Ian Harris (tennis)

Ian Harris
Full nameIan Harris
Country (sports) United States
Born (1952-11-16) November 16, 1952
Singles
Career record1–1
Highest rankingNo. 259 (January 4, 1982)
Doubles
Career record2–7
Highest rankingNo. 288 (January 3, 1983)
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open1R (1980)
Wimbledon1R (1981)

Ian Harris (born November 16, 1952) is an American former professional tennis player and current tennis coach and amateur golfer.

Biography

Early life

Harris was born on November 16, 1952, in the United States.[1] He was raised in Michigan, where he competed in the regional junior circuits throughout his youth before transitioning to the professional tour.[2][3]

Tennis playing career

Harris appeared in the men's doubles main draw at the 1980 French Open and 1981 Wimbledon Championships. He competed in Men's Doubles in the 1980 French Open with Toby Crabel, and they lost their first-round match against Vitas Gerulaitis and former World No. 1 Fred Stolle in straight sets.[4]

On the Grand Prix circuit he made the doubles quarter-finals at the Lagos Open in 1980 and the Columbus Open in 1981. His best performance in singles came at the Grand Prix Cleveland in 1981 when he reached the round of 16.[5] Both of his two Challenger titles were in doubles.

Tennis coaching and golf career

After retiring from the professional tennis circuit at the age of 32, Harris transitioned into coaching and began working as a tennis instructor in Michigan, serving as a teaching professional at the Franklin Athletic Club in Southfield.[6][7][8]

He also took up golf and established a prominent career in regional amateur golf tournaments.[6] A member of the Golf Association of Michigan (GAM), Harris won the[Michigan Senior Amateur championship in 2008 and later qualified for the 2017 U.S. Senior Amateur.[7] In 2019, he completed a "Grand Slam" of regional senior golf by capturing four major titles, including the GAM Senior Championship and the GAM Super Senior Championship, earning him the title of GAM Super Senior Player of the Year.[9] He secured another major victory in 2020 by winning the super-senior flight at the Michigan Senior Match Play tournament.[6]

Challenger titles

Doubles: (2)

No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
1. 1981 Ogun, Nigeria Clay United States Craig Wittus United States Guy Fritz
Canada Harry Fritz
7–6, 7–6
2. 1981 Bari, Italy Clay Chile Belus Prajoux Italy Gianni Marchetti
Chile Alejandro Pierola
6–4, 6–2

See also

References

  1. ↑ Harris, Ian. "Ian Harris". ATP Tour.
  2. ↑ "Mitch Wilson, Ian Harris take Michigan Senior Amateur titles". AmateurGolf.com. June 3, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Professional Tennis - Serving Aces for Sarcoma". Serving Aces for Sarcoma.
  4. ↑ "Toby Crabel," ATP Tour.
  5. ↑ "ITF Tennis - Pro Circuit - Cleveland - 10 August - 16 August 1981". ITF. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 "Mitch Wilson, Ian Harris take Michigan Senior Amateur titles". AmateurGolf.com. June 3, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "U.S. Senior Amateur: Inside the Field". USGA. August 23, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Amateur field relishes U.S. Senior Open experience". The Sacramento Bee. June 24, 2015. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Men's Super Senior: Ian Harris". The Michigan Golf Journal.