Dick Dell
American tennis player

Dick Dell

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American tennis player
Gender:
Male
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Birth:
29 September 1947(Washington, D.C., USA)
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Education:
University of Michigan
University of Virginia School of Law
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Siblings:
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The details
Biography

Introduction

Richard Dell (born 1947) is a former professional tennis player from the United States.

Biography

Dell, who won a gold medal at the 1965 Summer Universiade in the men's doubles with Allen Fox, attended the University of Michigan from 1965 to 1969. A member of the varsity tennis team, Dell was the Big Ten Singles Champion in 1969. As he was beginning a law degree at the University of Virginia his number was called out in the Vietnam War draft. Following basic training, Dell became a squash and tennis coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He created history in 1967 when he took part in the longest ever doubles match. Partnering Dick Leach at the Newport Casino Invitational, the pair defeated Tommy Mozur and Lenny Schloss, 3–6, 49–47, 22–20.

On the Grand Prix tennis circuit he won two titles, both in the doubles with Sherwood Stewart. They won their first title together in Tokyo in 1972 then a second in Cincinnati in 1974. As a singles player he made the second round of the US Open on three occasions and came close to getting a win over Rod Laver in Hong Kong in 1973 when he was a set and a break up. He had his most noted singles performances on tour in 1974, when he upset John Alexander at a WCT tournament in Washington DC and made the semi-finals in Chicago, after beating Raúl Ramírez in the quarter-finals. At the 1975 Wimbledon Championships, Dell and Stewart made it to the third round of the doubles, where they took former champions Bob Hewitt and Frew McMillan to five sets.

Dell retired from tennis in 1977 and took up a coaching job in Maui. He returned to the University of Virginia in the 1980s and completed a Doctor of Law.

For many year he was the agent of Gabriela Sabatini, while working for ProServ, a company founded by his elder brother Donald Dell.

Grand Prix career finals

Doubles: 2 (2–0)

Outcome No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Winner 1. 1972 Tokyo, Japan Hard Sherwood Stewart Marcello Lara
Jeff Simpson
6–3, 6–2
Winner 2. 1974 Cincinnati, U. S. Hard Sherwood Stewart Jim Delaney
John Whitlinger
4–6, 7–6, 6–2