Matt Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Matt Mitchell born March 16, 1957 is a former American professional tennis player who played from 1979-1987.
Mitchell who was born in Berkeley, California
. As a junior, he was the number one player in his age group in Northern California every second year from the 10s through the 16s. He had four National Junior Titles: National 12-and-under Hardcourt Championships in doubles with Jeff Robinson
(Burlingame, California); National 14-and-under Hardcourt Championships in singles where he defeated Perry Wright, (Burlingame, California); National 16-and-under Hardcourt Championships in singles where he defeated Walter Redondo (Burlingame, California); and, the National 16-and-under Hardcourt Championships in doubles with Nial Brash (Kalamazoo, Michigan).
In 1974 that Matt Mitchell was recruited by Coach Dick Gould
of Stanford University
where Mitchell signed his letter of intent in 1975. At Stanford University
, MItchell became at 3-time All-American where he achieved his first All-American honors when he beat the two-sport All-American John Lucas
from the University of Maryland
in the round of 32 at the NCAA Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas. That was the last year of the old 128 single-elimination Singles and Doubles tournament where schools sent only four of their best players to the tournament to compete in the draw.
In 1977 the NCAA Tournament was radically redesigned into two events in an eight day tournament: the first four days, the National Team Championships were played where the top 16 teams in the country played for the National Championship
in a single-elimination tournament -- like they do in College Basketball with March Madness -- to determine the best team in the country; and the second four day tournament was the National Singles and Doubles tournament where the best players in their respective conferences played a single-elimination tournament to determine the best Singles player and Doubles team in the country.
That year, in 1977 Mitchell along with Bill Maze, Perry Wright, John Rast, Jim Hodges, Lloyd Bourne and Peter Rennert
won the first ever Full Squad NCAA National Team Championships where each team sent their best 6 singles players and best 3 doubles teams to compete in this new single-elimination tournament. Then the following morning in the next four days after Stanford University
won the National Team Championships, Mitchell, who was seeded first in the singles event, beat John Bennett
of Brigham Young University
, John Austin
of UCLA, Ben McKown of Trinity College
, Bruce Nichols of UCLA, Chris Lewis of USC
, and in the final, Tony Graham
of UCLA in the best of five set final to win the NCAA Singles Title.
In 1979 Mitchell, in his first year as a professional player was nominated as Rookie of the Year after he was ranked the second highest rookie, behind Vince Van Patten. Mitchell's greatest success in singles came at the Black and Decker Championships, in Melbourne, Australia in 1984, where he beat Eliot Teltscher
who was eight in the world, and Pat Cash
who was ten in the world to win the tournament. That single event catapulted Mitchell's ranking from 160 in the world to 53.
Mitchell's greatest success as a professional, though, came as a doubles player, winning seven tournaments in doubles between 1980 and 1985, highlighted by winning the ATP Player's Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio with Francisco Gonzalez, and, while partnering with Kevin Curren
former All-American from Texas University
in 1986, they lost in the semi-finals of the US Open Championships to Mats Wilander
and Joakim Nyström
of Sweden
in a thrilling five-set match, 7-6 in the fifth. Mitchell's highest doubles ranking as a professional was 30 in the world.
In 2006, Mitchell created his own website http://web.me.com/classic_tennis to try to bring back more fans to the game of tennis including an introduction for new players explaining the point of the game; technical training from grips to strategy; and, his most recent addition, to put the sport in context, The History of Tennis documenting the players who influenced the game from the early era of Federation dominated tennis to the current state of the game.
His website is devoted to sharing information he's acquired over the years from the greatest coaches (and players) who have mentored him over his forty years in the game.
In 2006, Mitchell was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame where he dedicated the fortunate success in his career to his parents, his brother, his 1977 National Team and to the five coaches who influenced him the most: Nick Carter
, Neil George, Rich Anderson
, Dick Gould
and the late Harry Hopman
. http://www.itatennis.com/AboutITA/HOF/Mens.htm
Mitchell who was born in Berkeley, California
Berkeley, California
Berkeley is a city on the east shore of the San Francisco Bay in Northern California, United States. Its neighbors to the south are the cities of Oakland and Emeryville. To the north is the city of Albany and the unincorporated community of Kensington...
