Yvon Petra (French pronunciation: [ivɔ̃ petʁa]; 8 March 1916 – 12 September 1984) was a French male tennis player. He was born in Cholon, French Indochina.
 | |
| Full name | Yvon François Marie Petra |
|---|---|
| Country (sports) |  France |
| Born | 8 March 1916 Cholon, French Indochina |
| Died | 12 September 1984 (aged 68) Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France |
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) |
| Turned pro | 1948 (amateur from 1935) |
| Retired | 1955 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Int. Tennis HoF | 2016 (member page) |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 179-65 (73.3%)[1] |
| Career titles | 18[1] |
| Highest ranking | No. 4 (1946, A. Wallis Myers)[2] |
| Grand Slam singles results | |
| French Open | SF (1946) |
| Wimbledon | W (1946) |
| US Open | 4R (1936, 1937, 1938) |
| Professional majors | |
| US Pro | 1R (1950) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 0–1 |
| Grand Slam doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1938, 1946) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1947) |
| Grand Slam mixed doubles results | |
| French Open | W (1937) |
| Wimbledon | F (1937) |
| US Open | F (1937) |
Petra is best remembered as the last Frenchman to win the Wimbledon Championships men's singles title (in 1946), beating Geoff Brown in five sets in the final. In doubles, he won the French Championships twice, in 1938 with Bernard Destremau, defeating the best pair in the world Budge-Mako, and in 1946 with Marcel Bernard. In 1938, he won the singles and doubles title at the French Covered Court Championships.[3] He was a prisoner of war in World War II and after his release won three Tournoi de France singles titles from 1943 through 1945.[4][5] He emigrated to the United States and worked as a tennis pro at the Saddle and Cycle Club in Chicago and a country club in Connecticut towards the end of his life. Petra was ranked world No. 4 for 1946 by A. Wallis Myers and world No. 8 for 1947 by Harry Hopman.[2][6] He was the last man to wear long trousers in a Wimbledon final and was the last Frenchman to win the singles title.[7]
Petra joined the tour of professional players in 1948.[8] He was inducted into International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2016.[9]
Grand Slam finals
editSingles: 1 (1 title)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1946 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Geoff Brown |
6–2, 6–4, 7–9, 5–7, 6–2 |
Doubles: 2 (2 titles)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1938 | French Championships | Clay | Bernard Destremau |
 Don Budge Gene Mako |
3–6, 6–3, 9–7, 6–1 |
| Win | 1946 | French Championships | Clay | Marcel Bernard |
 Enrique Morea Pancho Segura |
7–5, 6–3, 0–6, 1–6, 10–8 |
Mixed doubles: 3 (1 title, 2 runner-ups)
edit| Result | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1937 | French Championships | Clay | Simonne Mathieu |
 Marie-Louise Horn Roland Journu |
7–5, 7–5 |
| Loss | 1937 | Wimbledon | Grass | Simonne Mathieu |
Alice Marble Don Budge |
4–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 1937 | U.S. Championships | Grass | Sylvie Jung Henrotin |
Sarah Palfrey Don Budge |
2–6, 10–8, 0–6 |
References
edit- ^ a b "Yvon Petra: Career match record". The Tennis Base. Tennismem SL.
- ^ a b United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 425.
- ^ G.P. Hughes, ed. (1947). Dunlop Lawn Tennis Annual and Almanack 1947. London: Ed. J. Burrow & Co. Ltd. p. 281.
- ^ Harold Bubil (23 December 1974). "Petra: POW Camp to Wimbledon Champ". Sarasota Journal. pp. 1-D, 4-D.
- ^ Henry D. Fetter (6 June 2011). "The French Open During World War II: A Hidden History". The Atlantic.
- ^ "World's Best 10 in Tennis", The Courier-Mail, 3 February 1947.
- ^ Paul Newman (15 July 2016). "Remembering Yvon Petra: Hall of Famer, WWII veteran and Wimbledon champion". wimbledon.com. AELTC.
- ^ McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited. p. 47.
- ^ "Class of 2016". International Tennis Hall of Fame. 7 March 2016. Retrieved 21 March 2016.
