Full name Alan Abraham Segal Name Abe Segal Country (sports) South Africa Role Tennis Player | Australian Open 2R (1954) Turned pro 1955 Wimbledon QF (1964) | |
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Plays Left-handed (one-handed backhand) French Open 3R (1955, 1957, 1961, 1962) | ||
Tennis champ visits the region
Alan Abraham Segal (23 October 1930 – 4 April 2016) was a South African tennis player. During the 1950s and 1960s, he was the doubles partner of Gordon Forbes. Together, they were considered one of the best doubles teams in the world.
Due to South Africa's policy of Apartheid, Alex Metreveli and István Gulyás both refused to compete in the 1964 Wimbledon against Segal, a white South African. This prompted the International Lawn Tennis Federation to pass a resolution prohibiting racial discrimination and withdrawing from a tournament except for "health or bereavement" reasons.
In 1951 he won the singles title at the Irish Open defeating Guy Jackson in the final in straight sets.
He played for the South African Davis Cup team in 19 ties in the years 1955, 57, 59, 61-65 and compiled a record of 24 wins and 14 losses.
After retiring from tennis, Segal took up painting. In 2008 he published a memoir titled Hey Big Boy!.
Segal died of cancer on 4 April 2016 at the age of 85.