Nikola Pilić
Pilić at the Dutch Open in Hilversum in July 1975.
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| Country (sports) |
 Yugoslavia
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| Residence | Munich, Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
27 August 1939 Split, Croatian Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
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| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | 1968 (amateur tour from 1960) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Retired | 1978 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Left-handed (1-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 211–168 (Open era) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 6 (1968, Lance Tingay) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam Singles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 3R (1970) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | F (1973) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1967) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | QF (1973) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Professional majors | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Pro | QF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wembley Pro | QF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Pro | QF (1968) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 143–134 (Open era) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | QF (1970) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | R16 (1969,1976-77) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | SF (1975) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | W (1970) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Nikola "Niki" Pilić (born 27 August 1939) is a retired Croatian professional tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia.
He was one of the Handsome Eight. Pilić was ranked World No. 6 in January 1968 and World No. 7 for 1967 by Lance Tingay of The Daily Telegraph.
Pilić was born in Split, Croatian Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia to Krsto Pilić and Danica Tomić-Ferić year and a half before the outbreak of World War II.
The youngster took up tennis during the summer of 1952. Thirteen years of age at this point, he began practicing on the Firule tennis club clay courts in parallel to studying shipbuilding at the streamlined high school in Split. Upon graduating he attempted to enroll at a community college (viša škola) in Zagreb, but due to not meeting the entrance criteria ended up in Novi Sad where he studied administration (viša upravna škola).
He was one of the Handsome Eight, a group of players signed by Lamar Hunt in 1968 for the newly formed professional World Championship Tennis (WCT) group.
In 1970 Pilić won the men's doubles title at the US Open together with his French partner Pierre Barthès by defeating the Australians John Newcombe and Rod Laver in four sets. His best singles performance at a Grand Slam tournament came in 1973 when he reached the final of the French Open but lost to Ilie Năstase in three straight sets.
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