Christopher Lewis (tennis)

John Christopher Lewis (born April 2, 1956) is a former professional tennis player from the United States.

J. Christopher Lewis
Full nameJohn Christopher Lewis
Country (sports) United States
Born (1956-04-02) April 2, 1956 (age 68)
Santa Monica, California
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career record5–16
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 140 (December 31, 1978)
Doubles
Career record6–9
Career titles0
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open2R (1980)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French OpenSF (1980)
Wimbledon2R (1980)

Biography

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Born in Santa Monica, California, Lewis studied business at the University of Southern California (USC) in the late 1970s.

Tennis career

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Lewis was a three-time All-American for the USC Trojans and partnered with Bruce Manson to win the doubles title at the 1977 NCAA Division I Tennis Championships.[1]

As a professional player he competed briefly on the Grand Prix tennis circuit. His best result came at the 1979 New South Wales Open, where he and Steve Docherty were runners-up in the doubles event, to Peter McNamara and Paul McNamee.

At the 1980 French Open he was a semi-finalist in the mixed doubles, with Leslie Allen. The pair hadn't dropped a set until they lost their semi-final in three sets to Czechoslovakians Stanislav Birner and Renáta Tomanová.[2] He also competed in the men's doubles draw with USC teammate Glenn Petrovic. His only other Grand Slam appearance came in the mixed doubles at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships, where he exited in the second round without playing a single point. Again partnering Allen, the pair received a bye in the first round, then withdrew from their scheduled second round match against Colin Dowdeswell and Greer Stevens.[3]

Business

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Lewis co-found a private equity firm in 1982 with Richard Riordan, who was later Mayor of Los Angeles .[4] Former NFL quarterback Pat Haden joined the firm in 1987 and it has since been named Riordan, Lewis & Haden.[5]

Grand Prix career finals

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Doubles: 1 (0–1)

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Result    Date    Tournament Surface Partner Opponent Score
Loss Dec 1979 Sydney Outdoor, Australia Grass   Steve Docherty   Peter McNamara
  Paul McNamee
6–7, 3–6

References

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  1. ^ "USC leads nation again with 14 individual titles". Star News. Heritage Microfilm, Inc. June 28, 1977. p. 21. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  2. ^ "ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - French Open - 23 May - 08 June 1980". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  3. ^ "ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Wimbledon - 23 June - 06 July 1980". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  4. ^ Hamilton, Walter (May 2, 2007). "Riordan Lewis raises $265 million". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
  5. ^ Hamilton, Walter (May 20, 2007). "In private equity, he is calling big plays". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 26, 2017.
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