37 Facts About Ellsworth Vines

Ellsworth Vines won three Grand Slam titles, the US National Championships in 1931 and 1932 and the Wimbledon Championships in 1932.

Ellsworth Vines later became a professional golfer and reached the semifinals of the PGA Championship in 1951.

Ellsworth Vines attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California, where he was a member of the Sigma Nu fraternity and played on the freshman basketball team.

Ellsworth Vines was mentored by Perry T Jones through the Los Angeles Tennis Club and the Southern California Tennis Association.

Ellsworth Vines usually was content to hit the ball back, without trying fancy shots, and forced Vines into errors in long rallies.

Ellsworth Vines led in practically every other department of the game.

Ellsworth Vines was still 19 when he won his first Grand Slam singles title, the US Championships, beating George Lott in the final in four sets.

Ellsworth Vines played "erratically throughout the major part of match, but his brilliant placements and cannonball service were sufficient to overcome Lott's steadier volleying and effective service", according to The Daily News.

Ellsworth Vines was ranked world No 2 by Pierre Gillou and by Didier Poulain.

At Wimbledon Championships, Ellsworth Vines beat Bunny Austin easily in the final and the winning ace was hit so hard, Austin claimed he couldn't see it.

At the US Championships, Ellsworth Vines beat Cliff Sutter in the semi-finals in five long sets when he came very close to defeat.

Ellsworth Vines then beat Henri Cochet in the final to retain his title.

Ellsworth Vines reached the final of Wimbledon, but lost a classic five set battle to Jack Crawford.

At the US Championships, Ellsworth Vines lost in the fourth round to Bryan Grant.

Ellsworth Vines played his first professional tennis match on January 10,1934, and then became the leading pro player until 1938.

Ellsworth Vines won tournaments at New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Cleveland, beating Tilden in each of these events.

At the US Pro in Chicago, Ellsworth Vines lost surprisingly in the semi-finals to Hans Nusslein.

At Wembley, Ellsworth Vines won the title in a round robin that featured Nusslein, Tilden, Martin Plaa, Bruce Barnes and Dan Maskell.

Ellsworth Vines beat Lester Stoefen in the World series.

At the French Pro at Roland Garros, Ellsworth Vines beat Nusslein in the final.

Ellsworth Vines then won tournaments at Deauville and La Baule.

Ellsworth Vines beat Stoefen to win the 1936 World series.

Ellsworth Vines was ranked World No 1 pro by Bowers and Fred Perry.

The result was still in doubt until the penultimate match, when Ellsworth Vines beat Perry at Hershey.

The tour proved that at his best Ellsworth Vines was unbeatable, although Ellsworth Vines laboured with a shoulder problem and a pulled stomach muscle in the series, losing five straight matches while injured.

At the knock-out event at Southport, Ellsworth Vines lost in the semi-finals to Nusslein, who then defeated Tilden in the final.

Ellsworth Vines hit the ball harder and better and closer to the line than anybody.

Budge was consistently the best, according to Kramer's 1979 autobiography, but, at the very top of his game, Ellsworth Vines was unbeatable by anyone:.

On his best days, Ellsworth Vines played the best tennis ever.

Tall and thin, Ellsworth Vines possessed a game with no noticeable weaknesses, except, according to Kramer, because of his great natural athletic ability, laziness.

Ellsworth Vines was particularly known for his powerful forehand and his very fast serve, both of which he generally hit absolutely flat with no spin.

Ellsworth Vines put no spin on it thereby hitting a flat shot with tremendous force that made him unbeatable when he was on.

Ellsworth Vines was twice in the top ten of golf money winnings, and he was surely the best athlete ever in the two sports.

Ellsworth Vines lost interest in tennis before he was thirty, and Hoad never appeared to be very interested.

Ellsworth Vines was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island in 1962.

In 100 Greatest of All Time, a 2012 television series broadcast by the Tennis Channel, Ellsworth Vines was ranked the 37th greatest male player, just behind Australian Lleyton Hewitt at 36th, and just ahead of Pancho Segura at 38th.

Ellsworth Vines was banned from competing in the amateur Grand Slams when he joined the professional tennis circuit in 1934.