Jan Kukal

Jan Kukal
Country (sports) Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia
Residence Ostrava
Born (1942-09-13) 13 September 1942
Prague, Czechoslovakia
Plays Right-handed
Singles
Career record 32–54
Career titles 0
Highest ranking No. 115 (23 Aug 1973)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 2R (1970, 1975)
French Open 3R (1969)
Wimbledon 2R (1969, 1970, 1972)
US Open 2R (1972)
Doubles
Career record 46–46
Career titles 1
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open 2R (1970)
French Open SF (1972)
Wimbledon QF (1973)
US Open 3R (1969)

Jan Kukal (born 13 September 1942) is a former professional tennis player who competed for Czechoslovakia.[1]

Career

Kukal won the Czechoslovakian National Championships in 1968, the same year that he played his first Davis Cup tie for his country. He went on to appear in a total of 16 Davis Cup ties and finished with a 13-11 career record, which included five singles wins.[2] In 1969 he was a member of the Czechoslovak team that won Europe's King's Cup.[3]

He reached four Grand Prix/WCT doubles finals during his career, for one win, at Des Moines in 1973.[3]

At Grand Slam level his best performance was a semi-final appearance in the men's doubles at the 1972 French Open, with Jan Kodeš.[4]

Coaching

Kukal began his coaching career while he was still playing. In 1972 he was coach of the Romania Davis Cup team and he coached the Dutch team the following year. From 1981 to 1983, he coached Czechoslovakia in the Davis Cup. During that time he was also Czechoslovak Fed Cup captain and led them to the 1983 Federation Cup title. He then coached the Austria Davis Cup team, from 1984 to 1990, and captained the Czech Republic Davis Cup team from 1999 until 2003.

Grand Prix/WCT career finals

Doubles: 4 (1–3)

Outcome No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents in the final Score in the final
Runner-up 1. 1972 Montreal, Canada Clay Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš Romania Ilie Năstase
Romania Ion Țiriac
6–7, 3–6
Runner-up 2. 1971 Catania, Italy Clay Czechoslovakia Jan Kodeš France Pierre Barthès
France François Jauffret
4–6, 6–3, 3–6
Winner 3. 1973 Des Moines, United States Hard Czechoslovakia Jiří Hřebec Spain Juan Gisbert
Romania Ion Țiriac
4–6, 7–6, 6–1
Runner-up 4. 1973 Salt Lake City, United States Hard Czechoslovakia Jiří Hřebec United States Mike Estep
Mexico Raúl Ramírez
4–6, 6–7

References


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