- Mark Cox (tennis)
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Mark Cox (born 5 July 1943 in Leicester) is a former tennis player from England, who played professional and amateur tennis in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. He was ranked as high as No. 14 in the world on the ATP rankings (achieving that ranking on July 2, 1977). Cox was educated at Millfield School in Somerset.
Cox obtained an economics undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge (Downing College), where he was a member of the Cambridge University Lawn Tennis Club.
During his career, he won eight singles titles and three doubles titles, reached the quarterfinals at the U.S. Nationals (in 1966), and the final at the event in Cincinnati (in 1977). He also played on Great Britain's Davis Cup team, and was on the team that reached the 1978 final against the United States. He has also gone down in tennis history as the first amateur player to beat a professional. In May 1968, at the British Hard Court Championships at Bournemouth, when he was 24, he beat the American Pancho Gonzales (0-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3), in two and a quarter hours. Since he retired in 1981, Cox has worked as a coach, and also as a television commentator for the BBC. He is also a Patron of a charity "CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and an Ambassador for the Win Tennis Academy at Bisham. He lives with his wife Susie in London.
Contents
Grand Prix and WCT singles finals (16)
Titles (8)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score 1. 1972 Cleveland WCT, U.S. Hard Ray Ruffels
6–3, 4–6, 4–6, 6–3, 6–4 2. 1973 Denver WCT, U.S. Carpet Arthur Ashe
6–1, 6–1 3. 1973 Eastbourne, England Grass Patrice Dominguez
6–2, 2–6, 6–3 4. 1975 London WCT, England Carpet Brian Fairlie
6–1, 7–5 5. 1975 Washington Indoor WCT, U.S. Carpet Dick Stockton
6–2, 7–6 6. 1975 Atlanta WCT, U.S. Carpet John Alexander
6–3, 7–6 7. 1976 Stockholm, Sweden Hard (i) Manuel Orantes
4–6, 7–5, 7–6 8. 1977 Helsinki, Finland Carpet Kjell Johansson
6–3, 6–3 Runners-up (8)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in the final Score 1. 1969 Caracas, Venezuela Clay Thomaz Koch
6–8, 3–6, 6–2, 4–6 2. 1972 Louisville WCT, U.S. Clay Arthur Ashe
4–6, 4–6 3. 1973 London WCT, England Hard (i) Brian Fairlie
6–2, 2–6, 2–6, 6–7 4. 1974 Bologna WCT, Italy Carpet Arthur Ashe
4–6, 5–7 5. 1974 London WCT, England Hard (i) Björn Borg
7–6, 6–7, 4–6 6. 1977 London/Queen's Club, England Grass Raúl Ramírez
7–9, 5–7 7. 1977 Cincinnati, U.S. Clay Harold Solomon
2–6, 3–6 8. 1980 Stuttgart Indoor, Germany Hard (i) Tomáš Šmíd
1–6, 3–6, 7–5, 6–1, 4–6 Grand Prix and WCT doubles finals (11)
Titles (3)
No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponent in the final Score 1. 1973 Cologne WCT, Germany Carpet Graham Stilwell
Tom Okker
Marty Riessen
7–6, 6–3 2. 1973 London, England Carpet Owen Davidson
Gerald Battrick
Graham Stilwell
6–4, 8–6 3. 1977 Basel, Switzerland Carpet Buster Mottram
John Feaver
John James
7–5, 6–4, 6–3 Runners-up (8)
No. Date Tournament Surface Partnering Opponent in the final Score 1. 1973 Copenhagen WCT, Denmark Carpet Graham Stilwell
Erik Van Dillen
Tom Gorman
4–6, 4–6 2. 1974 Denver WCT, U.S. Carpet Jun Kamiwazumi
Arthur Ashe
Roscoe Tanner
3–6, 6–7 3. 1975 San Antonio WCT, U.S. Hard Cliff Drysdale
John Alexander
Phil Dent
6–7, 6–4, 4–6 4. 1975 Memphis, U.S. Carpet Cliff Drysdale
Erik Van Dillen
Dick Stockton
6–1, 5–7, 4–6 5. 1975 Atlanta WCT, U.S. Carpet Cliff Drysdale
Anand Amritraj
Vijay Amritraj
3–6, 2–6 6. 1975 World Doubles WCT, Mexico Carpet Cliff Drysdale
Brian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez
6–7, 7–6, 2–6, 6-7 7. 1976 Washington WCT, U.S. Carpet Cliff Drysdale
Eddie Dibbs
Harold Solomon
4–6, 5–7 8. 1977 London WCT Hard (i) Eddie Dibbs
Ilie Năstase
Adriano Panatta
6–7, 7–6, 3–6 References
External links
Categories:- 1943 births
- Living people
- Alumni of Downing College, Cambridge
- British male tennis players
- English sports broadcasters
- English tennis players
- Old Millfieldians
- People from Leicester
- Tennis commentators
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