Australian tennis great Fred Stolle has died at age 86
He broke through on his least favorite surface, on clay at the 1965 French Championships, beating Tony Roche in the final.
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'I lost a bunch of those to Emmo but against anybody else I felt comfortable,' Mr. Stolle told the Tennis Channel. 'The French was not the one I was supposed to win, but it was exciting for me.'
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At the 1966 US Championships in Forest Hills, he beat John Newcombe in another all-Australian final, becoming only the second unseeded champion. Newcombe was also unseeded. Mr. Stolle beat three seeds to reach the final. Afterward, he held the No. 1 ranking and turned pro.
He won 10 men's doubles titles at Grand Slams from 1962-69, four each with Bob Hewitt and Emerson and two with Ken Rosewall. He's one of the few to win all four doubles majors.
Mr. Stolle also won seven mixed doubles majors, his partners including Margaret Court, Lesley Turner Bowrey, and Ann Haydon Jones.
He was part of the team that won the Davis Cup in 1964, 1965, and 1966. His most notable win was in 1964 in Cleveland, where, with Australia 2-1 down, he beat American Dennis Ralston 7-5, 6-3, 3-6, 9-11, 6-4. The following year, he launched Australia's defense in Sydney by overcoming Spain's Manolo Santana 10-12, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 7-5.
Mr. Stolle coached American Vitas Gerulaitis to the 1977 Australian Open title and would continue playing singles on tour until 1982.
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'His legacy is one of excellence, dedication, and a profound love for tennis,' Tiley said. 'His impact on the sport will be remembered and cherished by all who had the privilege to witness his contributions.'
Rod Laver, an Australian who won 11 major titles including the calendar-year Grand Slams in 1962 and 1969, posted a tribute to Stolle on X.
'As I wrote in my book on the golden era of Aussie tennis, Fred Stolle was too nice a guy to hold a grudge. He won many Grand Slams and was in the finals of many more. It took the best to beat the best,' Laver posted. 'We never tired of reliving the past as we traveled the world looking into the future with an enduring love of the sport.'
Mr. Stolle was born in Sydney but lived in the United States after his playing career.
Tennis Australia said he leaves his wife, Pat, his son Sandon — a US Open doubles winner — and daughters Monique and Nadine.
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