Vitas Gerulaitis won the men's singles title at one of the two Australian Open tournaments held in 1977.
22 Facts About Vitas Gerulaitis
2.
Vitas Gerulaitis was born on July 26,1954, in Brooklyn, New York, to Lithuanian immigrant parents, and grew up in Howard Beach, Queens.
3.
Vitas Gerulaitis attended Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, graduating in 1971.
4.
Vitas Gerulaitis attended Columbia College of Columbia University with the class of 1975 for one year before dropping out to pursue tennis full-time.
5.
Vitas Gerulaitis's younger sister Ruta was a professional tennis player.
6.
Vitas Gerulaitis led the Pittsburgh Triangles to the World TeamTennis championship title at Pittsburgh's Civic Arena in 1975.
7.
Vitas Gerulaitis played for the league's Indiana Loves franchise in 1977.
8.
Vitas Gerulaitis was coached by Fred Stolle from 1977 until 1983.
9.
Vitas Gerulaitis won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon in 1975.
10.
Vitas Gerulaitis was a singles semifinalist at Wimbledon in both 1977 and 1978.
11.
In 1977, Vitas Gerulaitis won the most significant title of his career at the Australian Open, when he defeated John Lloyd in the men's singles final in five sets.
12.
In 1979, Vitas Gerulaitis lost in the men's singles finals at the US Open to fellow New Yorker, John McEnroe, in straight sets.
13.
Vitas Gerulaitis was a member of the United States team which won the Davis Cup in 1979.
14.
Vitas Gerulaitis reached his third Grand Slam singles final in 1980, when he lost in the final of the French Open to Bjorn Borg in straight sets.
15.
In February 1981, Vitas Gerulaitis won the star-laden Toronto Indoor invitational tournament, defeating John McEnroe in the final after having defeated Jimmy Connors in the semifinal.
16.
Vitas Gerulaitis was known for his exceptionally quick hands at the net and his outstanding court coverage.
17.
Vitas Gerulaitis retired from the professional tour in 1986, and was a regular tennis commentator on the USA network between 1988 and 1994.
18.
Vitas Gerulaitis coached Pete Sampras during the 1994 Italian Open in Rome, when Sampras' coach, Tim Gullikson, was on a family vacation.
19.
On September 17,1994, while visiting a friend's home in Southampton, New York, an improperly installed pool heater caused carbon monoxide gas to seep into the guesthouse where Vitas Gerulaitis was sleeping, causing his death by carbon monoxide poisoning.
20.
Vitas Gerulaitis failed to show up for a dinner at 7 pm that evening and his body was found the following day by a maid who went to the guesthouse.
21.
Vitas Gerulaitis' remains were interred in Saint Charles Cemetery in Farmingdale, New York.
22.
The Vitas Gerulaitis family reached a confidential settlement with some of the defendants in their civil case by 2002.