José Luis Clerc

José Luis Clerc
Country (sports)  Argentina
Residence Miami, USA
Born (1958-08-16) 16 August 1958
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Turned pro 1977
Retired 1988
Plays Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Prize money $1,987,036
Singles
Career record 375–148
Career titles 25
Highest ranking No. 4 (3 August 1981)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open 2R (1980)
French Open SF (1981, 1982)
Wimbledon 4R (1979)
US Open 4R (1979, 1981)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals QF (1982)
WCT Finals QF (1982)
Doubles
Career record 110–99
Career titles 2
Highest ranking No. 30 (8 October 1979)
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open SF (1981)
Wimbledon 2R (1977, 1979, 1981)

José Luis Clerc (born 16 August 1958) is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history.

Right handed, Batata[1] Clerc started playing professionally in 1977, and won 25 ATP titles, and retired in 1988. His career-high singles ranking was World No. 4 on 4 August 1981, following a run of 27 victories and four titles in one month, and had year-ending world rankings of No. 8 in 1980, No. 5 in 1981, No. 6 in 1982, and No. 8 in 1983.

Tennis career

Clerc represented Argentina for the Davis Cup from 1976 to 1989. With team mate Guillermo Vilas, Argentina was runner up of the 1981 Davis Cup losing 3–1 to United States in Cincinnati. He defeated Roscoe Tanner 7-5, 6-3, 8-6 in a singles match, but lost to John McEnroe in five sets, and to Fleming/McEnroe in doubles with Vilas.

Also with Vilas and Carlos Gattiker, Argentina won the 1980 World Team Cup, defeating Adriano Panatta 7-6, 6-3 to beat Italy 3–0 in the finals in Düsseldorf.

Clerc reached the semifinals at Roland Garros in two consecutive years. In 1981, in the quarterfinal beating Jimmy Connors in an epic 5 setter, then he faced Ivan Lendl who survived a match point in the fourth set. Clerc eventually lost in 5 sets against Lendl who advanced into his first Grand Slam final. In 1982, the rising star, Mats Wilander was his opponent in the semifinal in Paris and Wilander defeated Clerc in 4 sets.[2]

He received the ATP Sportsmanship Award of 1981, and Argentine Konex Awards in 1980 and 1990 for Merit in Tennis.

Clerc runs a tennis school in Argentina, participates in Senior tournaments, and regularly serves as a tennis analyst for ESPN Latin America and ESPN Deportes. He also coaches Julia Cohen, a top American junior player.

Clerc is currently developing and will serve as director of the "José Luis Clerc Tennis Academy" at Algodon Wine Estates in San Rafael, Mendoza, Argentina. He also serves as Ambassador to the "Algodon" brand.[3]

Career titles

Singles (25)

Legend
Grand Slam (0)
Year-End Championships (0)
Grand Prix Super Series (1)
Grand Prix / WCT Tour (24)
No. Date Tournament Surface Opponent in Final Score in Final
1. 21 May 1978 Florence, Italy Clay France Patrice Dominguez 6–4, 6–2, 6–1
2. 26 November 1978 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay Paraguay Víctor Pecci 6–4, 6–4
3. 4 December 1978 Santiago de Chile, Chile Clay Paraguay Víctor Pecci 3–6, 6–3, 6–3
4. 16 April 1979 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard South Africa Deon Joubert 6–2, 6–1
5. 10 March 1980 San José de Costa Rica, Costa Rica Hard United States Jimmy Connors 4–6, 2–6, retired
6. 28 July 1980 South Orange, New Jersey, U.S. Clay United States John McEnroe 6–3, 6–2
7. 4 August 1980 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. Clay United States Mel Purcell 7–5, 6–3
8. 29 September 1980 Madrid, Spain Clay Argentina Guillermo Vilas 6–3, 1–6, 1–6, 6–4, 6–2
9. 3 November 1980 Quito, Ecuador Clay Paraguay Víctor Pecci 6–4, 1–6, 10–8
10. 17 November 1980 Buenos Aires, Argentina Clay West Germany Rolf Gehring 6–7, 2–6, 7–5, 6–0, 6–3
11. 11 May 1981 Florence, Italy Clay Mexico Raúl Ramírez 6–1, 6–2
12. 18 May 1981 Italian Open, Rome Clay Paraguay Víctor Pecci 6–3, 6–4, 6–0
13. 13 July 1981 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Clay Chile Hans Gildemeister 0–6, 6–2, 6–2
14. 20 July 1981 Washington D.C. Clay Argentina Guillermo Vilas 7–5, 6–2
15. 28 July 1981 North Conway, New Hampshire, U.S. Clay Argentina Guillermo Vilas 6–3, 6–2
16. 3 August 1981 Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. Clay Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 4–6, 6–4, 6–2
17. 8 February 1982 Richmond, Virginia, U.S. Carpet United States Fritz Buehning 3–6, 6–3, 6–4, 6–3
18. 7 June 1982 Venice, Italy Clay Australia Peter McNamara 7–6, 6–1
19. 5 July 1982 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay Argentina Guillermo Vilas 6–1, 6–3, 6–2
20. 12 July 1982 Zell am See, Austria Clay Switzerland Heinz Günthardt 6–0, 3–6, 6–2, 6–1
21. 15 November 1982 Sao Paulo, Brazil Clay Brazil Marcos Hocevar 6–2, 6–7, 6–3
22. 24 January 1983 Guarujá, Brazil Hard Sweden Mats Wilander 3–6, 7–5, 6–1
23. 11 July 1983 Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. Clay United States Jimmy Arias 6–3, 6–1
24. 18 July 1983 Washington D.C., U.S. Clay United States Jimmy Arias 6–3, 3–6, 6–0
25. 25 July 1983 North Conway, New Hampshire, U.S. Clay Ecuador Andrés Gómez 6–3, 6–1

Personal

Jose Luis Clerc is married to Annalie and has two sons & a daughter, Juan Pablo 9/23/81, Dominique 1/12/84 & Nicolas 10/19/90.

References

  1. ↑ http://blog.db4tennis.com/exclusive-interview-with-jose-luis-clerc-alias-batata-who-is-a-part-of-history/
  2. ↑ http://blog.db4tennis.com/exclusive-interview-with-jose-luis-clerc-alias-batata-who-is-a-part-of-history/
  3. ↑ "Where to Go Next". 16 September 2008. Retrieved 22 December 2008. Argentine Tennis Great, Jose Luis Clerc, Partners with Algodon Wine Estates To Develop Professional Tennis Academy

External links


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