Todd Witsken
Country (sports) | ![]() |
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Born | Indianapolis, Indiana, US | November 4, 1963
Died | May 25, 1998 Zionsville, Indiana, US | (aged 34)
Turned pro | 1985 |
Retired | 1993 |
Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
College | University of Southern California |
Prize money | $1,420,910 |
Singles | |
Career record | 115–135 |
Career titles | 0 |
Highest ranking | No. 43 (November 13, 1989) |
Grand Slam singles results | |
Australian Open | QF (1988) |
French Open | 2R (1988, 1989) |
Wimbledon | 2R (1986, 1989) |
US Open | 4R (1986) |
Doubles | |
Career record | 222–148 |
Career titles | 12 |
Highest ranking | No. 4 (August 29, 1988) |
Todd Witsken (November 4, 1963 – May 25, 1998) was an American tennis player. He specialized in playing doubles and began his professional career in 1985. He was a three-time all-American at the University of Southern California. His career-high rankings were world No. 43 in singles and No. 4 in doubles.[1] Witsken retired just before the 1993 US Open and died from brain cancer on May 25, 1998, at the age of 34.[1]
His biggest singles win was at the 1986 US Open, where he beat five-time US Open champion, Jimmy Connors, 6–2, 6–4, 7–5, in their third-round match. It was the first time since 1973 that Connors had failed to reach the US Open semifinals.
In 1989, Witsken lost to Greg Holmes 7–5, 4–6, 6–7(5), 6–4, 12–14, in the second round at Wimbledon, a match that was the longest men's singles match at Wimbledon, timed at 5 hours 28 minutes, until the record-breaking Isner-Mahut match in 2010.
He was one of eight children born to Marilyn and Henry Witsken. His hometown was Carmel, Indiana, where he left behind four children. His nephew is Ben Shelton.
ATP career finals
[edit]Legend |
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Grand Slam (0) |
ATP Masters Series (2) |
ATP International Series Gold (0) |
ATP Tour (10) |
Doubles: 21 (12 wins, 9 losses)
[edit]Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
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Loss | 1. | Oct 1987 | San Francisco, US | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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2–6, 6–0, 4–6 |
Loss | 2. | Mar 1988 | Indian Wells, US | Hard | ![]() |
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4–6, 4–6 |
Loss | 3. | May 1988 | Charleston, US | Clay | ![]() |
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6–7, 3–6 |
Win | 1. | May 1988 | Forest Hills, US | Clay | ![]() |
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6–3, 7–6 |
Win | 2. | May 1988 | Rome, Italy | Clay | ![]() |
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6–3, 6–3 |
Win | 3. | Jul 1988 | Boston, US | Clay | ![]() |
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6–2, 7–5 |
Loss | 4. | Jul 1988 | Washington, US | Hard | ![]() |
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3–6, 7–6, 2–6 |
Win | 4. | Jul 1988 | Stratton Mountain, US | Hard | ![]() |
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6–3, 7–6 |
Loss | 5. | Nov 1988 | Itaparica, Brazil | Hard | ![]() |
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6–7, 6–7 |
Win | 5. | Apr 1989 | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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2–6, 6–4, 6–4 |
Win | 6. | Jul 1989 | Gstaad, Switzerland | Clay | ![]() |
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6–4, 6–3 |
Win | 7. | Aug 1989 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | ![]() |
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6–3, 6–3 |
Win | 8. | Nov 1989 | Stockholm, Sweden | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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6–3, 5–7, 6–3 |
Loss | 6. | Nov 1989 | Itaparica, Brazil | Hard | ![]() |
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2–6, 6–7 |
Loss | 7. | Jul 1990 | Washington, USA | Hard | ![]() |
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3–6, 7–6, 2–6 |
Loss | 8. | Oct 1990 | Vienna, Austria | Carpet (i) | ![]() |
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4–6, 4–6 |
Win | 9. | Apr 1991 | Hong Kong, UK | Hard | ![]() |
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6–2, 6–4 |
Win | 10. | May 1991 | Munich, Germany | Clay | ![]() |
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7–5, 6–4 |
Win | 11. | Jul 1991 | Montreal, Canada | Hard | ![]() |
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6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
Win | 12. | Mar 1992 | Key Biscayne, US | Hard | ![]() |
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6–4, 6–3 |
Loss | 9. | Jul 1992 | Washington, USA | Hard | ![]() |
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2–6, 3–6 |
Singles: 1 (1 runner-up)
[edit]Result | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
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Loss | 1. | Feb 1990 | San Francisco, US | Hard (i) | ![]() |
1–6, 3–6 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Todd Witsken, 34, Champion in Tennis Doubles". New York Times. May 27, 1998. Retrieved March 21, 2008.
External links
[edit]- Todd Witsken at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Todd Witsken at the International Tennis Federation