Colin Long (tennis)

Colin Long (3 March 1918 – 8 November 2009) was an Australian tennis player. He had a notable mixed doubles partnership with fellow Australian Nancye Wynne Bolton. Together they won four Mixed Doubles (1940, 1946, 1947 and 1948) at the Australian Championships, which is an all-time record. In singles, he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian four times (1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950) and the fourth round of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Nationals in 1947. He was a major commentator for Channel 7 for both golf and tennis until the late 1980s.

Colin Long

Full name	Colin Foster Long
Country (sports)	Australia
Born	3 March 1918 Melbourne, Australia
Died	8 November 2009(2009-11-08) (aged 91)
Singles
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	QF (1947, 1948, 1949, 1950)
Wimbledon	4R (1947)
US Open	4R (1947)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	F (1939, 1948)
Wimbledon	SF (1947)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	W (1940, 1946, 1947, 1948)
Wimbledon	F (1947)

Life outside tennis

Long was born in Melbourne and attended Melbourne Grammar School, where he was school captain in 1937. He was a lieutenant in the AIF in World War II, serving in the Middle East.

He worked for Dunlop Sport before joining Spalding, where he became deputy chief executive. He appeared as a commentator on Seven Network tennis telecasts in the 1960s and 1970s and also commentated on golf up until the late 1980s alongside Peter Alliss.

In 1943 he married Florence Pelling. She survived him, along with their son and daughter.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles: 2 (2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1939	Australian Championships	Grass	Don Turnbull	John Bromwich Adrian Quist	4–6, 5–7, 2–6
Loss	1948	Australian Championships	Grass	Frank Sedgman	John Bromwich Adrian Quist	6–1, 8–6, 7–9, 3–6, 6–8

Mixed doubles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-ups)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Scoree
Loss	1938	Australian Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	Margaret Wilson John Bromwich	3–6, 2–6
Win	1940	Australian Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	Nell Hall Hopman Harry Hopman	7–5, 2–6, 6–4
Win	1946	Australian Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	Joyce Fitch John Bromwich	6–0, 6–4
Loss	1947	Wimbledon Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	Louise Brough John Bromwich	6–1, 4–6, 2–6
Win	1947	Australian Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	Joyce Fitch John Bromwich	6–3, 6–3
Win	1948	Australian Championships	Grass	Nancye Wynne Bolton	Thelma Coyne Long Bill Sidwell	7–5, 4–6, 8–6

External links

• Colin Long at the Association of Tennis Professionals
• Colin Long at the International Tennis Federation
• Colin Long at the Davis Cup