Francis Frank Townsend Hunter (June 28, 1894 – December 2, 1981) was an American tennis player who won an Olympic gold medal.
He won the U.S. National Indoor Championships in 1922 and 1930 and the Eastern Clay Court Championships in 1919.
Full name | Francis Townsend Hunter | ||||||||
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Country (sports) | United States | ||||||||
Born | New York, New York, U.S. | June 28, 1894||||||||
Died | December 2, 1981 Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. | (aged 87)||||||||
Turned pro | 1931 (amateur tour from 1915) | ||||||||
Retired | 1944 | ||||||||
Plays | Right-handed (1-handed backhand) | ||||||||
Int. Tennis HoF | 1961 (member page) | ||||||||
Singles | |||||||||
Career record | 480-152 (75.9%) | ||||||||
Career titles | 24 | ||||||||
Highest ranking | No. 4 (1929, A. Wallis Myers) | ||||||||
Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||
French Open | QF (1929) | ||||||||
Wimbledon | F (1923) | ||||||||
US Open | F (1928, 1929) | ||||||||
Professional majors | |||||||||
US Pro | F (1933) | ||||||||
Doubles | |||||||||
Career record | no value | ||||||||
Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||
Wimbledon | W (1924, 1927) | ||||||||
US Open | W (1927) | ||||||||
Other doubles tournaments | |||||||||
Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |||||||||
French Open | F (1928, 1929) | ||||||||
Wimbledon | W (1927, 1929) | ||||||||
Medal record
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Hunter graduated from Cornell University in 1916, where he was a member of the Quill and Dagger society and the ice hockey team.
During WWI he was a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy and served on Admiral Beatty's flagship of the British Royal Navy. He later wrote a book about his experiences with the Admiral.
Hunter was the second husband of the actress Lisette Verea in 1954.
Hunter was later successful in the coal and printing industries.
Hunter won the U.S. National Indoor Championships in 1922 and again in 1930 and the Eastern Clay Court Championships in 1919.
Hunter was a singles finalist at Wimbledon in 1923 (where he beat Gordon Lowe, then lost to Bill Johnston).
Hunter won a gold medal at the 1924 Paris Olympics, in the men's doubles event with partner Vincent Richards.
He won the Scheveningen Championships on red clay in the Netherlands in 1928 defeating Hendrik Timmer in the semifinal in four sets and Jean Borotra in the final in three straight sets.
Hunter reached the U.S. championships singles final in 1928 (where he beat Jack Crawford and George Lott, then lost to Henri Cochet in five sets).
He reached his third Grand Slam singles final at the U.S. championships in 1929 where he beat R. Norris Williams, losing the final in five sets to Bill Tilden.
He was ranked World No. 4 in 1929 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph and World No. 5 in another Myers list in September the same year.
Hunter won the Brooklyn Indoor Championships in 1930 defeating J. Gilbert Hall in the semifinal.
Hunter turned professional in mid January 1931 joining Bill Tilden. He reached the final of the U.S. Pro Championships in 1933 where he lost to Vincent Richards. As well as playing on the pro tour, Hunter was also a promoter, including promoting the first Perry-Vines tour in 1937 with S. Howard Voshell.
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score | |
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Loss | 1923 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bill Johnston | 0–6, 3–6, 1–6 | |
Loss | 1928 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Henri Cochet | 6–4, 4–6, 6–3, 5–7, 3–6 | |
Loss | 1929 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Bill Tilden | 6–3, 3–6, 6–4, 2–6, 4–6 |
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1924 | Wimbledon | Grass | Vincent Richards | Watson Washburn R. Norris Williams | 6−3, 3−6, 8−10, 8−6, 6−3 | |
Win | 1927 | Wimbledon | Grass | Bill Tilden | Jacques Brugnon Henri Cochet | 1–6, 4–6, 8–6, 6–3, 6–4 | |
Win | 1927 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Bill Tilden | R. Norris Williams Bill Johnston | 10–8, 6–3, 6–3 |
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Win | 1927 | Wimbledon | Grass | Elizabeth Ryan | Kathleen McKane Godfree Leslie Godfree | 8–6, 6–0 | |
Loss | 1928 | French Championships | Clay | Helen Wills | Eileen Bennett Henri Cochet | 6–3, 3–6, 3–6 | |
Loss | 1929 | French Championships | Clay | Helen Wills | Eileen Bennett Henri Cochet | 3–6, 2–6 | |
Win | 1929 | [Wimbledon | Grass | Helen Wills | Joan Fry Ian Collins | 6–1, 6–4 |
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