Farewell Neale Fraser, 3-time main champion & Australian Davis Cup hero | ATP Tour

Obituary

Farewell Neale Fraser, 3-time main champion & Australian Davis Cup hero

Fraser additionally received 16 Grand Slam trophies in doubles

December 03, 2024

Neale Fraser, an estimable Australian left-hander who owned one of many craftiest serves in tennis throughout his prime years within the late 1950’s and early sixties, securing no fewer than 19 main championships altogether in singles, doubles and combined doubles between 1956 and 1962 regardless of ceaselessly dwelling within the shadows of countrymen together with Lew Hoad, Ken Rosewall, Ashley Cooper and Mal Anderson, and establishing himself as an excellent Davis Cup participant and captain—died on 2 December, 2024. He was 91.

Exploiting his versatile serve to the hilt and turning it into the cornerstone of his recreation, Fraser was a formidable participant who thrived in an period when three of the 4 majors have been held on grass. Fraser’s southpaw mastery of spins on serve set him aside in his time and made him particularly formidable on grass courts. His serve was misleading and infrequently unstoppable. He may launch it flat into the corners, carve it with slice out broad or stifle right-handed opponents along with his devilish deuce courtroom kick serve to the forehand.

Fraser was a tried and true serve-and-volleyer, backing up his wonderful supply with soundness on the volley, attacking relentlessly, smothering opponents along with his capability to come back ahead in any respect the proper occasions. He was a product of his period on quick courts, unrelentingly aggressive as a match participant, weighing the odds assiduously to present himself the very best probability to succeed.

The ITHF remembers Corridor of Famer Neale Fraser, considered one of Australia’s legends.

A 19-time main champion and stalwart in Davis Cup as a participant and captain, Fraser reached the sport’s peak and mentored a technology of Aussies.

Our ideas are along with his household and pals right this moment.

— Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame (@TennisHalloFame) December 3, 2024

Neale Andrew Fraser was born on 3 October, 1933 in Melbourne the place he grew up and lived as an grownup, beginning to play tennis on the age of 11 on a neighbour’s courtroom along with his brother John, a doctor later in life and a good participant in his personal proper who as soon as made the semi-finals of Wimbledon in doubles alongside Rod Laver. The son of a lawyer who grew to become a decide, Neale Fraser received his first match — a 13-and-under occasion — at 12. At 17 he received the Australian Nationwide Junior Championships. By 1954, when he turned 21, Fraser was included on the Australian abroad staff, touring with the likes of Hoad and Rosewall underneath the tutelage of the revered coach and Davis Cup captain Harry Hopman, making essential strides in that interval.

Ranked among the many Prime 10 on the planet yearly from 1956-62 by most main authorities, rising to No. 1 twice initially of the sixties, Fraser was distinguished in an period when the entire high gamers have been anticipated to enter the singles, doubles and combined doubles occasions on the sport’s showcase tournaments.

Therefore his achievement in sweeping all three occasions on the 1959 and 1960 U.S. Championships was amongst his highest honors. In 1959, he defeated the charismatic Peruvian Alex Olmedo within the singles last, joined Emerson to topple Olmedo and the American Butch Buchholz within the doubles last, and secured the combined doubles crown with Margaret Osborne duPont of the U.S. over the American Janet Hopps and the Australian Bob Mark.

A yr later, he replicated that feat, claiming the singles title in straight units over Laver, and defending his males’s and combined doubles titles with Emerson and Osborne duPont. That was no imply feat towards staunch opposition. Fraser demonstrated that he was the tennis participant’s tennis participant by advantage of these successes, placing forth the identical inexhaustible effort into his doubles pursuits as he did on his personal in singles.

He reaffirmed that reality by excelling in Davis Cup competitors for his nation, successful 18 of 21 matches in singles and doubles mixed, shedding solely as soon as in singles, enjoying a central position in main Australia to 4 consecutive Davis Cup triumphs from 1959-62. The primary of these triumphs featured Fraser in full flight. Within the Problem Spherical towards america at Forest Hills, Fraser stopped Alex Olmedo in 4 units on opening day, teamed with Roy Emerson to win the doubles over Olmedo and Butch Buchholz, and sealed victory for his nation within the fifth and last match by ousting Barry MacKay in 4 units. That was a unprecedented three-day feat and a singular achievement for the industrious Fraser.

Solely three of his 19 majors have been secured in singles, however they represented his proudest moments as a participant. The groundbreaking singles triumph was in 1959 at Forest Hills when he was 26. However maybe his victory at Wimbledon the next yr was much more psychically rewarding.

On that event in 1960, he took on Laver, a blinding shotmaker who would win two Grand Slams over the course of that decade. By no means earlier than had two left-handers clashed in a title spherical assembly on these hallowed grounds. Fraser, who reached match level initially of that season earlier than shedding a basic Australian Championships last with Laver in 5 units, overcame his gifted countryman and rival by enjoying a greater model of sustained proportion tennis once they dueled once more in Nice Britain, succeeding 6-4, 3-6, 9-7, 7-5. In some ways, it was his best hour in a storied profession.

However Fraser was considerably lucky to even be within the last. Confronting Buchholz within the quarter-finals, Fraser saved 5 match factors and barely survived. Buchholz retired with cramps when Fraser trailed two units to at least one and the sport rating was locked at 15-15 within the fourth set. Thus Fraser established himself as considered one of solely 9 males in Wimbledon historical past to take the singles title after being down at the least one match level in the course of the course of the match. He returned to Forest Hills later in that summer season of 1960 and retained his title commandingly, coming via with out shedding a set in seven matches, shifting previous Laver with sweeping effectivity 6-4, 6-4, 9-7 within the last.

That was a defining second for Fraser, who was inducted on the Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame in 1984. It was arguably the very best tennis he ever performed on an auspicious event. He retired in 1963 however remained within the forefront of tennis for many years to come back. At all times a cagey scholar of the sport and an excellent trainer as effectively, he took over from Hopman as Davis Cup captain in 1970 and remained in that submit for 23 years. 4 occasions in that span, the Australians have been victorious, taking the coveted Cup in 1973, 1977, 1983 and 1986. Fraser supplied invaluable council to Laver and John Newcombe within the first of these triumphs and suggested Pat Money within the latter. His 1983 squad was strikingly inexperienced, however Fraser introduced out the very best in his contingent. By no means was there a technology hole when Neale Fraser was interacting with these gamers. He commanded respect as a strict disciplinarian who proved his equanimity and empathy with a variety of gamers.

Fraser is survived by his spouse Thea, brother John, youngsters, grandchildren and plenty of members of the family.

Story reproduced with permission from Worldwide Tennis Corridor of Fame.