Dick Crealy

This article includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

Dick Crealy

Full name	Richard D. Crealy
Country (sports)	Australia
Residence	Sydney, Australia
Born	(1944-09-18) 18 September 1944 (age 77) Sydney, Australia
Turned pro	1969 (amateur tour from 1963)
Retired	1981
Plays	Right-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record	274–277 (Open era)
Career titles	5
Highest ranking	No. 21 (7 September 1970)
Grand Slam Singles results
Australian Open	F (1970)
French Open	4R (1970)
Wimbledon	3R (1967, 1969, 1974)
US Open	2R (1969, 1973, 1978)
Doubles
Career record	262–240 (Open era)
Career titles	6
Grand Slam Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1968)
French Open	W (1974)
Wimbledon	SF (1975)
US Open	QF (1969)
Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results
Australian Open	W (1968)
French Open	QF (1971, 1974)
US Open	QF (1969)

Richard Crealy (born 18 September 1944) is an Australian former tennis player most notable for reaching the final of the Australian Open in 1970, being a member of the 1970 Australian Davis Cup Team, and winning four Grand Slam titles in doubles.

Tennis career[]

Crealy was born in Sydney in 1944. In 1968 he achieved his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open with his fellow countryman and team mate Allan Stone in doubles. He also won the mixed doubles with Billie Jean King.

Crealy won the Men's Doubles at the 1974 French Open with Onny Parun over Stan Smith and Bob Lutz. In 1970, Crealy had his most successful season, reaching No. 5 on the Grand Prix rankings. In this year, he reached the singles final at the Australian Open, where he lost to American player Arthur Ashe, as well as the quarter-finals of the French Open. He also won the Swedish Open in Båstad and represented Australia in the Davis Cup with a 4–2 singles record and 2–0 doubles record. In 1974, he won another Grand Slam Title in doubles, combining with New Zealander Onny Parun in the French Open.

Crealy retired from the ATP Tour in 1978, but continued having success for many years on the Veteran's Tour, playing in many of the "Legends" tournaments at the Australian Open. He also still plays Pro-Ams, often supporting The Starlight Foundation in its annual tournament in Sydney.

Dick Crealy is a Life Member of the Australian Davis Cup Foundation.

1969 US Open[]

There is some confusion over the 1969 US Open Championship title, which is held by Crealy and Allan Stone conjointly with Ken Rosewall and Fred Stolle.

The era of Open Tennis commenced in 1968, and at that time Boston was the home of the US National Doubles championship. However, the agents of some contract professionals demanded guaranteed prize money which could not be covered by the tournament. Accordingly, contract professionals boycotted the tournament, with many playing instead at Forest Hills, which was won by Rosewall and Stolle. Crealy and Stone won the Doubles in Boston in 1969 as professionals, defeating Charlie Pasarell and Bill Bowrey.

In 1971, the USTA and Association of Tennis Professionals decided to combine the winners of both tournaments to make the Grand Slam tournament. This was not an issue for the winners of 1968 as both tournaments were won by Smith and Lutz. Crealy and Stone were asked if they would agree to share the 1969 title with Rosewall and Stolle - they readily agreed, especially as the latter were two of the great Australian players and because "tennis was played with much goodwill in those days."

Grand Slam finals[]

Singles (1 runner-up)[]

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1970	Australian Open	Grass	Arthur Ashe	4–6, 7–9, 2–6

Doubles (2 titles)[]

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1968	Australian Championships	Grass	Allan Stone	Terry Addison Ray Keldie	10–8, 6–4, 6–3
Win	1974	French Open	Grass	Onny Parun	Robert Lutz Stan Smith	6–3, 6–2, 3–6, 5–7, 6–1

Mixed Doubles (1 title)[]

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1968	Australian Championships	Grass	Billie Jean King	Margaret Court Allan Stone	walkover

Grand Slam tournament performance timeline[]

Singles[]

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

Open era finals[]

Singles (2 titles, 2 runner-ups)[]

Result	No.	Date	Tournament	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1.	Jan 1970	Australian Open, Australia	Grass	Arthur Ashe	4–6, 7–9, 2–6
Win	2.	Jul 1970	Båstad, Sweden	Clay	Georges Goven	6–3, 6–1, 6–1
Loss	3.	Jul 1972	Kitzbühel, Austria	Clay	Colin Dibley	1–6, 3–6, 4–6
Win	4.	Mar 1975	Nice, France	Clay	Iván Molina	7–6, 6–4, 6–3

References[]

External links[]

• Dick Crealy at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Dick Crealy at the International Tennis Federation
• Dick Crealy at the Davis Cup
• Dick Crealy at Tennis Australia