Barry MacKay
1967) | |
French Pro | QF (1961, 1963, 1967) |
---|---|
Doubles | |
Career titles | 11 |
Barry MacKay (August 31, 1935 – June 15, 2012) was an American tennis player, tournament director and broadcaster. He was ranked #1 in the U.S. in 1960.[2]
While competing in college for the
He reached the Quarterfinals of
In 1959, when he reached the Singles Semifinals at the Australian Championships he lost to
In 1960, he was seeded No. 1 at the French Championships, and reached the Quarterfinals losing to Orlando Sirola. Prior to Paris he had won the Italian Championships in early May, beating Defending Champion, Luis Ayala, in five sets. MacKay twice won the Pacific Coast Championships, first in 1959, and again in 1960.[citation needed]
His big year was 1960, when he also won ten more tournaments, to earn the No. 1 ranking in the United States. That year he reached the Quarterfinals of the U.S. Championships.[citation needed]
Early years
MacKay was born in
Playing career
MacKay enjoyed a 17-year career as an amateur and a professional tennis player, winning 29 singles titles and 11 doubles. He started his tennis career in the 1950, as National Boys Indoor champion and then in 1952, as the Ohio State High School Champion.
From there, he enrolled at the University of Michigan in 1953 along with Mark Jaffe and Dick Potter to form a strong team under tennis coach Bill Murphy. Entering college Barry was ranked #16 in the Juniors, Mark Jaffe #10, and Dick Potter #20. Barry practiced often with Professor and ranked player Andy Paton Jr., who made him a much better player. He won five Big Ten Conference Championships while at the University of Michigan — 2 Singles Championships in 1956 and 1957, and 3 Doubles Championships with partner, Dick Potter, in 1955, 1956, and 1957.[6]
In June 1957, MacKay won the Singles title at the
MacKay played on five United States Davis Cup teams from 1956 to 1960, and in three final rounds. The 1958 Davis Cup team of Alex Olmedo, Ham Richardson, and Barry beat Australia for the Championship. In 1959, he beat Rod Laver 7-5, 6-4, 6-1 in the Davis Cup Finals at Forest Hills. He is the only American player to beat Laver in Davis Cup competition.
After winning the NCAA Singles Title in June 1957, MacKay played amateur tennis for three additional summers. In 1958, he reached the Quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the Finals of the U.S. Doubles Championships. In 1959, he lost to
In 1960, he was ranked as the No. 1 amateur in the U.S. after reaching the Quarterfinals of Wimbledon and the U.S. Championships, and winning 11 tournaments: Atlanta, Buffalo, Dallas, River Oaks, River Forest
In 1961, MacKay turned professional. He played three years with the Jack Kramer Professional Tennis Tour. He recalled the Kramer Tour, "Matches were played in one city after another on a nightly basis across the country and around the world. It was a barnstorming type of tour."
Grand Slam finals
Doubles: 1 runner-up
Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Loss | 1958 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Sam Giammalva | Alex Olmedo Ham Richardson |
6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 4–6 |
Directing tournaments
In 1964, MacKay moved to California and worked for
Barry's closest friends were his agent,
Broadcasting career
Starting in the 1970s, MacKay became a Tennis Broadcaster. In 2001, he helped launch Tennis Channel as a Broadcaster. Over his 30-year broadcasting career, MacKay teamed with
Death
Mackay died in
Honors
- Inducted into the University of Michigan Athletic Hall of Honor in 1980.
- Inducted into the Cincinnati Tennis Hall of Fame in 2003.
- Inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Hall of Fame in 1987.[9]
- Presented the Bob Hope Award for "Amateur Athlete of the Year" in 1960.
- Inducted into the Los Angeles Open Hall of Fame in 2005.
- Honored by the Indian Wells Masters tournament for his life's contributions to Tennis on March 10, 2013.
References
- ^ United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 427.
- ^ "Tennis - ATP World Tour - Tennis Legend Barry MacKay Passes Away". ATP World Tour. September 30, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ "Barry Mackay (1980) - University of Michigan Hall of Honor". University of Michigan Athletics. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ "Tennis Significant Figures". Dayton Area Sports History. Archived from the original on September 3, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- ^ "Boys Tennis State Tournament Record Book". Ohio High School Athletic Association. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
- ^ "University of Michigan Athletics - Men's Tennis". Bentley.umich.edu. July 24, 2011. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ Medium Well: Your NBC Olympics lineup - A blog on sports media, news and networks - baltimoresun.com Archived August 3, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Barry MacKay: 1935-2012, Tennis standout ran bay area tourney". San Francisco Chronicle. June 16, 2012. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
- ^ "Men's Hall of Fame". Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Archived from the original on July 3, 2017. Retrieved December 31, 2016.
External links
- Barry MacKay at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Barry MacKay at the International Tennis Federation
- Barry MacKay at the Davis Cup
- The Tennis Channel: Profile of Barry MacKay
- Alumni Update: Barry MacKay (1955-57), March 2007
- 1957 NCAA Singles Champion
- U.S.Championship Doubles finalist in 1958
- Barry MacKay at IMDb