Country (sports) Canada Name Grant Connell Turned pro 1986 Residence Vancouver, Canada Role Tennis player Education Texas A&M University | Prize money $2,911,097 Height 1.85 m Retired 1997 Career titles 0 Weight 82 kg | |
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Born November 17, 1965 (age 58)
Regina, Canada ( 1965-11-17 ) Plays Left-handed (one-handed backhand) Career record 75–100 (ATP Tour, Grand Prix and Grand Slam, and in Davis Cup) Similar People Patrick Galbraith, Byron Black, Nicklas Kulti, Petr Korda, Fabrice Santoro | ||
2015-11 Grant Connell Court 8 with Herb
Grant Connell (Pronounced: KAHN-nell) (born November 17, 1965) is a former professional tennis player from Canada, and has been a successful real estate agent for the past 10 years in Vancouver. He specializes in West Vancouver North Vancouver and Downtown properties real estate transactions. He is considered one of the world's top doubles player from the early to mid-1990s, reaching the World No. 1 doubles ranking in November 1993.
Contents
- 2015 11 Grant Connell Court 8 with Herb
- As a college player
- 1984 1985
- 1986
- 1987
- 1988
- Doubles performance timeline
- Honours
- After retiring as a tennis pro
- References
Connell won 22 career doubles titles during his eleven seasons on the ATP tour (1986 to 1997). He won his first four with fellow Canadian Glenn Michibata. Upon Michibata's retirement from the tour, Connell joined Patrick Galbraith. The Connell-Galbraith tandem won 12 titles together including the 1995 season ending Doubles Championship tournament. Connell's next main partner became Byron Black with whom he won 4 more titles. He also won a title each with Todd Martin and Scott Davis. He was a three-time Wimbledon doubles finalist, twice with Galbraith and once with Black.
A left-hander, Connell best singles ranking was World No. 67, which he reached in June 1991. His best tour singles results were reaching the semi-finals of the 1991 Chicago, 1991 Singapore, and 1992 Auckland Grand Prix events.
Connell's best grand slam singles results were reaching the third round of the 1991 Australian Open and 1994 Wimbledon.
A solid grass-court player, Connell had Andre Agassi on the ropes in their first round encounter at Wimbledon in 1991. In that match, Connell served a gutsy second serve ace to win the third set tie-breaker and go up two sets to one. Agassi however won the final two sets 7-5, 6-3, to take the match. (The following year at Wimbledon saw Agassi win his first Grand Slam event.)
Connell played Davis Cup for Canada on numerous occasions posting a career 15 and 6 win-loss record in doubles and an equally impressive 8 and 3 record in singles. He was a member of Canada's 1991 and 1992 teams, its first ever to qualify for the World Group.
As a college player
Growing up in North Vancouver, Connell was an All-American in doubles in 1984 and in singles in 1985 at Texas A&M University. In '85 he lost in the quarterfinals of the NCAA individual tennis championships to fellow future touring pro Mikael Pernfors.
1984, 1985
While still an amateur, Connell played the Player's International twice as a wild card entry, losing in the first round of the main draw each time. In 1984 he lost to World No. 17 Joakim Nyström 4-6, 3-6, while the following summer Connell fell to World No. 47, 6-7, 3-6.
On December 30, 1985, Connell was ranked by the ATP World No. 570T in singles and No. 724T in doubles.
1986
Connell played the San Luis Potosí Challenger in March, reaching the second round in both singles and doubles. He defeated World No. 327 Evan Ratner 6-1, 6-4, before losing to World No. 415 Karl Richter 6-3, 6-7, 3-6, while in doubles, he and partner Mark Greenan, also Canadian, lost their second round match to Mark Wooldridge and Derek Tarr in a 3rd set tie-break.
In July, Connell played two further challengers. At the Schenectady Challenger, he and Greenan lost in the first round in doubles. At the Berkeley Challenger the following week, Connell and Greenan again lost in the first round, while in singles Connell reached the semi-finals, defeating Charles Buzz Strode, Russell Simpson, and Paul Chamberlin all in straight sets before falling to Mike Bauer 6-7, 2-6.
In August, Connell again played the Player's, but in doubles this time, again partnering Greenan. The pair lost however in the first round, to the pair of Ricardo Acuña and Bob Green, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6. Connell next saw action in three European challengers in November. At the Helsinki Challenger, he lost in both singles and doubles in the first round. The following week at Bergen Challenger, he reached the second round of both, falling to Dan Goldie in three sets in singles and partnering Chamberlin in doubles. Connell finished 1986 on tour with a bang, reaching the semi-finals at the Valkenswaard Challenger in both singles and doubles, again partnering Chamberlin.
On December 29, 1986, Connell was ranked World No. 191 in singles and No. 217 in doubles.
1987
Connell began 1987 playing in his first grand slam event, the Australian Open. He lost in singles in the first round, in straight sets, to World No. 116 Todd Nelson. In doubles, he and partner American Chris Kennedy reached the second round.
Connell's next main draw action was in March, at the Cherbourg Challenger.
1988
Connell began the year at the AAMI Classic in Sydney, Australia where he lost in the 1st round to Pete Sampras 6-4,5-7,6-4.
Doubles performance timeline
A = did not participate in main draw of tournament
NH = tournament not held
Honours
Connell was inducted into the Canadian Tennis Hall of Fame in 1998.
After retiring as a tennis pro
Upon retiring from the tour in 1997, Connell became High Performance Director at Tennis BC as well as Davis Cup Captain. As captain he led the team to the World Group for only the second time. As of the last 10 years Grant has been selling real estate in Vancouver, BC.