Anand Amritraj (born 20 March 1951) is an Indian former tennis player and businessman.[1][2][3] He, along with brother Vijay Amritraj, led India into the 1974 Davis Cup finals against South Africa,[4] and was a part of the Indian team captained by Vijay Amritraj which reached the final of the Davis Cup in 1987 against Sweden.

Anand Amritraj
Born (1951-03-20) 20 March 1951 (age 73)
Madras, India
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Retiredyes
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money$332,133
Singles
Career record195–170
Career titles7
Highest rankingNo. 74 (6 November 1974)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open1R (1973, 1974, 1976, 1979)
Wimbledon2R (1973, 1977, 1978)
US Open3R (1974)
Doubles
Career record288–269
Career titles12
Highest rankingNo. 80 (2 January 1984)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open1R (1984)
French Open3R (1979)
WimbledonSF (1976)
US OpenQF (1973, 1976)
Team competitions
Davis CupF (1974, 1987)

Career edit

Anand Amritraj and his younger brothers, Vijay and Ashok, were among the first Indians to play in top-flight international tour tennis. In 1976, Anand and Vijay were semi-finalists in the Wimbledon men's doubles. Anand was part of the Indian team for 1974 Davis Cup, which advanced to the finals of the tournament and then forfeited the championship to South Africa as the Government of India decided to boycott the match in protest South Africa's Apartheid policies,[5] and again reached the final in 1987 against Sweden.

His son Stephen Amritraj is also an American former professional tennis player who represented India. He did schooling from Don Bosco and graduated from Loyola College in Madras.[6]

 
Vijay and Anand Amritraj warm up at 2000 Wimbledon Sr Invitation Doubles Finals in the Centre Court

His daughter-in-law Alison Riske-Amritraj is also a top-50 player on the WTA Tour.[7]

Career finals edit

 
Anand and Vijay Amritraj 2000 Wimbledon Sr Invitation Doubles Finals

Doubles: 30 (12–18) edit

Result No. Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. Oct 1973 New Delhi, India   Vijay Amritraj   Jim McManus
  Raúl Ramírez
2–6, 4–6
Win 1. Nov 1973 Christchurch, New Zealand   Fred McNair   Jürgen Fassbender
  Jeff Simpson
w/o
Win 2. Nov 1974 Bombay, India Clay   Vijay Amritraj   Dick Crealy
  Onny Parun
6–4, 7–6
Loss 2. Aug 1974 South Orange, US Hard   Vijay Amritraj   Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
6–7, 7–6, 6–7
Win 3. Aug 1974 Columbus, US Hard   Vijay Amritraj   Tom Gorman
  Robert Lutz
Loss 3. Feb 1975 Toronto, Canada Carpet (i)   Vijay Amritraj   Dick Stockton
  Erik van Dillen
4–6, 5–7, 1–6
Loss 4. Mar 1975 Washington DC, US Carpet (i)   Vijay Amritraj   Mike Estep
  Jeff Simpson
6–75, 3–6
Win 4. Mar 1975 Atlanta, US Carpet (i)   Vijay Amritraj   Mark Cox
  Cliff Drysdale
6–3, 6–2
Loss 5. Aug 1975 Louisville, US Clay   Vijay Amritraj   Wojtek Fibak
  Guillermo Vilas
Win 5. Sep 1975 Los Angeles, US Hard   Vijay Amritraj   Cliff Drysdale
  Marty Riessen
7–6, 4–6, 6–4
Loss 6. Nov 1975 Calcutta, India Clay   Vijay Amritraj   Juan Gisbert
  Manuel Orantes
6–1, 4–6, 3–6
Win 6. Mar 1976 Memphis, US Carpet (i)   Vijay Amritraj   Roscoe Tanner
  Marty Riessen
6–3, 6–4
Loss 7. Nov 1976 Hong Kong Hard   Ilie Năstase   Hank Pfister
  Butch Walts
4–6, 2–6
Loss 8. Nov 1976 Manila, Philippines Hard   Corrado Barazzutti   Ross Case
  Geoff Masters
0–6, 1–6
Win 7. Jun 1977 Queen's Club, London, UK Grass   Vijay Amritraj   David Lloyd
  John Lloyd
6–1, 6–2
Win 8. Sep 1978 Mexico City, Mexico Clay   Vijay Amritraj   Fred McNair
  Raúl Ramírez
6–4, 7–5
Loss 9. Jan 1979 Baltimore, US Carpet (i)   Cliff Drysdale   Marty Riessen
  Sherwood Stewart
6–7, 4–6
Loss 10. Mar 1979 San Jose, Costa Rica Hard   Colin Dibley   Ion Țiriac
  Guillermo Vilas
4–6, 6–2, 4–6
Loss 11. Apr 1979 Cairo, Egypt Clay   Vijay Amritraj   Peter McNamara
  Paul McNamee
5–7, 4–6
Loss 12. Aug 1979 Stowe, US Hard   Colin Dibley   Mike Cahill
  Steve Krulevitz
6–3, 3–6, 4–6
Loss 13. Mar 1980 San Jose, Costa Rica Hard   Nick Saviano   Jaime Fillol
  Álvaro Fillol
2–6, 6–7
Loss 14. Apr 1980 Los Angeles, US Hard   John Austin   Brian Teacher
  Butch Walts
2–6, 4–6
Win 9. Apr 1980 São Paulo, Brazil Carpet (i)   Fritz Buehning   David Carter
  Chris Lewis
7–6, 6–2
Loss 15. Aug 1980 Atlanta, US Hard   John Austin   Tom Gullikson
  Butch Walts
7–6, 6–7, 5–7
Loss 16. Apr 1981 Houston, US Clay   Fred McNair   Mark Edmondson
  Sherwood Stewart
4–6, 3–6
Loss 17. Aug 1981 Columbus, US Hard   Vijay Amritraj   Bruce Manson
  Brian Teacher
1–6, 1–6
Win 10. Nov 1982 Baltimore, US Carpet (i)   Tony Giammalva   Vijay Amritraj
  Fred Stolle
7–5, 6–2
Win 11. Nov 1982 Chicago, US Carpet (i)   Vijay Amritraj   Mike Cahill
  Bruce Manson
3–6, 6–3, 6–3
Loss 18. Feb 1983 Delray Beach, US Clay   Johan Kriek   Pavel Složil
  Tomáš Šmíd
6–7, 4–6
Win 12. Jul 1983 Stuttgart, West Germany Clay   Mike Bauer   Pavel Složil
  Tomáš Šmíd
4–6, 6–3, 6–2

References edit

  1. ^ Padmanaban, Geeta (13 May 2003). "Advantage! Amritraj". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  2. ^ Seminara, Dave (28 November 2009). "The Year the Davis Cup Felt Empty". The New York Times. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  3. ^ Keerthivasan, K (1 January 2003). "Anand – the genial Indian". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 6 June 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ^ "South Africa v India"". Davis Cup. Retrieved 31 July 2021.
  5. ^ "1976 Wimbledon men doubles". Archived from the original on 3 July 2008. Retrieved 15 May 2008.
  6. ^ "Hollywood's Chennaiite: Ashok Amritraj talks about his love for Hollywood and Tennis". The New Indian Express. 15 December 2017. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
  7. ^ Watch: American tennis star Alison Riske grooves to Bollywood song at her wedding with Stephen Amritraj 23 July 2019

External links edit