Whitney Reed
| Country (sports) |  United States |
|---|---|
| Born | August 20, 1932 Oakland, CA, USA |
| Died | January 9, 2015 (aged 82) Alameda, CA, USA |
| Plays | Right-handed |
| Singles | |
| Grand Slam Singles results | |
| French Open | 3R (1962) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1962) |
| US Open | QF (1961) |
| Doubles | |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 2R (1962) |
| Mixed doubles | |
| Grand Slam Mixed Doubles results | |
| Wimbledon | 3R (1961) |
| Team competitions | |
| Davis Cup | W (1958) |
Whitney Reed (August 20, 1932 – January 9, 2015) was a former tennis player from the United States who was active in the 1950s and 1960s.
Reed was ranked No. 1 amateur in the United States in 1961 and was ranked in the U.S. amateur top ten in 1957 (No. 8), 1959 (No. 9), 1960 (No. 8), and 1962 (No. 6).[1]
During his career, he had wins over Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Neale Fraser, Chuck McKinley, Frank Sedgman, Manuel Santana, Gardnar Mulloy, Art Larsen and Alex Olmedo. All these players are enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
He won the 1959 NCAA Intercollegiate singles championship while at San Jose State University. Also that year, he won the singles title and reached the doubles final at the Cincinnati Masters. In 1961 and 1963, he won singles titles at the Canadian National Championships.
He also was named three times to the United States Davis Cup squad, 1958, 1961 and 1962.
Reed was enlisted in the San Jose State University and USTA Northern California Halls of Fame.[2][3]
References[]
Reed was one of the most entertaining players. Not only was he ranked number one in the Country at one point of his career, but he had an assortment of trick shots that he used in competition. For instance, he had a unique technique for approaching the net. It involved walking - duck like - switching his weight from foot to foot, as he walked flat footed, one step at a time, rocking back and forth to the net. He inevitably would win the point with a sweeping forehand winner at the net. He would swing the final winning volley with great gusto, so as to maximize the demolition of his opponent. Reed could hit winners from behind his back, or with his back to the net on the run. In short, he was one of the most entertaining players and a delight to watch. He teamed with Bill Crosby, one of the greatest doubles players of the time, and as a team they were unbeatable. Crosby had the opposite type of game -- tight and perfect strokes. He had what was reputed to be the best backhand return in doubles in the world at the time. Once in a match against Ken Rosewall and Lew Hoad - in their prime -- at the Pacific Southwest finals at the L.A. Tennis Club in Los Angeles, he hit something like ten clean backhand return of service from the lefthand side of the court for clean winners. At the time, Rosewall and Hoad, were the number one doubles team in the World. In that match Crosby was teamed with his other longtime doubles partner of the day, Bobby Perez, a great Eastbay doubles player.
External links[]
- Whitney Reed at the Association of Tennis Professionals
- Whitney Reed at the International Tennis Federation
- Whitney Reed at the Davis Cup
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