Full name Roy Barth Career record 29–118 Australian Open 1R (1971) Turned pro 1969 | Country (sports) United States Career titles 0 French Open 1R (1970) Retired 1975 | |
Born March 30, 1947 (age 69)
San Diego, California ( 1947-03-30 ) | ||
Roy Barth (born March 30, 1947) is a former professional tennis player from the United States.
Biography
Barth, born and raised in San Diego, was a good enough junior tennis player to be selected for America's Junior Davis Cup team. He played varsity tennis while attending UCLA in the late 1960s and had success in doubles with Steve Tidball. The pair were runners-up to Bob Lutz and Stan Smith for the NCAA Division 1 doubles title in 1968. He twice earned All-American honours, in 1968 and 1969.
After coming back from two sets down to defeat Miguel Olvera in the first round of the 1969 US Open, Barth made it as far as the fourth round, which would remain his best Grand Slam performance. Barth, who reached a highest ranking of 8 nationally, competed in all four Grand Slam tournaments, but all of his nine singles matches won were on home soil.
Competing professionally from 1969, Barth went on to make two Grand Prix finals, both in doubles. He was runner-up in the doubles at the Pacific Coast Championships in 1970, then in 1974 won the Pennsylvania Lawn Tennis Championships in Merion with Humphrey Hose.
A finalist at the Wimbledon All England Plate in 1970, Barth also had noted performances at the US Open in the 1970s. He won the first two sets of his match against Björn Borg at the 1973 US Open, before the Swede came back to win in five. The following year at the 1974 US Open he also took former champion Ilie Năstase to five sets.
He has lived in Charleston, South Carolina since retiring from professional tennis and is the Director of Tennis at the Kiawah Island Golf Resort.