. As a junior, he was the number one player in his age group in Northern California every second year from the 10s through the 16s. He had four National Junior Titles: National 12-and-under Hardcourt Championships in doubles with Jeff Robinson
Jeff Robinson
Jeffrey Daniel Robinson is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played nine seasons for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Yankees, California Angels and Chicago Cubs.-Professional career:...
(Burlingame, California); National 14-and-under Hardcourt Championships in singles where he defeated Perry Wright, (Burlingame, California); National 16-and-under Hardcourt Championships in singles where he defeated Walter Redondo (Burlingame, California); and, the National 16-and-under Hardcourt Championships in doubles with Nial Brash (Kalamazoo, Michigan).
In 1974 that Matt Mitchell was recruited by Coach Dick Gould
Dick Gould
Dick Gould is an American Tennis Coach. He was the Men's Tennis Coach at Stanford University for 38 years from 1966–2004. His Stanford men's tennis teams won 17 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships, and 50 of his players won All-American honors. He was named the ITA-Wilson "Coach of the Decade" both...
of Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
where Mitchell signed his letter of intent in 1975. At Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, MItchell became at 3-time All-American where he achieved his first All-American honors when he beat the two-sport All-American John Lucas
John Lucas
John Lucas is the name of:*John Lucas , philosopher*John Lucas II , retired American professional basketball player*John Lucas III , his son, current professional basketball player...
from the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
in the round of 32 at the NCAA Championships in Corpus Christi, Texas. That was the last year of the old 128 single-elimination Singles and Doubles tournament where schools sent only four of their best players to the tournament to compete in the draw.
In 1977 the NCAA Tournament was radically redesigned into two events in an eight day tournament: the first four days, the National Team Championships were played where the top 16 teams in the country played for the National Championship
National championship
A national championship is the top achievement for any sport or contest in a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the best team, individual in a particular nation and in a particular field...
in a single-elimination tournament -- like they do in College Basketball with March Madness -- to determine the best team in the country; and the second four day tournament was the National Singles and Doubles tournament where the best players in their respective conferences played a single-elimination tournament to determine the best Singles player and Doubles team in the country.
That year, in 1977 Mitchell along with Bill Maze, Perry Wright, John Rast, Jim Hodges, Lloyd Bourne and Peter Rennert
Peter Rennert
Peter Rennert , is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Rennert enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 2 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 18 in 1983...
won the first ever Full Squad NCAA National Team Championships where each team sent their best 6 singles players and best 3 doubles teams to compete in this new single-elimination tournament. Then the following morning in the next four days after Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
won the National Team Championships, Mitchell, who was seeded first in the singles event, beat John Bennett
John Bennett
-Arts & entertainment:* John Bennett , British actor from the film The Fifth Element* John Bennett , British composer and organist* John Bennett , drummer of the UK doom metal band The Prophecy...
of Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, John Austin
John Austin (tennis)
John Austin is an American former professional tennis player born in Long Beach, California. He won the Wimbledon mixed doubles championship with his sister, Tracy Austin, in 1980....
of UCLA, Ben McKown of Trinity College
Trinity College (Connecticut)
Trinity College is a private, liberal arts college in Hartford, Connecticut. Founded in 1823, it is the second-oldest college in the state of Connecticut after Yale University. The college enrolls 2,300 students and has been coeducational since 1969. Trinity offers 38 majors and 26 minors, and has...
, Bruce Nichols of UCLA, Chris Lewis of USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, and in the final, Tony Graham
Tony Graham (tennis)
Tony Graham , is a former professional tennis player from the United States.During his career he won 2 doubles titles. He achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 138 in 1982 and a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 204 in 1983.-Runner-ups :-Titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:...
of UCLA in the best of five set final to win the NCAA Singles Title.
