. | 1978 | Guadalajara, Mexico | Clay | 6–3, 6–4 | |
Loss | 2. | 1979 | Houston, U.S. | Clay | 3–6, 6–2, 6–7 | |
Win | 2. | 1979 | Cologne, Germany | Hard (i) | 6–3, 3–6, 6–1 | |
Loss | 3. | 1979 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | 7–6, 3–6, 3–6 | |
Win | 3. | 1980 | Denver, U.S. | Carpet | 6–2, 6–2 | |
Loss | 4. | 1980 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Carpet | 2–6, 4–6 | |
Win | 4. | 1980 | Metz, France | Carpet | 6–3, 6–3, 6–0 | |
Win | 5. | 1980 | Los Angeles | Hard | 6–3, 6–2 | |
Loss | 5. | 1980 | Boston, U.S. | Clay | 2–6, 1–6 | |
Win | 6. | 1980 | Cleveland, U.S. | Hard | 6–2, 6–1 | |
Win | 7. | 1980 | San Francisco, U.S. | Carpet | 6–2, 2–6, 6–1 | |
Loss | 6. | 1980 | Wembley, United Kingdom | Carpet | 4–6, 3–6, 3–6 | |
Win | 8. | 1981 | Memphis, U.S. | Carpet | 6–2, 6–4 | |
Win | 9. | 1981 | Denver, U.S. | Carpet | 6–4, 6–4 | |
Loss | 7. | 1981 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Hard (i) | 1–6, 6–2, 2–6 | |
Win | 10. | 1981 | Cleveland, U.S. | Hard | 6–1, 6–4 | |
Win | 11. | 1981 | Stockholm, Sweden | Hard (i) | 6–4, 6–2 | |
Loss | 8. | 1982 | Las Vegas, U.S. | Hard | 2–5, retired | |
Win | 12. | 1982 | Munich, Germany | Clay | 3–6, 6–3, 6–2, 6–1 | |
Loss | 9. | 1982 | Sydney Indoor, Australia | Hard (i) | 4–6, 1–6, 4–6 | |
Loss | 10. | 1983 | Memphis, U.S. | Carpet | 5–7, 0–6 | |
Win | 13. | 1983 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Hard (i) | 6–1, 7–6 | |
Win | 14. | 1983 | Los Angeles | Hard | 7–6, 6–1 | |
Loss | 11. | 1984 | Munich, Germany | Clay | 4–6, 6–4, 6–7, 4–6 | |
Loss | 12. | 1984 | Stuttgart Outdoor, Germany | Clay | 6–7, 0–6, 6–1, 1–6 |
Doubles: 24 (15 wins, 9 losses)
Result | W/L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1. | 1976 | La Costa, U.S. | Hard | 6–7, 6–7 | ||
Loss | 2. | 1976 | Charlotte WCT, U.S. | Carpet | 3–6, 5–7 | ||
Loss | 3. | 1977 | Columbus, U.S. | Clay | 6–4, 5–7, 2–6 | ||
Win | 1. | 1978 | Mexico City WCT, Mexico | Hard | 6–3, 7–6 | ||
Win | 2. | 1978 | Miami, Florida, U.S. | Carpet | 7–6, 6–3 | ||
Loss | 4. | 1978 | Guadalajara, Mexico | Clay | 6–4, 6–7, 3–6 | ||
Win | 3. | 1978 | San Jose, California, U.S. | Carpet | 6–3, 6–4 | ||
Win | 4. | 1978 | French Open, Paris | Clay | 6–3, 6–2, 6–2 | ||
Win | 5. | 1978 | Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S. | Clay | 6–3, 6–3 | ||
Win | 6. | 1978 | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Clay | 6–3, 6–1 | ||
Win | 7. | 1979 | Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. | Hard | 6–4, 7–6 | ||
Win | 8. | 1979 | Houston, U.S. | Clay | 6–1, 5–7, 6–4 | ||
Win | 9. | 1979 | French Open, Paris | Clay | 6–4, 6–4, 6–4 | ||
Loss | 5. | 1979 | Forest Hills WCT, U.S. | Clay | 7–6, 6–7, 3–6 | ||
Win | 10. | 1979 | Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. | Clay | 6–4, 7–6 | ||
Win | 11. | 1979 | Cologne, Germany | Hard (i) | 6–3, 6–4 | ||
Win | 12. | 1980 | Metz, France | Carpet | 7–6, 7–5 | ||
Loss | 6. | 1980 | Las Vegas, U.S. | Hard | 2–6, 5–7 | ||
Win | 13. | 1980 | Florence, Italy | Clay | 6–1, 6–4 | ||
Win | 14. | 1980 | Boston, U.S. | Clay | 1–6, 6–4, 6–4 | ||
Loss | 7. | 1980 | Washington, D.C., U.S. | Clay | 4–6, 5–7 | ||
Loss | 8. | 1980 | San Francisco, U.S. | Carpet | 1–6, 4–6 | ||
Win | 15. | 1981 | Memphis, U.S. | Carpet | 7–6, 6–7, 7–6 | ||
Loss | 9. | 1981 | Rotterdam, Netherlands | Hard (i) | 6–7, 6–1, 4–6 |
References
- "Vilas Extended by Mayer", The New York Times, February 13, 1977. Accessed December 10, 2007. "Guillermo Vilas, the Argentine left hander, had unexpectedly strong opposition, but ousted young Gene Mayer of Wayne, N.J., 7–6, 7–6, 6–1, in the semifinals of the $50,000 Springfield International, a Grand Prix tennis tournament."
- Best Boys Tennis Team of the Century, The Star-Ledger. Accessed December 10, 2007.
- Cavanaugh, Jack. "A TENNIS TOURNAMENT SERVES SOME ACES", The New York Times, August 23, 1987. Accessed September 16, 2008. "Most of what rooting interest developed focused on the closest thing to a homegrown product in the competition, Gene Mayer of Woodmere."
- "NC Sports Commission Invites Athlete and Coach Nominations From Community" Archived September 6, 2008, at the Wayback Machine, Three Village Times, January 28, 2005. Accessed December 22, 2007. "The NCSC is privileged to announce that four-time Track and Field Gold Medallist Al Oerter and former world ranked tennis professional Gene Mayer are scheduled, among others, to accept their induction into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame on April 11."