Rafael Osuna

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Osuna and the second or maternal family name is Herrera.
Rafael Osuna
Full name Rafael Herrera Osuna
Country (sports)  Mexico
Residence Mexico City, Mexico
Born (1938-09-15)15 September 1938
Mexico City, Mexico
Died 4 June 1969(1969-06-04) (aged 30)
near Monterrey, Mexico
Turned pro 1958 (amateur tour)
Retired June 4, 1969 (due to death)
Plays Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF 1979 (member page)
Singles
Career record 56–17
Highest ranking No. 1 (1963, Lance Tingay)[1]
Grand Slam Singles results
French Open 4R (1964)
Wimbledon QF (1962, 1964, 1965)
US Open W (1963)
Other tournaments
Olympic Games SF (1968, demonstration)
Doubles
Career record 0–1
Grand Slam Doubles results
French Open QF (1965)
Wimbledon W (1960, 1963)
US Open W (1962)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games W (1968, demonstration)

Rafael Osuna Herrera (15 September 1938 – 4 June 1969), nicknamed "El Pelón" (The bald), was a former World No. 1 tennis player, the most successful player in the history of Mexico and an Olympian. He was born in Mexico City, and is best remembered for his singles victory at the U.S. Open Championships in 1963, winning the 1960 and 1963 Wimbledon Doubles championships, the 1962 U.S. Open Championships doubles, and for leading Mexico to its only Davis Cup Final round appearance in 1962. He is the only Mexican to date to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, in 1979.

Career

His first successes as an athlete occurred before he was ten years old, when he competed in the open category of the Mexican National Table Tennis Championships. In the course of the tournament, he upset the Mexico City Table Tennis Champion in singles, a feat remarkable both for Osuna's young age and the fact that it was his first tournament. Osuna also won the Doubles Championship, with Alfredo Ramos Uriarte as his partner. From age 10 to 14 he was ranked in the top 10 in Mexico's Open singles in table tennis.

He was awarded a full scholarship to attend the University of Southern California (USC) in the U.S.A., by Head Coach George Toley, who quickly identified Osuna as a major talent. Toley had to literally reteach Osuna how to play tennis because of his poor technique but, in Toley´s own words ¨he moves on the tennis court like a God¨. Osuna participated in the 1960 Wimbledon championships, competing only in the doubles category with Dennis Ralston (soon to be his roommate at school). The two unknown youngsters soon made history, as the first unseeded pair to win the men's doubles at Wimbledon.

This victory marked the beginning of Osuna's career and fame. Described as an "agile and cerebral player"[2] who "moves on the tennis court with the grace of a panther" (Tony Mottram), his subsequent achievements include:

Style

Osuna was known for his footspeed, touch, and tactical awareness. Commentator Bud Collins dubs him "Mexico's greatest player...Ubiquitous on court, confusing to foes, ever seeking the net".[5] His U.S. Open victory came against big server Frank Froehling, a dangerous unseeded opponent who had upset top-seeded Roy Emerson in the semifinals. Collins describes Osuna's victory as a triumph of tactical play:

...Osuna cleverly neutralized [Froehling's] power with wonderfully conceived and executed tactics, especially lobbed service returns from 10 to 12 feet behind the baseline. Occasionally Osuna would stand in and take Froehling's serve on the rise, chipping the backhand, but more often he lobbed returns to disrupt Froehling's serve-volley rhythm and break down his suspect overhead. In fact, Osuna climbed the wall of the stadium to retrieve smashes and float back perfect lobs, frustrating Froehling with his nimble speed around the court, touch and tactical variations.[6]

He is also remembered by his bold strategy against Bill Bowrey on the 4th match of the Mexico vs Australia Davis Cup tie in 1969. Coming back after the obligatory break after three sets (Osuna leading 2 sets to one), after holding serve on the first game, Osuna hits out, going for the lineas and keeping the ball away from Bowrey on each of all his service returns. While the knowledgeable public interprets this actions as trying to get loose, as the match progresses the public is baffled by Osuna continuing to do so after holding serve. Then, after holding serve and going up 4-3, Osuna changes his manner of play drastically by chipping in his return low to his opponents feet. At this precise moment Bowrey, in the entire 4th set and coming out of the rest period, has not hit one volley after his service motion due to the ¨hitting out¨strategy that Osuna implemented on this set. Bowrey is startled by the change of strategy on the first point. Osuna plays a superb second point to go up 0-30. Being love - 30 gets Bowrey extremely tight and gets broken. Osuna closes the match on his next service game.

1968 Olympic Summer Games

He played on the team sent to the 1968 Summer Olympics.[7]

Death

Osuna was one of 79 people killed in the crash of Mexicana Flight 704 on 4 June 1969 near Salinas Victoria. He was 30 years old.[8][9][10]

Posthumous honors

Osuna has received numerous posthumous honors, including:

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 title)

Outcome Year Championship Opponent in final Score in final
Winner 1963 U.S. National Championships United States Frank Froehling 7–5, 6–4, 6–2

Doubles (3 titles, 2 runners-up)

Outcome Year Championship Partner Opponents in final Score in final
Winner 1960 Wimbledon United States Dennis Ralston United Kingdom Mike Davies
United Kingdom Bobby Wilson
7–5, 6–3, 10–8
Runner-up 1961 U.S. National Championships Mexico Antonio Palafox United States Chuck McKinley
United States Dennis Ralston
3–6, 4–6, 6–2, 11–13
Winner 1962 U.S. National Championships Mexico Antonio Palafox United States Chuck McKinley
United States Dennis Ralston
6–4, 10–12, 1–6, 9–7, 6–3
Winner 1963 Wimbledon Mexico Antonio Palafox France Jean-Claude Barclay
France Pierre Darmon
4–6, 6–2, 6–2, 6–2
Runner-up 1963 U.S. National Championships Mexico Antonio Palafox United States Chuck McKinley
United States Dennis Ralston
7–9, 6–4, 7–5, 3–6, 9–11

References

  1. United States Lawn Tennis Association (1972). Official Encyclopedia of Tennis (First Edition), p. 427.
  2. Bingham, Walter (September 16, 1963). "It Was Anybody's Championship—until A Mexican With A Deft Touch Made It His". Sports Illustrated.
  3. 1 2 Collins, Bud; Xander Hollander (1996). Bud Collins' Tennis Encyclopedia. Visible Ink Press. pp. 485–6. ISBN 1-57859-000-0.
  4. "A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week". Sports Illustrated. June 16, 1969.
  5. Collins, p. 485-6
  6. Collins, p. 163.
  7. http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/
  8. "Famous Air Crash Victims".
  9. "A Roundup Of The Sports Information Of The Week". Sports Illustrated. June 16, 1969.
  10. "Famous People Who Died in Aviation Accidents 1960s".
  11. Toley, George (2009). The Golden Age of College Tennis.

External links

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