In 1979 Mitchell, in his first year as a professional player was nominated as Rookie of the Year after he was ranked the second highest rookie, behind Vince Van Patten. Mitchell's greatest success in singles came at the Black and Decker Championships, in Melbourne, Australia in 1984, where he beat Eliot Teltscher
Eliot Teltscher
Eliot Teltscher is a retired professional American tennis player.-Early years:Teltscher's mother was born in Israel; his father emigrated there during the Holocaust, and joined the British army...
who was eight in the world, and Pat Cash
Pat Cash
Patrick Hart "Pat" Cash is a retired Australian professional tennis player who won the men's singles title at Wimbledon in 1987.-Early career:...
who was ten in the world to win the tournament. That single event catapulted Mitchell's ranking from 160 in the world to 53.
Mitchell's greatest success as a professional, though, came as a doubles player, winning seven tournaments in doubles between 1980 and 1985, highlighted by winning the ATP Player's Championships in Cincinnati, Ohio with Francisco Gonzalez, and, while partnering with Kevin Curren
Kevin Curren
----Kevin Melvyn Curren is a former professional tennis player. He played in two Grand Slam singles finals and won four Grand Slam doubles titles.-Career:...
former All-American from Texas University
Texas University
Texas University or t.u. is a derogatory name for the University of Texas at Austin, mostly used by students at rival Texas A&M University.Texas University may also refer to:...
in 1986, they lost in the semi-finals of the US Open Championships to Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander
Mats Wilander is a former World No. 1 tennis player from Sweden. From 1982 through 1988, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , and one Grand Slam men's doubles title...
and Joakim Nyström
Joakim Nyström
Joakim "Jocke" Nyström is a former top ten ranked tennis player from Sweden who won thirteen singles titles during his professional career. The right-hander reached his highest singles ranking on the ATP Tour on 31 March 1986, when he was ranked World No. 7 and was also ranked as high as World No...
of Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
in a thrilling five-set match, 7-6 in the fifth. Mitchell's highest doubles ranking as a professional was 30 in the world.
In 2006, Mitchell created his own website http://web.me.com/classic_tennis to try to bring back more fans to the game of tennis including an introduction for new players explaining the point of the game; technical training from grips to strategy; and, his most recent addition, to put the sport in context, The History of Tennis documenting the players who influenced the game from the early era of Federation dominated tennis to the current state of the game.
His website is devoted to sharing information he's acquired over the years from the greatest coaches (and players) who have mentored him over his forty years in the game.
In 2006, Mitchell was inducted into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's Men's Collegiate Tennis Hall of Fame where he dedicated the fortunate success in his career to his parents, his brother, his 1977 National Team and to the five coaches who influenced him the most: Nick Carter
Nick Carter (tennis)
Clarence "Nick" Carter of San Francisco, California, was a top-level amateur tennis player in the 1940s and 1950s.In 1948, Carter was the runner-up at the U.S. Clay Court Championships and reached the round of 16 at the U.S...
, Neil George, Rich Anderson
Rich Anderson
Richard "Rich" Anderson is the Iowa State Representative from the 97th District. He has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2005....
, Dick Gould
Dick Gould
Dick Gould is an American Tennis Coach. He was the Men's Tennis Coach at Stanford University for 38 years from 1966–2004. His Stanford men's tennis teams won 17 NCAA Men's Tennis Championships, and 50 of his players won All-American honors. He was named the ITA-Wilson "Coach of the Decade" both...
and the late Harry Hopman
Harry Hopman
Henry Christian Hopman, CBE was a world-acclaimed Australian-American tennis player and coach, born in Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, and soon moving to Parramatta, a city adjoining Sydney and now effectively a suburb of the metropolis.Hopman was a student at Rosehill Public Primary school...
. http://www.itatennis.com/AboutITA/HOF/Mens.htm
External links
- http://web.me.com/classic_tennis Classic Tennis Website
- http://www.itatennis.com/AboutITA/HOF/Mens.htm Intercollegiate Tennis Association Hall of Fame - Class of 2006