George Martin Lott (October 16, 1906 – December 3, 1991) was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the great doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John Doeg in 1929 and 1930; and Les Stoefen in 1933 and 1934.

George Lott
Full nameGeorge Martin Lott
Country (sports) United States
Born(1906-10-16)October 16, 1906
Springfield, Illinois, United States
DiedDecember 3, 1991(1991-12-03) (aged 85)
Chicago, Illinois
Turned pro1934 (amateur tour from 1924)
Retired1946
PlaysRight-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF1964 (member page)
Singles
Highest rankingNo. 4 (1931, Züricher Sport)[1]
Grand Slam singles results
French OpenQF (1931)
WimbledonQF (1929, 1930, 1934)
US OpenF (1931)
Professional majors
US ProQF (1938)
Wembley ProQF (1935)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
French OpenW (1931)
WimbledonW (1931, 1934)
US OpenW (1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
WimbledonW (1931)
US OpenW (1929, 1931, 1934)
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1929, 1930, 1934)

At the U.S. championships singles in 1928, Lott beat Christian Boussus and John Doeg then lost to Frank Hunter in the semifinals.[2] In 1931, Lott beat defending champion Doeg in the semifinals, then lost to Ellsworth Vines in the final.[2]

Lott won the Canadian Covered Court Championships four times. In 1927, he defeated Canadian Willard Crocker in a five-set final; in 1928, he defeated Frank Shields in straight sets in the final; in 1930, he defeated Frederic Mercur in a five-set final; and in 1931, he defeated Berkeley Bell in straight sets in the semifinals and John Van Ryn in a five-set final.

In 1928, he won the Pinehurst Resort title on clay, defeating Shields in the final in a five-set match.

In 1929 and 1930, he was ranked World No. 6 and No. 7 by A Wallis Myers;[3][4] No. 6 by Pierre Gillon in 1930;[5] and in 1931 was ranked No. 4 by Züricher Sport.[1]

In 1934, Lott became a touring professional, giving up his amateur status and the ability to play in Grand Slam tournaments. He signed a professional contract in November 1934 with promoter Bill O'Brien and in January 1935 and started a series of head-to-head matches against Bill Tilden; by March, he trailed Tilden 5–26.[6][7]

Lott was the men's tennis coach at [DePaul University from 1969 until his death in Chicago on December 3, 1991.[8][9] He had been inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.[10]

Lott was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964.[11]

Grand Slam finals

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Singles (1 runner-up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1931 U.S. Championships Grass   Ellsworth Vines 9–7, 3–6, 7–9, 5–7

Doubles (8 titles, 1 runner-up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1928 U.S. National Championships Grass   John Hennessey   Gerald Patterson
  Jack Hawkes
6–2, 6–1, 6–2
Win 1929 U.S. National Championships Grass   John Doeg   Berkeley Bell
  Lewis White
10–8, 16–14, 6–1
Loss 1930 Wimbledon Grass   John Doeg   John Van Ryn
  Wilmer Allison
3–6, 3–6, 2–6
Win 1930 U.S. National Championships Grass   John Doeg   John Van Ryn
  Wilmer Allison
8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 13–15, 6–4
Win 1931 French Championships Clay   John Van Ryn   Vernon Kirby
  Norman Farquharson
6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Win 1931 Wimbledon Grass   John Van Ryn   Jacques Brugnon
  Henri Cochet
6–2, 10–8, 9–11, 3–6, 6–3
Win 1933 U.S. National Championships Grass   Lester Stoefen   Frank Shields
  Frank Parker
11–13, 9–7, 9–7, 6–3
Win 1934 Wimbledon Grass   Lester Stoefen   Jean Borotra
  Jacques Brugnon
6–2, 6–3, 6–4
Win 1934 U.S. National Championships Grass   Lester Stoefen   Wilmer Allison
  John Van Ryn
6–4, 9–7, 3–6, 6–4

Mixed doubles (4 titles, 1 runner-up)

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Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1929 U.S. National Championships Grass   Betty Nuthall   Phyllis Covell
  Bunny Austin
6–3, 6–3
Win 1931 Wimbledon Grass   Anna McCune Harper   Joan Ridley
  Ian Collins
6–3, 1–6, 6–1
Win 1931 U.S. National Championships Grass   Betty Nuthall   Anna McCune Harper
  Wilmer Allison
6–3, 6–3
Loss 1933 U.S. National Championships Grass   Sarah Palfrey   Elizabeth Ryan
  Ellsworth Vines
9–11, 1–6
Win 1934 U.S. National Championships Grass   Helen Jacobs   Elizabeth Ryan
  Lester Stoefen
4–6, 13–11, 6–2

Other tennis achievements

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  • Davis Cup team member – 1928–31, 1933–34
  • The first player, and one of only four (Bobby Riggs, Mats Wilander and Roger Federer being the other three), to win the tournament now known as the Cincinnati Masters four times: 1924, 1925, 1927 and 1932. Also won the doubles title in 1924 (with Jack Harris) and 1925 (with Thomas McGlinn) and was a singles finalist in 1926 and a doubles finalist (with Thomas Johnson) in 1927.

References

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  1. ^ a b Béla Kehrling, ed. (October 1, 1931). "Külföldi hírek" [International news] (PDF). Tennisz és Golf. III (in Hungarian). 18–19. Budapest, Hungary: Egyesült Kő-, Könyvnyomda, Könyv- és Lapkiadó Rt: 3–9. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  2. ^ a b Talbert, Bill (1967). Tennis Observed. Boston: Barre Publishers. pp. 106, 109. OCLC 172306.
  3. ^ "Tilden Ranks Fourth in London Telegraph Rankings", The Toledo News-Bee, September 19, 1929.
  4. ^ Béla Kehrling, ed. (November 20, 1930). "tennis and golf" (PDF). Tennisz és Golf (in Hungarian). II (21). Budapest, Hungary: Bethlen Gábor irod. és Nyomdai RT. Retrieved December 3, 2012.
  5. ^ Béla Kehrling, ed. (October 22, 1930). "Külföldi hírek" [International news] (PDF). Tennisz és Golf. II (in Hungarian). 19–20. Budapest, Hungary: Bethlen Gábor Irod. és Nyomdai R.T.: 375. Retrieved November 30, 2012.
  6. ^ McCauley, Joe (2000). The History of Professional Tennis. Windsor: The Short Run Book Company Limited. pp. 25–26.
  7. ^ Howard Barry (January 26, 1935). "Tilden and Lott play tonight on Armory courts". Chicago Daily Tribune.
  8. ^ "George Lott, Tennis coach, 85" (obituary), The New York Times, Wednesday, December 4, 1991..
  9. ^ "Three-time Wimbledon winner George Lott dead at 85". UPI. December 3, 1991.
  10. ^ "Hall of Fame – DePaul University Athletics". Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2012.
  11. ^ "Hall of Famers – George Lott". International Tennis Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on June 15, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2012.
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