Ham Richardson

Hamilton "Ham" Farrar Richardson ( August 24, 1933 - November 5, 2006) [http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=2653381 ESPN "Former tennis star Richardson dies at 73" November 7] was an outstanding American tennis player in the 1950s and 1960s.

Born August 24, 1933 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Richardson was ranked No. 1 in the United States in 1956 and 1958, and was ranked in the top ten in nine other years (see chart below).

Richardson attended Tulane University, where he won two NCAA Singles Championships (1953 & 1954). He would later be named a charter member of the Tulane University Athletic Hall of Fame. Richardson was also a Rhodes scholar.

He also won a U.S. National doubles title in 1958 with Alex Olmedo, and reached the mixed doubles final at the Australian National Championship with Maureen Connolly.

At the Cincinnati Masters, Richardson reached two singles finals, losing in 1950 to Glenn Bassett and in 1953 to Tony Trabert, and won two doubles titles, in 1950 with George Richards, and in 1953 with Trabert.

He played on seven U.S. Davis Cup teams, including the winning Cup teams of 1954 and 1958. He was 20-2 in Davis Cup play.

Richardson's Top Ten U.S. Rankings
* 1951 - 9
* 1952 - 7
*1953 - 6
*1954 - 3
*1955 - 7
*1956 - 1
*1957 - NR
*1958 - 1
*1959 - NR
*1960 - NR
*1961 - NR
*1962 - 3
*1963 - 7
*1964 - 7
*1965 - 6