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Ray Casey

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ray Casey
Casey in 1924
Born1990 (1990)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
Died1986 (aged 85–86)
Palo Alto, California, U.S.
PlaysLeft-hand
CollegeUniversity of California, Berkeley
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
WimbledonLoss (1925)
Coaching career (1950s-1960s)

Raymond J. Casey (1900 in San Francisco, California – 1986 in Palo Alto, California) was a top-ranked tennis player and coach.

Career

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Casey was a 12-letter athlete at the University of California, Berkeley. A left-hander, he was considered[by whom?] to have one of the fastest serves in the world. Although he won numerous tournaments on the West Coast, he played only twice in any of the four major Grand Slam tournaments. In the summer of 1925 he travelled with an American contingent to England. According to the Official Encyclopedia of Tennis, at the Eastbourne tournament, Casey beat Patrick Wheatley of Great Britain in a 6–0 set that took only 9 minutes. This is still considered the fastest set ever played in a tournament match.

Later, Casey and John Hennessey reached the finals of the Wimbledon doubles. In an era in which tournament doubles matches were considered almost as important as singles, they lost one of the most famous matches in the early history of tennis, being beaten 4–6, 9–11, 6–4, 6–1, 3–6 by Jean Borotra and René Lacoste. Later that summer, Casey won his opening matches in the American championship in New York but was forced to withdraw by a sudden case of appendicitis.

In the 1950s and 1960s Casey was a tennis coach in Santa Monica, California, his most noted pupils being Bob Lutz and Julie Anthony. He is a member of the Northern California Tennis Hall of Fame.

Grand Slam finals

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Doubles (1 runner-up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1925 Wimbledon Grass United States John F. Hennessey France Jean Borotra
France René Lacoste
4–6, 9–11, 6–4, 6–1, 3–6

See also

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References

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