Joel Bailey (tennis)

Joel Bailey (born April 25, 1951) is a former professional tennis player from the United States.

Joel Bailey
Full nameJoel Bailey
Country (sports) United States
Born (1951-04-25) April 25, 1951
West Palm Beach, Florida
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career record7–34
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 197 (December 31, 1978)
Grand Slam Singles results
Wimbledon1R (1978, 1981)
US Open2R (1979)
Doubles
Career record28–55
Career titles1
Highest rankingNo. 90 (September 24, 1979)
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open2R (1981)
French Open1R (1978)
Wimbledon2R (1978)
US Open1R (1977, 1979, 1981)

Biography

Bailey was born in Florida but based in Memphis, Tennessee. An All-American varsity tennis player at Samford University, Bailey began competing internationally in the late 1970s.

He won a Grand Prix doubles title in Lagos, Nigeria with Bruce Kleege in 1979.[1]

In singles, he had his first big match win at Sarasota in 1980 when he saved triple match points to upset Steve Krulevitz, from a set and 2–5 down.[2] He had only entered the tournament as a wild card, which was awarded as he was the son of Mack Bailey, who owned the company that sponsored the tournament.[3] At the Tulsa that year he made the quarter-finals, his best performance in a Grand Prix tournament. He competed in the main draw of the 1981 Wimbledon Championships and had a two set lead over Kevin Curren in their first round encounter, but lost in five.[4]

From the 1980s he lived in Japan and appeared in many tournaments in that country, as well as earning a living teaching tennis.[5] He twice won the doubles title at the ATP Challenger event in Nagoya.

Grand Prix career finals

Doubles: 1 (1–0)
Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1. 1979 Lagos, Nigeria Hard Bruce Kleege Ismail El Shafei
Peter Feigl		 6–4, 6–7, 6–3

Challenger titles

Doubles: (3)
No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
1. 1979 Nagoya, Japan Hard Rod Frawley Chris Kachel
Marcello Lara		 7–6, 7–5
2. 1979 Lincoln, U. S. Hard Bruce Kleege Steve Denton
Peter Rennert		 0–6, 6–4, 6–4
3. 1983 Nagoya, Japan Hard Jeff Turpin Charles Strode
Morris Strode		 6–4, 3–6, 7–6

References
  1. "ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Lagos - 26 February - 04 March 1979". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  2. Gibson, Steve (February 13, 1980). "Bailey makes it right". Sarasota Journal. p. 1B. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  3. Huber, Mic (February 10, 1980). "McCurry Meets Carter Monday". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. p. 6C. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  4. Barclay, Simon (2015). Wimbledon Singles Championships - Complete Open Era Results. ISBN 9781326385958.
  5. Shapiro, Michael (September 17, 1986). "Tennis Booms In Japan, But Like Nowhere Else". New York Times. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
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