Ken McGregor
McGregor in 1950
|
|
| Full name | Kenneth Bruce McGregor |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |
 Australia
|
| Born |
2 June 1929 Adelaide, Australia |
| Died | 1 December 2007 (aged 78) Adelaide, Australia |
| Height | 188 cm (6 ft 2 in) |
| Turned pro | 1952 (amateur tour from 1948) |
| Retired | 1957 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1999 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 3 (1952, Lance Tingay) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1952) |
| French Open | SF (1951, 1952) |
| Wimbledon | F (1951) |
| US Open | 4R (1951) |
| Doubles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (1951) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | W (1951, 1952) |
| French Open | W (1951, 1952) |
| Wimbledon | W (1951, 1952) |
| US Open | W (1951) |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| US Open | W (1950) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1950, 1951, 1952) |
Kenneth Bruce McGregor (2 June 1929 – 1 December 2007) was an Australian tennis player from Australia who won the Men's Singles title at the Australian Championships (now known as the Australian Open) in 1952. He and his longtime doubles partner, Frank Sedgman, are generally considered one of the greatest men's doubles teams of all time and won the doubles Grand Slam in 1951. McGregor was also a member of three Australian Davis Cup winning teams in 1950–1952. In 1953, Jack Kramer induced both Sedgman and McGregor to turn professional. He was ranked as high as World No. 3 in 1952.
In 1951 and 1952 McGregor and Frank Sedgman won seven consecutive Grand Slam doubles titles – a feat that is unmatched to date.
McGregor was a fine all-round athlete, excelling in cricket, Australian rules football, and tennis. At 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), he had a powerful serve and overhead. The great tennis player Ellsworth Vines said of McGregor: "He was the same height as Pancho Gonzales, faster, moved as well and could jump higher, and once he got to the net he was difficult to pass because of his prehensile reach. The handsome Aussie had the most extraordinary overhead of all time." In his 1979 autobiography Jack Kramer, the long-time tennis promoter and great player himself, who brought McGregor into professional tennis, wrote that "McGregor was one of the weakest players but one of the nicest guys who ever played for me in the pros. As nearly as I could tell, all he wanted to do was save up some money, go back Down Under and play Australian-rules football, which in fact, he played better than he did tennis. And that's what he did."
In early January 1953 McGregor and Sedgman signed a contract to join Jack Kramer's professional tour. This made them ineligible to compete in the amateur Grand Slam tournaments and Davis Cup.
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Wikipedia