Brian Fairlie
Birth date13 June 1948 (age 78)
Birth placeChristchurch, New Zealand
Height1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Turnedpro1968 (amateur from 1966)
Retired1979
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singlesrecord187–186 (Open era)
Singlestitles2
Australianopenresult3R (1976)
Frenchopenresult4R (1977)
Wimbledonresult3R (1977, 1978)
UsopenresultQF (1970)
Doublesrecord174–156
Doublestitles4
HighestdoublesrankingNo. 27 (30 August 1977)
AustralianopendoublesresultQF (1977Dec, 1978)
FrenchopendoublesresultSF (1971)
Wimbledondoublesresult3R (1969, 1970, 1977)
Usopendoublesresult2R (1972)

Brian Fairlie (born 13 June 1948) is a New Zealand tennis player. During his career from 1968 to 1979, he won four titles in doubles, all with the Egyptian player Ismail El Shafei, and 10 singles titles in the Open era (and at least two more in 1967).[1][2]

Playing career

Juniors

Fairlie was the 1967 Boys' Singles champion of the Australian Championships.[3]

Professional

Fairlie's best result in a Grand Slam was reaching the semi-finals of men's doubles at the French Open in 1971 with partner Frew McMillan. A year earlier, he reached the singles quarterfinals of the U.S. Open, losing to Tony Roche.

While his highest ATP singles ranking was World No. 24 (in September 1973), Fairlie was ranked inside the world's Top 20 in the late 1960s and early 1970s.[1][4]

In 1969, his first full year on the circuit, he upset former Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion John Newcombe in the quarterfinals of the Heineken Open in Auckland. The tournament's website describes the atmosphere at the event that year: "There was wild excitement in a packed stadium when Kiwi Brian Fairlie pulled off an upset win over Newcombe in five hard-fought sets. When he went on to face Laver, the gates had to be closed against the huge crowds wanting to get in."[5]

In 1972 he won the Midland RC International a WCT event that year.[6] In both 1975 and 1976, Fairlie reached the finals of this tournament, losing on both occasions to fellow New Zealander Onny Parun. Also in 1972 he won the Wellington Open Championships.[7]

In 1976, Fairlie played in an Australian Open match notable for having the 13th oldest combined age in Grand Slam history. His age and the age of Frank Sedgman, his opponent, averaged 37 years, 10 months, and 9 days.[8]

In winning the second of his two singles titles (in Manila, Philippines in 1976), he lost only one set during the entire tournament.[9]

Davis Cup

From 1966 through 1979, he played in 48 Davis Cup matches for New Zealand, winning 13 in singles and seven in doubles.[10]

Team Tennis

In 1974, the inaugural year of World Team Tennis, he became a member of the Philadelphia Freedoms; the team posted the league's best record for the year at 39–5.[11]

Career finals

Singles (2 titles, 4 runner-ups)

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfaceOpponentScore
Win1–0Jan 1973London WCT, EnglandHard (i)Mark Cox2–6, 6–2, 6–3, 6–4
Loss1–1Feb 1973Cologne, West GermanyCarpet (i)Jan Kodeš1–6, 3–6, 1–6
Loss1–2Jan 1975Auckland, New ZealandGrassOnny Parun6–4, 4–6, 4–6, 7–6, 4–6
Loss1–3Mar 1975London, EnglandCarpet (i)Mark Cox1–6, 5–7
Loss1–4Dec 1975Auckland, New ZealandGrassOnny Parun2–6, 3–6, 6–4, 3–6
Win2–4Nov 1976Manila, PhilippinesHardRay Ruffels7–5, 6–7, 7–6

Doubles (4 titles, 14 runner-up)

