Full name Frew Donald McMillan Career record 142–213 (Open era) Weight 76 kg Name Frew McMillan Turned pro 1961 | Prize money $609,072 Role Tennis player Height 1.80 m Retired 1983 | |
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Born 20 May 1942 (age 81) Springs, South Africa ( 1942-05-20 ) Plays Right-handed (two-handed both sides) Similar People | ||
Int. Tennis HoF 1992 (member page) | ||
Interview stuart appleby interviews tennis legend frew mcmillan
Frew Donald McMillan (born 20 May 1942) is a former professional male tennis player from South Africa who won five major doubles championships including three Wimbledons with Bob Hewitt. Altogether, he won 63 doubles titles, surpassed only by the Bryan brothers, Todd Woodbridge, John McEnroe and Tom Okker. He was also ranked No.1 in Doubles on the ATP Computer for a significant period from 1977 to 1979 when he was aged 37.
Contents
- Interview stuart appleby interviews tennis legend frew mcmillan
- Frew McMillanWimbledon 1978edited
- Biography
- References
Frew McMillan_Wimbledon 1978.edited
Biography
McMillan was born in Springs, South Africa. Aside from his considerable success as a doubles player, he had a singles career with good results mostly in South Africa.
He played in 38 Grand Slam singles events with a 28 to 38 win/loss record, first playing in 1961 at Wimbledon and last at the first US Open at Flushing Meadows in 1978. His best results in both came at the US Open reaching the quarter finals in 1972 and the last 16 in 1976. Arguably his greatest result was reaching the final of the 1970 South African Open held at Ellis Park. He beat a raging Pancho Gonzales in the semi-final before losing to world no.1 Rod Laver in four sets in the final. At the time, the South African, Italian and German Opens were rated the top three tournaments beneath the Grand Slams. As late as 1979 McMillan reached the quarter-finals of the Fischer Open in Vienna.
McMillan continued to play the tour for many years. In doubles, he played his last Wimbledon with Bob Hewitt in 1979 reaching the semi-finals. They made a last appearance together in the main draw at Flushing Meadows in 1980 reaching the quarter-finals with a nostalgic victory over fellow veteran Americans Clark Graebner and Charlie Pasarell. McMillan won his last tour title at the 1982 South African Open with Brian Gottfried.
McMillan played for many years on the seniors tours and was runner-up at the inaugural "Wimbledon over 35's" to John Newcombe in 1982 after good wins against Tony Roche, Mark Cox and Ismail El Shafei. In 1988 he and Hewitt, older by 20 years between them, beat the Gullikson twins Tim and Tom in the 35's doubles final at Wimbledon.
The most notable aspect of his game was that he had both a two-handed backhand and forehand, which increased his power while restricting his mobility. In the 1967 Wimbledon, he and Hewitt did not lose a set, and McMillan did not once lose a service game.
McMillan was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island, in 1992. He now works as a tennis commentator for Eurosport and on BBC Radio 5 during Wimbledon.