Mansour Bahrami
 | |
| Country (sports) |
 Iran,  France |
|---|---|
| Residence | Paris, France |
| Born |
April 26, 1956 Arak, Iran |
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Turned pro | 1974 |
| Retired | 2003[N 1] |
| Plays | Right-handed (one-handed backhand) |
| Prize money | $368,780 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 22–46 (ATP, Grand Prix, WCT, Grand Slam & Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 0 |
| Highest ranking | No. 192 (9 May 1988) |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| Australian Open | Q1 (1977) |
| French Open | 2R (1981) |
| Wimbledon | Q1 (1976) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 108–139 (ATP, Grand Prix, WCT, Grand Slam & Davis Cup) |
| Career titles | 2 |
| Highest ranking | No. 31 (6 July 1987) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 1R (1977Jan) |
| French Open | F (1989) |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1988) |
| US Open | 3R (1987) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 1R (1990) |
Mansour Bahrami (Persian: منصور بهرامی) (born April 26, 1956) is a retired professional tennis player. He is Iranian with dual France nationality since 1989. While only moderately successful on the main ATP tour, his showmanship has made him a long-standing and popular figure in invitational tournaments.
Tennis career
The time came when the Iranian team was short of players and Bahrami was finally permitted to play the game on a tennis court. His talent was obvious and he reached the Davis Cup team (and helped the team to victory at the age of just sixteen) but in the late 1970s the Islamic Revolution within Iran led to tennis being viewed as a capitalist and elitist sport.[1] He spent the next three years playing backgammon as all tennis courts were closed down. In desperation he fled to France with his life savings, which he gambled in a casino and lost.[2]
While his best days were already behind him, and never having maximized his potential in singles, he became a successful doubles player who even reached the French Open doubles final in 1989 with Eric Winogradsky.[3][2]
Senior tournaments
Bahrami has been a mainstay of the seniors invitational tennis circuit for about 20 years.[1] Bahrami is considered to have "found his niche" on the ATP Champions Tour,[2] where his flamboyant style and propensity for trick shots chimed with the tour's more entertainment-oriented remit. In reference to his showmanship, his 2009 English-language autobiography was titled The Court Jester.[4]
Main Tour Finals
Doubles: 12 (2–10)
| Legend |
| Grand Slam (0-1) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0-0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0-2) |
| ATP Tour (2-7) |
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Challenger Finals
Doubles: 5 (3–2)
| Outcome | No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partnering | Opponents in the final | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Runner-up | 1. | 1986 | Chartres, France | Clay | Eric Winogradsky |
 Javier Frana Gustavo Guerrero |
2–6, 4–6 |
| Winner | 1. | 1986 | Neu-Ulm, West Germany | Clay |  Jaroslav Navrátil |
 Menno Oosting Huub van Boeckel |
7-5, 6-1 |
| Winner | 2. | 1987 | Clermont-Ferrand, France | Clay |  Claudio Mezzadri |
Christophe Lesage Jean-Marc Piacentile |
6-3, 7-5 |
| Runner-up | 2. | 1987 | Neu-Ulm, West Germany | Clay |  Michael Mortensen |
 Jaromir Becka Udo Riglewski |
WEA |
| Winner | 3. | 1990 | Dijon, France | Carpet | Rodolphe Gilbert |
 Jan Apell Peter Nyborg |
7-5, 6-2 |
Bibliography and Filmography
- Bahrami, Mansour (2006). Le court des miracles (in French). Paris: Le Cherche Midi. ISBN 2749107652.
- Bahrami, Mansour; Issartel, Jean (2009). The court jester : my story. Central Milton Keynes: TennisMania Trust, in association with AuthorHouse. ISBN 1438987943.
- The Man behind the Moustache, DVD (2009)
External links
Notes
- ↑ Bahrami retired from the main ATP tour in 2003. As of 2016 he continues to appear at invitational events.
References
- 1 2 Tilley, Joanna (3 July 2013). "Bahrami: Iran's solo tennis representative". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- 1 2 3 ATP profile
- ↑ MacDonald, Geoff (30 January 2010). "Islamic Republic Crushed the Dreams of Iran's Top Tennis Players". New York Times. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ↑ Bahrami, Mansour; Issartel, Jean (2009). The court jester : my story. Central Milton Keynes: TennisMania Trust, in association with AuthorHouse. ISBN 1438987943.