ResultW/LDateTournamentSurfacePartnerOpponentsScore
Loss0–1Jan 1971Auckland, New ZealandGrassRay MooreBob Carmichael
Ray Ruffels		3–6, 7–6, 4–6, 6–4, 3–6
Loss0–2Sep 1972Los Angeles, U.S.HardIsmail El ShafeiPancho Gonzales
Jimmy Connors		3–6, 6–4, 6–7
Loss0–3Oct 1972Alamo WCT, U.S.HardIsmail El ShafeiTom Okker
Marty Riessen		6–7, 4–6
Loss0–4Nov 1972Gothenburg, SwedenCarpet (i)Ismail El ShafeiTom Okker
Marty Riessen		2–6, 6–7
Loss0–5Mar 1973Chicago, U.S.Carpet (i)Ismail El ShafeiKen Rosewall
Fred Stolle		7–6, 4–6, 2–6
Loss0–6Apr 1973Cleveland, U.S.Carpet (i)Ismail El ShafeiKen Rosewall
Fred Stolle		2–6, 3–6
Loss0–7Aug 1973Tanglewood, U.S.ClayIsmail El ShafeiBob Carmichael
Frew McMillan		3–6, 4–6
Win1–7Apr 1974St. Louis, U.S.ClayIsmail El ShafeiGeoff Masters
Ross Case		7–6, 6–7, 7–6
Loss1–8Jan 1975Auckland, New ZealandGrassOnny ParunBob Carmichael
Ray Ruffels		6–7, ret.
Loss1–9Apr 1975Charlotte, USClayIsmail El ShafeiPatricio Cornejo
Jaime Fillol		3–6, 7–5, 4–6
Loss1–10Mar 1976Mexico City, MexicoClayIsmail El ShafeiBrian Gottfried
Raúl Ramírez		4–6, 6–7
Loss1–11Oct 1976Brisbane, AustraliaGrassIsmail El ShafeiSyd Ball
Kim Warwick		4–6, 4–6
Win2–11Oct 1976Sydney, AustraliaHard (i)Ismail El ShafeiSyd Ball
Kim Warwick		7–5, 6–7, 7–6
Loss2–12Nov 1976Tokyo, JapanClayIsmail El ShafeiBob Carmichael
Ken Rosewall		4–6, 4–6
Win3–12Jul 1977Newport, U.S.GrassIsmail El ShafeiTim Gullikson
Tom Gullikson		6–7, 6–3, 7–6
Win4–12Mar 1978Cairo, EgyptClayIsmail El ShafeiLito Álvarez
George Hardie		6–3, 7–5, 6–2
Loss4–13Jul 1978Cincinnati, U.S.ClayIsmail El ShafeiGene Mayer
Raúl Ramírez		3–6, 3–6
Loss4–14Aug 1978New Orleans, U.S.Carpet (i)Ismail El ShafeiErik van Dillen
Dick Stockton		6–7, 3–6

References

  1. ^ "ITF Tennis : Brian Fairlie : Players Details". International Tennis Federation (ITF). Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  2. ^ Barrett, John. "World of Tennis", Year Books 1968–1972.
  3. ^ "Find and share free documents in - Page 0". Docstoc.com. 2015-07-24. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  4. ^ "Seventies tennis ace Fairlie honoured by club at last - Sport - NZ Herald News". Nzherald.co.nz. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  5. ^ [1] Archived 14 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  6. ^ John Barrett, ed. (1973). World of Tennis '73 : a BP and Commercial Union yearbook. London: Queen Anne Press. pp. 141–148. ISBN 9780671216238.
  7. ^ United States, Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official encyclopedia of tennis. New York City: Harper & Row. p. 326. ISBN 9780060144791.
  8. ^ "Age Records of All Slam Matches". Tennis28.com. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  9. ^ "1976 Manila – Singles draw". Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP)
  10. ^ "Davis Cup : Brian Fairlie : Results". Daviscup.com. Retrieved 2015-10-08.
  11. ^ Collins, Bud & Xander Hollander (1980). Bud Collins' Modern Encyclopedia of Tennis. Doubleday & Company, Inc. pp. 164–165. ISBN 0-385-13093-7.