Wilhelm P. Bungert
Encyclopedia
Wilhelm Bungert is a former German
tennis player.
, the doubles finals of the International French Championships and the International Tennis Tournament of Monte Carlo.
After reaching the semi-finals in 1963 and 1964, the unseeded Bungert was the second German player (thirty years after Gottfried von Cramm
) to reach the Wimbledon men’s finals in 1967 when he beat Roger Taylor in five sets. However, he lost the final in straight sets against the Australia
n John Newcombe
.
In 1970 he (with Christian Kuhnke) was part of the German Davis Cup
team which lost the finals against the U.S. 0:5. In July of the same year he won his only career singles title in Düsseldorf.
In the eighties Bungert was captain of the German Davis Cup team (Boris Becker
and Michael Westphal
) which lost the finals against Sweden
2:3. Nikola Pilić
became his successor as captain.
Today, Bungert owns a tennis and golf center in Hilden
. Adidas
named one of their shoes after him.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
tennis player.
Tennis career
In 1962 the right-handed Bungert reached the quarter-finals of the International Australian ChampionshipsAustralian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
, the doubles finals of the International French Championships and the International Tennis Tournament of Monte Carlo.
After reaching the semi-finals in 1963 and 1964, the unseeded Bungert was the second German player (thirty years after Gottfried von Cramm
Gottfried von Cramm
Gottfried Alexander Maximilian Walter Kurt Freiherr von Cramm was a German amateur tennis champion and twice French Open champion.-Birth:...
) to reach the Wimbledon men’s finals in 1967 when he beat Roger Taylor in five sets. However, he lost the final in straight sets against the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n John Newcombe
John Newcombe
John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of...
.
In 1970 he (with Christian Kuhnke) was part of the German Davis Cup
Davis Cup
The Davis Cup is the premier international team event in men's tennis. It is run by the International Tennis Federation and is contested between teams of players from competing countries in a knock-out format. The competition began in 1900 as a challenge between Britain and the United States. By...
team which lost the finals against the U.S. 0:5. In July of the same year he won his only career singles title in Düsseldorf.
In the eighties Bungert was captain of the German Davis Cup team (Boris Becker
Boris Becker
Boris Franz Becker is a former World No. 1 professional tennis player from Germany. He is a six-time Grand Slam singles champion, an Olympic gold medalist, and the youngest-ever winner of the men's singles title at Wimbledon at the age of 17...
and Michael Westphal
Michael Westphal
Michael Westphal was a tennis player from West Germany.Westphal participated for his native country in the 1984 Summer Olympics, making it as far as the quarterfinals...
) which lost the finals against 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....
2:3. Nikola Pilić
Nikola Pilic
Nikola "Niki" Pilić is a retired Croatian professional tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. He was one of the Handsome Eight.-Biography:...
became his successor as captain.
Today, Bungert owns a tennis and golf center in Hilden
Hilden
Hilden is a city in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is situated in the District of Mettmann, west of Solingen and east of Düsseldorf on the right side of the Rhine. It is a middle sized industrial town with a forest and numerous attractions....
. Adidas
Adidas
Adidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
named one of their shoes after him.
Titles/finals
- Singles Titles (1): 1970 Düsseldorf
- Doubles Titles (1): 1968 Kitzbuehel (w/Jurgen Fassbender)
- Singles Finalist (3) 1967 Wimbledon, 1968 Kitzbuehel, 1968 Düsseldorf