Eliot Teltscher
Age: 65
Eliot Teltscher (born March 15, 1959, in Rancho Palos Verdes, California) is a retired professional American tennis player. He resides in Irvine, California.
Tennis career
Early years
Teltscher began playing tennis when he was nine, and by the time he was seventeen, he was ranked in the top ten in the United States junior rankings. He attended UCLA in 1978 on a tennis scholarship, but dropped out to begin his professional tennis career. In the NCAA tournament that year, he was ranked number two and was expected play John Mcenroe from Stanford in the final. However, he lost in the quarter-finals to John Sadri of North Carolina State. That same year he defeated Onny Parun to win the New Zealand Open.
Pro career
In 1979, Teltscher turned pro. A worldwide top 10 player from 1980-82, he was ranked no lower than #15 from through 1984. He reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on May 7, 1982, when he became ranked #6 in the world.
In 1981, he had a famous outburst during the French Open at the end of a match against Ilie Năstase, against whom he lost on a controversial point. Furious at the decision, Teltscher snapped and grabbed the referee by the tie and had to be stopped by a few spectators who entered the court.
He and his partner Terry Moor made it to the finals of the French Open in 1981, and he and Barbara Jordan won the mixed doubles title in 1983. He made it to the quarterfinals at the US Open in 1980, 1981, and 1983, where each time he was defeated by Jimmy Connors. He beat Connors, ranked # 8 in the world, in Chicago 6-3, 6-1. He won 10 singles titles during his professional career, which ended in 1988.
Davis Cup
Teltscher was on the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1982, 1983, and 1985. His team defeated France in the 1982 tournament.
Major finals
Grand Slam finals
Men's doubles
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
Runner-up | 1981 | French Open | Clay | Terry Moor | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy |
2-6, 6-7, 3-6 |
Mixed doubles
Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
Winner | 1983 | French Open | Clay | Barbara Jordan | Leslie Allen Charles Strode |
6-2, 6-3 |
ATP Tour finals
Singles 24 (10-14)
Outcome | No. | Date | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 1978 | Atlanta, U.S. | Hard | Stan Smith | 6-4, 1-6, 1-2, ret. |
Winner | 1. | 1978 | Hong Kong | Hard | Pat Du Pré | 6-4, 6-3, 6-2 |
Winner | 2. | 1979 | Atlanta, U.S. | Hard | John Alexander | 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 |
Runner-up | 2. | 1980 | Birmingham, U.S. | Carpet | Jimmy Connors | 3-6, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 3. | 1980 | New Orleans, U.S. | Carpet | Wojtek Fibak | 4-6, 5-7 |
Winner | 3. | 1980 | Atlanta, U.S. | Hard | Terry Moor | 6-2, 6-2 |
Runner-up | 4. | 1980 | San Francisco, U.S. | Carpet | Gene Mayer | 2-6, 6-2, 1-6 |
Winner | 4. | 1980 | Maui, U.S. | Hard | Tim Wilkison | 7-6, 6-3 |
Runner-up | 5. | 1980 | Republic of China | Carpet | Jimmy Connors | 2-6, 4-6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 1980 | Tokyo Outdoor, Japan | Clay | Ivan Lendl | 6-3, 4-6, 0-6 |
Winner | 5. | 1981 | San Juan, U.S. | Hard | Tim Gullikson | 6-4, 6-2 |
Runner-up | 7. | 1981 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | Ivan Lendl | 3-6, 2-6 |
Winner | 6. | 1981 | San Francisco, U.S. | Carpet | Brian Teacher | 6-3, 7-6 |
Runner-up | 8. | 1981 | Tokyo Outdoor, Japan | Clay | Balázs Taróczy | 3-6, 6-1, 6-7(3) |
