George Martin Lott (October 16, 1906 – December 3, 1991) was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the great doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John Doeg in 1929 and 1930; and Les Stoefen in 1933 and 1934.
| Full name | George Martin Lott |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  United States |
| Born | October 16, 1906 Springfield, Illinois, United States |
| Died | December 3, 1991 (aged 85) Chicago, Illinois |
| Turned pro | 1934 (amateur tour from 1924) |
| Retired | 1946 |
| Plays | Right-handed (1-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 1964 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (1931, Züricher Sport)[1] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | QF (1931) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1929, 1930, 1934) |
| US Open | F (1931) |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | QF (1938) |
| Wembley Pro | QF (1935) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1931) |
| Wimbledon | W (1931, 1934) |
| US Open | W (1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | W (1931) |
| US Open | W (1929, 1931, 1934) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | F (1929, 1930, 1934) |
At the U.S. championships singles in 1928, Lott beat Christian Boussus and John Doeg then lost to Frank Hunter in the semifinals.[2] In 1931, Lott beat defending champion Doeg in the semifinals, then lost to Ellsworth Vines in the final.[2]
Lott won the Canadian Covered Court Championships four times. In 1927, he defeated Canadian Willard Crocker in a five-set final; in 1928, he defeated Frank Shields in straight sets in the final; in 1930, he defeated Frederic Mercur in a five-set final; and in 1931, he defeated Berkeley Bell in straight sets in the semifinals and John Van Ryn in a five-set final.
In 1928, he won the Pinehurst Resort title on clay, defeating Shields in the final in a five-set match.
In 1929 and 1930, he was ranked World No. 6 and No. 7 by A Wallis Myers;[3][4] No. 6 by Pierre Gillon in 1930;[5] and in 1931 was ranked No. 4 by Züricher Sport.[1]
In 1934, Lott became a touring professional, giving up his amateur status and the ability to play in Grand Slam tournaments. He signed a professional contract in November 1934 with promoter Bill O'Brien and in January 1935 and started a series of head-to-head matches against Bill Tilden; by March, he trailed Tilden 5–26.[6][7]
Lott was the men's tennis coach at [DePaul University from 1969 until his death in Chicago on December 3, 1991.[8][9] He had been inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.[10]
Lott was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964.[11]
Grand Slam finals
editSingles (1 runner-up)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 1931 | U.S. Championships | Grass |  Ellsworth Vines |
9–7, 3–6, 7–9, 5–7 |
Doubles (8 titles, 1 runner-up)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1928 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  John Hennessey |
 Gerald Patterson Jack Hawkes |
6–2, 6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 1929 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | John Doeg |
Berkeley Bell Lewis White |
10–8, 16–14, 6–1 |
| Loss | 1930 | Wimbledon | Grass | John Doeg |
John Van Ryn Wilmer Allison |
3–6, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 1930 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | John Doeg |
John Van Ryn Wilmer Allison |
8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 13–15, 6–4 |
| Win | 1931 | French Championships | Clay | John Van Ryn |
 Vernon Kirby Norman Farquharson |
6–4, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 1931 | Wimbledon | Grass | John Van Ryn |
 Jacques Brugnon Henri Cochet |
6–2, 10–8, 9–11, 3–6, 6–3 |
| Win | 1933 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Lester Stoefen |
Frank Shields Frank Parker |
11–13, 9–7, 9–7, 6–3 |
| Win | 1934 | Wimbledon | Grass | Lester Stoefen |
Jean Borotra Jacques Brugnon |
6–2, 6–3, 6–4 |
| Win | 1934 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Lester Stoefen |
Wilmer Allison John Van Ryn |
6–4, 9–7, 3–6, 6–4 |
Mixed doubles (4 titles, 1 runner-up)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1929 | U.S. National Championships | Grass |  Betty Nuthall |
Phyllis Covell Bunny Austin |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Win | 1931 | Wimbledon | Grass | Anna McCune Harper |
Joan Ridley Ian Collins |
6–3, 1–6, 6–1 |
| Win | 1931 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Betty Nuthall |
Anna McCune Harper Wilmer Allison |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 1933 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Sarah Palfrey |
Elizabeth Ryan Ellsworth Vines |
9–11, 1–6 |
| Win | 1934 | U.S. National Championships | Grass | Helen Jacobs |
Elizabeth Ryan Lester Stoefen |
4–6, 13–11, 6–2 |
Other tennis achievements
edit- Davis Cup team member – 1928–31, 1933–34
- The first player, and one of only four (Bobby Riggs, Mats Wilander and Roger Federer being the other three), to win the tournament now known as the Cincinnati Masters four times: 1924, 1925, 1927 and 1932. Also won the doubles title in 1924 (with Jack Harris) and 1925 (with Thomas McGlinn) and was a singles finalist in 1926 and a doubles finalist (with Thomas Johnson) in 1927.
References
edit- ^ a b Béla Kehrling, ed. (October 1, 1931). "Külföldi hírek" [International news] (PDF). Tennisz és Golf. III (in Hungarian). 18–19. Budapest, Hungary: Egyesült Kő-, Könyvnyomda, Könyv- és Lapkiadó Rt: 3–9. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
- ^ a b Talbert, Bill (1967). Tennis Observed. Boston: Barre Publishers. pp. 106, 109. OCLC 172306.
- ^ "Tilden Ranks Fourth in London Telegraph Rankings", The Toledo News-Bee, September 19, 1929.
- ^ Béla Kehrling, ed. (November 20, 1930). "tennis and golf" (PDF). Tennisz és Golf (in Hungarian). II (21). Budapest, Hungary: Bethlen Gábor irod. és Nyomdai RT. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
- ^ Béla Kehrling, ed. (October 22, 1930). "Külföldi hírek" [International news] (PDF). Tennisz és Golf. II (in Hungarian). 19–20. Budapest, Hungary: Bethlen Gábor Irod. és Nyomdai R.T.: 375. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
- ^ McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited. pp. 25–26.
- ^ Howard Barry (January 26, 1935). "Tilden and Lott play tonight on Armory courts". Chicago Daily Tribune.
- ^ "George Lott, Tennis coach, 85" (obituary), The New York Times, Wednesday, December 4, 1991..
- ^ "Three-time Wimbledon winner George Lott dead at 85". UPI. December 3, 1991.
- ^ "Hall of Fame – DePaul University Athletics". Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
- ^ "Hall of Famers – George Lott". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
