Chris Lewis (tennis)
| Country (sports) |
 New Zealand |
|---|---|
| Residence | Irvine, California, United States |
| Born |
9 March 1957 Auckland, New Zealand |
| Height | 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1] |
| Turned pro | 1975 |
| Retired | 1986 |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $647,550 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 241–197 |
| Career titles | 3 |
| Highest ranking | No. 19 (16 April 1984) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (1977Dec, 1981) |
| French Open | 3R (1977) |
| Wimbledon | F (1983) |
| US Open | 3R (1982) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 183–161 |
| Career titles | 8[1] |
| Highest ranking | No. 46 (14 January 1985) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | QF (1980) |
| French Open | QF (1982) |
| Wimbledon | QF (1981) |
| US Open | 2R (1981) |
| Last updated on: 23 May 2012. | |
Chris Lewis (born 9 March 1957) is a former professional tennis player from New Zealand who reached the 1983 Wimbledon final as an unseeded player. He won three singles titles and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 19 in April 1984. He also won 8 doubles titles during his 12 years on the tour. During his career Lewis was coached by Harry Hopman and Tony Roche.
Lewis became the third player from New Zealand to reach the finals of a Grand Slam singles title after the second player from New Zealand, Onny Parun, had reached the finals of a Grand Slam singles title 10 years before at the Australian Open. Lewis is the last player from New Zealand to reach the finals of a Grand Slam title as of 2016.
Early life
Lewis was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and received his secondary education at Marcellin College and Lynfield College. He is the eldest of three sons. His brothers are David Lewis and Mark Lewis who also had significant competitive tennis careers.[2]
Tennis career
Juniors
Lewis reached the No. 1 junior world ranking in 1975, winning the Wimbledon Boys' Singles title (def. Ricardo Ycaza) and reaching the final of the US Open Boys' Singles (lost to Howard Schoenfield).
Pro tour
In reaching the 1983 Wimbledon finals, after a five-set win over Kevin Curren in the semi-finals, Lewis became the seventh unseeded man and only the second New Zealander after Anthony Wilding (who won four times between 1910 and 1913) to reach a Wimbledon singles final. He lost the final to John McEnroe (2–6, 2–6, 2–6). He also reached the finals at the Cincinnati Masters in 1981, again losing to John McEnroe (3–6, 4–6).
After tennis
In the 1999 New Zealand general election, Lewis unsuccessfully stood for parliament as a list candidate for the Libertarianz party. Now resident in Irvine, California, in addition to owning and operating Tennis-Experts.com, an online tennis equipment retailer, he coaches at the Woodbridge Tennis Club. His daughter, Geneva Lewis (born 1998/1999), is a successful violinist.[3]
Equipment
Lewis was the first man in history to reach the final of one of the four tennis majors (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, US Open) while using an oversize racquet, a Prince original graphite (Second only to Pam Shriver in the 1978 US Open). He was also one of the first players equipped with custom made shoes designed for the grass surface.
Career finals
Grand Slam singles finals
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Runner-up | 1983 | Wimbledon | Grass |  John McEnroe | 2–6, 2–6, 2–6 |
ATP World Tour Masters 1000 finals
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent | Score |
| Runner-up | 1981 | Cincinnati Masters | Hard | John McEnroe | 3–6, 4–6 |
Singles: 10 (3 titles – 7 runners-up)
|
|
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 12 December 1977 | Adelaide, Australia | Grass | Tim Gullikson |
6–3, 4–6, 6–3, 2–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 30 July 1978 | Kitzbuhl, Austria | Clay |  Vladimir Zednik |
6–1, 6–4, 6–0 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 23 March 1981 | Stuttgart Indoor, Germany | Hard (I) | Ivan Lendl |
3–6, 0–6, 7–6, 3–6 |
| Winner | 2. | 18 May 1981 | Munich, Germany | Clay |  Christophe Roger-Vasselin |
4–6, 6–2, 2–6, 6–1, 6–1 |
| Runner-up | 3. | 17 July 1981 | Cincinnati, Ohio, United States | Hard | John McEnroe |
3–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 4. | 5 October 1981 | Brisbane, Australia | Grass |  Mark Edmondson |
6–7, 6–3, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 5. | 14 December 1981 | Sydney Outdoor, Australia | Grass | Tim Wilkison |
4–6, 6–7, 3–6 |
| Runner-up | 6. | 27 April 1982 | Hilton Head WCT, South Carolina, United States | Clay | Van Winitsky |
4–6, 4–6 |
| Runner-up | 7. | 20 June 1983 | Wimbledon, London | Grass | John McEnroe |
2–6, 2–6, 2–6 |
| Winner | 3. | 7 January 1985 | Auckland, New Zealand | Hard | Wally Masur |
7–5, 6–0, 2–6, 6–4 |
References
- 1 2 Player Profile
- ↑ Joseph Romanos, Chris Lewis: All the Way to Wimbledon, Rugby Press, Auckland, 1984, p. 43, ISBN 090863014X.
- ↑ Thomas, Robert D. (16 March 2015). "16-year-old violinist to perform with Pasadena Symphony". The Pasadena Star-News. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
External links
- Chris Lewis at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Chris Lewis at the International Tennis Federation
- Chris Lewis at the Davis Cup
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by 1982 New Zealand men's eight |
New Zealand Sportsman of the Year 1983 |
Succeeded by Ian Ferguson |