1. Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston competed in two events at the 1912 Summer Olympics.
26 Facts About Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston
1. 2.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was born in 1893 to Count Nicholai Felixovich Sumarokov-Elston reserve Lieutenant of the Cavalry Regiment and Countess Sofia Mikhaylovna Koskul.
3.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was the great-great-great-great-grandson of poet Alexander Sumarokov and the great-great-grandson of Field Marshal Mikhail Kutuzov.
4.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was the nephew of tennis player Count Pavel Sumarokov-Elston, who was his first coach and doubles partner, grandson of Count-General Felix Sumarokov-Elston, Governor of Kuban Oblast, and cousin of the infamous Prince Felix Yussupov, who later became known as one of the collaborators who conspired to kill Grigori Rasputin, cult leader and mentor of Empress consort of Russia Alexandra.
5.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston moved back to his homeland and graduated first at the Annenschule then at the Law Faculty of the St Petersburg University.
6.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston volunteered for the Russian Red Cross motorized ambulance unit at the outbreak of World War I, and was assigned to the Black Sea Fleet.
7.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was invalided out of the military service on 26 November 1916 and travelled home to St Petersburg.
8.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was arrested for a couple of days by the Bolsheviks, but released because of disagreement among the people who detained him.
9.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was an eight-time national tennis champion, and a two-time national indoors champion.
10.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was successful in singles five consecutive times between 1910 and 1914, twice more in mixed doubles and a doubles champion.
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Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston is still the youngest All-Russia champion to date with his 14 years of age at the time of his first triumph.
12.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston won his first indoor trophy in 1911 in St Petersburg.
13.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston played in several other tournaments throughout Germany, France and Switzerland before returning to Russia.
14.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston found consolation in the doubles tournament where he and Alenitsyn reached the quarterfinals.
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Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston became the undisputed champion after winning the doubles and mixed doubles as well with Count Salm and Ekaterina Hirschfeld respectively.
16.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was eliminated from the doubles contest in the very first round mostly due to his partner Paul Ayme's leg injury, which he suffered the previous night and kept them handicapped the whole match.
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Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston then lost to Dixon in the first round of the doubles but beat him again for the mixed doubles title.
18.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston defended the South of France title for the second time against legendary Henri Cochet having beaten Charles Aeschlimann on his way to the final.
19.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston almost celebrated his first triple crown trophy with his teammate Gerbault but fell short in the doubles final against Rocksavage-Cochet.
20.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston reached the semifinals of the doubles and mixed in the Nice Tennis Club tournament.
21.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston won the Russian Emigre Tennis Championships three consecutive times beginning from 1935.
22.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston played left-handed with a heavy topspin, after he had to give up his right-handed style due to a childhood injury.
23.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston's left-hand serve was so rare that he gave exhibition matches in Germany to Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia and Grand Duke George Mikhailovich of Russia.
24.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was well educated and by the age of thirteen he already spoke five languages.
25.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston was in a great relationship with Tsar Nicholas II of Russia and played tennis with him a couple of times.
26.
Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston died in the University College Hospital in 1970 and was buried in the Chiswick New Cemetery.