Runner-up | 9. | 1982 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Andrés Gómez | 2-6, 3-6, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 10. | 1982 | Melbourne Indoor, Australia | Carpet | Vitas Gerulaitis | 6-2, 2-6, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 11. | 1983 | La Quinta, U.S. | Hard | José Higueras | 4-6, 2-6 |
Winner | 7. | 1983 | Tokyo, Japan | Hard | Andrés Gómez | 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 |
Runner-up | 12. | 1984 | Los Angeles, U.S. | Hard | Jimmy Connors | 4-6, 6-4, 4-6 |
Winner | 8. | 1984 | Brisbane, Australia | Hard | Francisco González | 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 |
Winner | 9. | 1984 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Vitas Gerulaitis | 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 |
Runner-up | 13. | 1987 | Scottsdale, U.S. | Hard | Brad Gilbert | 2-6, 2-6 |
Winner | 10. | 1987 | Hong Kong | Hard | John Fitzgerald | 6-7(6), 3-6, 6-1, 6-2, 7-5 |
Runner-up | 14. | 1988 | Guarujá, Brazil | Hard | Luiz Mattar | 3-6, 3-6 |
Doubles 14 (4-10)
Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents in the final | Score in the final |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Runner-up | 1. | 1978 | Columbus, U.S. | Clay | Marcello Lara | Colin Dibley Bob Giltinan |
2-6, 3-6 |
Winner | 1. | 1979 | Tulsa, U.S. | Hard (i) | Francisco González | Colin Dibley Tom Gullikson |
6-7, 7-5, 6-3 |
Runner-up | 2. | 1979 | Atlanta, U.S. | Hard | Steve Docherty | Raymond Moore Ilie Năstase |
4-6, 2-6 |
Winner | 2. | 1980 | New Orleans, U.S. | Carpet | Terry Moor | Raymond Moore Robert Trogolo |
7-6, 6-1 |
Runner-up | 3. | 1980 | Rome, Italy | Clay | Balázs Taróczy | Mark Edmondson Kim Warwick |
6-7, 6-7 |
Runner-up | 4. | 1980 | Columbus, Ohio, U.S. | Hard | Peter Fleming | Brian Gottfried Sandy Mayer |
4-6, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 5. | 1980 | Tokyo Outdoor, Japan | Clay | Terry Moor | Ross Case Jaime Fillol |
3-6, 6-3, 4-6 |
Runner-up | 6. | 1980 | Wembley, England | Carpet | Bill Scanlon | Peter Fleming John McEnroe |
5-7, 3-6 |
Runner-up | 7. | 1981 | San Juan, Puerto Rico | Hard | Tim Gullikson | Tim Mayotte Chris Mayotte |
4-6, 6-7 |
Runner-up | 8. | 1981 | La Quinta, U.S. | Hard | Terry Moor | Bruce Manson Brian Teacher |
6-7, 2-6 |
Runner-up | 9. | 1981 | French Open, Paris | Clay | Terry Moor | Heinz Günthardt Balázs Taróczy |
2-6, 6-7, 3-6 |
Winner | 3. | 1982 | Delray Beach WCT, U.S. | Clay | Mel Purcell | Tomáš Šmíd Balázs Taróczy |
6-4, 7-6 |
Winner | 4. | 1982 | Maui, U.S. | Hard | Mike Cahill | Francisco González Bernard Mitton |
6-4, 6-4 |
Runner-up | 10. | 1984 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Hard | Steve Meister | Tracy Delatte Francisco González |
6-7, 1-6 |
Coaching
He served coach for Justin Gimelstob, Richey Reneberg (1997), Jeff Tarango (1995), Pete Sampras, Jim Grabb (1992), and others.
Teltscher served as a head men's tennis coach at Pepperdine University for the 1991-92 school season, and as a tennis coach at the Manhattan Beach Country Club from 1992 to 1997.
He was a coach of the US national team from 1998 to 2001, when he resigned to become personal coach to Taylor Dent.
He was named USTA Director of Tennis Operations in December 2002.
Teltscher was named the 2003 Pan American Games Men's Coach.
Hall of Fame
Teltscher, who is Jewish, was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.