Billy Talbert

Billy Talbert

Born: September 4, 1918
Died: February 28, 1999 (at age 80)
Biography

William Franklin "Billy" Talbert (September 4, 1918 - February 28, 1999) was an American tennis player and administrator.

Tennis career

He was ranked in the U.S. Top 10 13 times between 1941 and 1954, and was ranked World No. 3 in 1949 by John Olliff of The Daily Telegraph. He won nine Grand Slam doubles titles, and also reached the men's doubles finals of the U.S. National Championship nine times, mainly with his favorite partner, Gardnar Mulloy. He also was a Davis Cup player and one of the most successful Davis Cup captains in U.S. history.

Talbert was a Type 1 diabetic, one of the few known to be in sports at a highly competitive level, and for many years was held up as an example of how this disease could be surmounted.

Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Talbert still holds records at the Cincinnati Masters in his hometown. His records are for most doubles titles (six), most total finals appearances (14), and most singles finals appearances (seven). He won three singles titles (in 1943, '45 & '47), and his six doubles titles came in 1943, '44, '45, '47, '51 & '54.

Talbert also won the singles title at the U.S. Clay Court Championship in 1945 and was a finalist in 1946 and '43. Before starting out on the international tour, he played for the University of Cincinnati and won an Ohio State singles title in 1936 while at Cincinnati's Hughes High School.

Talbert was enshrined into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1967 and was in the first class, along with his former protégé Tony Trabert, enshrined into the Cincinnati Tennis Hall of Fame in 2002. Barry MacKay, another protégé, was inducted into the same Hall of Fame in 2003. After his playing career, he wrote tennis books, including the best seller The Game of Doubles in Tennis with Bruce Old in 1977, served as a tennis commentator for NBC Sports, and was Tournament Director of the US Open.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (2 runner-ups)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Runner-up 1944 U.S. Championships Grass Frank Parker 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 3-6
Runner-up 1945 U.S. Championships Grass Frank Parker 12-14, 1-6, 2-6

Doubles (5 titles, 5 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1942 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Ted Schroeder
Sidney Wood
9-7, 7-5, 6-1
Runner-up 1943 U.S. Championships Grass David Freeman Jack Kramer
Frank Parker
2-6, 4-6, 4-6
Runner-up 1944 U.S. Championships Grass Pancho Segura Don McNeill
Bob Falkenburg
5-7, 4-6, 6-3, 1-6
Winner 1945 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Bob Falkenburg
Jack Tuero
12-10, 8-10, 12-10, 6-2
Winner 1946 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Don McNeill
Frank Guernsey
3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-3, 20-18
Runner-up 1947 U.S. Championships Grass Bill Sidwell Jack Kramer
Ted Schroeder
4-6, 5-7, 3-6
Winner 1948 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Frank Parker
Ted Schroeder
1-6, 9-7, 6-3, 3-6, 9-7
Winner 1950 French Championships Clay Tony Trabert Jaroslav Drobný
Eric Sturgess
6-2, 1-6, 10-8, 6-2
Runner-up 1950 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy John Bromwich
Frank Sedgman
5-7, 6-8, 6-3, 1-6
Runner-up 1953 U.S. Championships Grass Gardnar Mulloy Rex Hartwig
Mervyn Rose
4-6, 6-4, 2-6, 4-6

Mixed Doubles (4 titles, 3 runner-ups)

Outcome Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1943 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Pauline Betz
Pancho Segura
10-6, 6-4
Winner 1944 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Dorothy Bundy
Don McNeill
6-2, 6-3
Winner 1945 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Doris Hart
Bob Falkenberg
6-4, 6-4
Winner 1946 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne Louise Brough Clapp
Robert Kimbrell
6-3, 6-4
Runner-up 1948 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne duPont Louise Brough Clapp
Tom Brown
4-6, 4-6
Runner-up 1949 U.S. Championships Grass Margaret Osborne duPont Louise Brough Clapp
Eric Sturgess
6-4, 3-6, 5-7
Runner-up 1950 French Championships Clay Patricia Canning Todd Barbara Scofield
Enrique Morea
w.o.
Charities

Billy Talbert supports the following charitable cause: Diabetes.

[ Source: Wikipedia ]


Terms Privacy Join Contact
Contact Any Star FanPal • 2024