Franjo Kukuljević
| Country (sports) |  1938) |
|---|---|
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | F (1939) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1936) |
Franjo Kukuljević (pronounced
Tennis career
Franjo Kukuljević first came to attention when he won the National Tennis Championships in 1929. This led to him receiving an invitation to join the
In 1931 Zagreb welcomed the
In 1932 a rivalry arose between Kukuljević and the up-and-coming talent Franjo Punčec. They met in two notable finals, first in the Yugoslavian International Championships, and then in the national championships. In both meetings Kukuljević dominated the field and left victorious.[3] Kukuljević then returned to Semmering where he booked his first world top ten trophy over a Wimbledon champion, the Australian Jack Crawford.[3]
The 1933–1934 season saw Kukuljević's decline as Franjo Punčec stripped him of his national singles title. After travelling to Egypt he injured himself, which caused him to waste the rest of his season.[3] In 1935 he won the All-India Lawn Tennis Doubles Championships with Franjo Šefer.[4] He performed well in the mixed doubles as well and took the Netherlands Championships mixed trophy.[3]
By chance, in 1937 at the
In 1938 Kukuljević reached the Davis Cup Europe final with Punčec and Palada, and only lost to Germany in Berlin. In Belgrade he beat world number one Don Budge in two straight sets, which was a major upset.[3]
In the
In 1943 he was still active within the seceded Independent State of Croatia. He played in Gödöllő where he lost in the doubles, partnering Josip Sarić.[6]
In 1948 he added the North of England Championships to his accolades, which he won in
Later life
Kukuljević had a brother named Tomislav. After World War II, they emigrated to South Africa,[8] where Kukuljević worked as a merchant and married Ljuba Kukuljević.[9] He died in 2002 in Johannesburg, South Africa.[2]
Grand Slam tournaments finals
Mixed doubles: 1 (0 titles, 1 runner-up)
| Result | Year | Championship | Partner | Opponent in final | Score in final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1939 | French Championships |  Simonne Mathieu |
6–4, 1–6, 5–7 |
Footnotes
- ^ "Fránjo". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2018-03-17.
Fránjo
- ^ a b "Kukuljević, Franjo" (in Croatian). Croatian Encyclopedia. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Šoškić 2012, pp. 262–265.
- ^ Straits Times 1935; All India tennis final.
- ^ Argus 28,962; p. 15.
- ^ Huszadik Század 1943.
- ^ Straits Times 1948; p. 10.
- ^ Mursalo 2003.
- ^ Die-maus-bremen.de website.
Works cited
Primary
- Šoškić, Čedomir (2012). Тениски савез Србије Тенис без граници 1922–2012. [Tennis Association of Serbia, Tennis without Borders 1922–2012] (PDF) (in Serbian). Belgrade, Serbia: Tennis Association of Serbia. pp. 262–265. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help)
Secondary
- Mursalo, Tvrtko Andrija (2003). Hrvati na jugu Afrike [Croatians in southern Africa] (in Croatian). Zagreb, Croatia: Nakladni zavod Matice Hrvatske & Hrvatska matica iseljenika. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 25 December 2013.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - "All India tennis final". The Straits Times. Singapore, Straits Settlements: Straits Times Press: 14. 12 February 1935.
- "Kukuljevic wins". The Straits Times. Singapore, Straits Settlements: Straits Times Press: 10. 22 August 1948. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- Weston, Mervyn (20 June 1939). "Another title to Mcneill – Bid by veterans". The Argus (28, 962). Melbourne, Australia: Argus Office: 15. Retrieved 26 December 2013.
- "Meglepetések a gödöllői teniszversenyen" [Upsets at the tournament of Gödöllő] (in Hungarian). Budapest, Hungary: Huszadik század. September 1943. Retrieved 28 November 2013.
- "Norddeutscher Lloyd passenger list". Die-maus-bremen.de (in German). Bremen, Germany: Chamber of Commerce and the State Archive of Bremen. 11 August 1939. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
