Philip Clive Dent (born 14 February 1950) is a former professional tennis player. Dent's high water mark as a pro singles player was reaching the Australian Open final in 1974, which he lost to Jimmy Connors in four sets. Dent was also the men's doubles champion at the Australian Open in 1975 (with teammate John Alexander), and the mixed-doubles champion at the US Open in 1976 (with teammate Billie Jean King).

Phil Dent
Full namePhilip Clive Dent
Country (sports) Australia
ResidenceNewport Beach, California, U.S.
Born (1950-02-14) 14 February 1950 (age 74)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Height182 cm (5 ft 11+12 in)
Turned pro1968 (amateur from 1967)
Retired1983
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Career record411–348
Career titles3
Highest rankingNo. 17 (23 August 1977)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenF (1974)
French OpenSF (1977)
WimbledonQF (1977)
US Open3R (1973)
Doubles
Career record409–253
Career titles25
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian OpenW (1975)
French OpenF (1975, 1979)
WimbledonF (1977)
US OpenQF (1972, 1973, 1975)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
US OpenW (1976)
Team competitions
Davis CupW (1977)

Tennis career edit

As well as his victory in the 1975 Australian Open doubles, Dent reached six more men's doubles finals in Grand Slam Tournaments, finishing runner-up at the Australian Open in 1970, 1973, and 1977, the French Open in 1975 and 1979 and Wimbledon in 1977. Dent was a member of the Australian tennis teams that won the Davis Cup in 1977 and the World Team Cup in 1979.

Before turning professional, Dent won the boys' singles titles at both the Australian Open tournament and at the French Open in 1968.

During his professional career, Dent won three top-level singles titles (in Sydney and in Brisbane, Australia, both in 1979, and the former also in 1971) and 25 doubles titles (also winning the 1968 Australian Hard Courts singles event in Launceston). His career-high singles ranking was world No. 12 (in 1977). Dent retired from professional tennis in 1983.

Since retiring as a player, Dent has settled in Newport Beach, California.[1] Dent was married to Betty Ann Grubb Stuart and their son, Taylor Dent was also a professional tennis player and citizen of the United States.

Dent defeated Björn Borg in the third round of the 1974 Australian Open, the only Australian Open in which he competed.

Grand Slam finals edit

Singles: 1 (1 runner-up) edit

Result Year Championship Surface Opponent Score
Loss 1974 Australian Open Grass   Jimmy Connors 6–7(7–9), 4–6, 6–4, 3–6

Mixed doubles: 1 (1 title) edit

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1976 US Open Grass   Billie Jean King   Frew McMillan
  Betty Stöve
3–6, 6–2, 7–5

Grand Slam performance timeline edit

Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# P# DNQ A Z# PO G S B NMS NTI P NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.

Singles edit

Tournament 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 Career SR
Australian 1R QF 2R 3R 2R A 1R F 2R 2R QF 2R 2R QF 3R 3R 4R 2R 0 / 17
French Open A P1 2R 3R 1R A 3R A 1R A SF 1R 1R A A A A 0 / 8
Wimbledon A 1R 3R 2R 2R A A 2R 4R 4R QF 3R 2R 4R 1R A A 0 / 12
US Open A A 1R A 2R 1R 3R A 2R 1R 2R 1R 1R A 1R 1R A 0 / 11
Strike rate 0 / 1 0 / 2 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 4 0 / 1 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 4 0 / 3 0 / 5 0 / 4 0 / 4 0 / 2 0 / 3 0 / 2 0 / 1 0 / 48

Note: The Australian Open was held twice in 1977, in January and December.

Career finals edit

Doubles (25 titles, 25 runner-ups) edit

Result No. Year Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1. 1970 Australian Open, Melbourne Grass   John Alexander   Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
3–6, 6–8, 3–6
Loss 2. 1970 Hilversum, Netherlands Hard   John Alexander   Bill Bowrey
  Owen Davidson
3–6, 4–6, 2–6
Win 1. 1970 Kitzbühel, Austria Clay   John Alexander   Željko Franulović
  Jan Kodeš
10–8, 6–2, 6–4
Win 2. 1971 Sydney Outdoor, Australia Hard   John Alexander   Mal Anderson
  Alex Metreveli
6–7, 2–6, 6–3, 7–6, 7–6
Win 3. 1971 Gstaad, Switzerland Clay   John Alexander   John Newcombe
  Tom Okker
5–7, 6–3, 6–4
Win 4. 1971 Los Angeles, U.S. Hard   John Alexander   Frank Froehling
  Clark Graebner
7–6, 6–4
Loss 3. 1971 Vancouver WCT, Canada   John Alexander   Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
7–5, 7–6, 0–6, 5–7, 6–7
Loss 4. 1972 St. Louis WCT, U.S. Carpet   John Alexander   John Newcombe
  Tony Roche
6–7, 2–6
Win 5. 1972 Louisville WCT, U.S. Clay   John Alexander   Arthur Ashe
  Bob Lutz
6–4, 6–3
Loss 5. 1973 Australian Open, Melbourne Grass   John Alexander   Mal Anderson
  John Newcombe
3–6, 4–6, 6–7
Win 6. 1973 Toronto WCT, Canada Carpet   John Alexander   Roy Emerson
  Rod Laver
3–6, 6–4, 6–4, 6–2
Loss 6. 1973 Brussels WCT, Belgium Carpet   John Alexander   Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
4–6, 6–7
Win 7. 1973 Cincinnati, U.S. Clay   John Alexander   Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
1–6, 7–6, 7–6
Loss 7. 1974 Richmond WCT, U.S. Carpet   John Alexander   Nikola Pilić
  Allan Stone
3–6, 6–3, 6–7
Win 8. 1974 Miami WCT, U.S. Hard   John Alexander   Tom Okker
  Marty Riessen
4–6, 6–4, 7–5
Win 9. 1974 Monte Carlo WCT, Monaco Clay   John Alexander   Manuel Orantes
  Tony Roche
7–6, 4–6, 7–6, 6–3
Win 10. 1975 Australian Open, Melbourne Grass   John Alexander   Bob Carmichael
  Allan Stone
6–3, 7–6
Loss 8. 1975 Fort Worth WCT, U.S. Hard   John Alexander   Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
7–6, 6–7, 3–6
Win 11. 1975 San Antonio WCT, U.S. Hard   John Alexander   Mark Cox
  Cliff Drysdale
7–6, 4–6, 6–4
Loss 9. 1975 Tokyo Indoor, Japan Carpet   John Alexander   Bob Lutz
  Stan Smith
4–6, 7–6, 2–6
Win 12. 1975 Las Vegas, U.S. Hard   John Alexander   Bob Carmichael
  Cliff Drysdale
6–1, 6–4
Loss 10. 1975 French Open, Paris Clay   John Alexander   Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
4–6, 6–2, 2–6, 4–6
Win 13. 1975 Chicago, U.S. Carpet   John Alexander   Mike Cahill
  John Whitlinger
6–3, 6–4
Win 14. 1975 Cincinnati, U.S. Hard   Cliff Drysdale   Marcelo Lara
  Joaquín Loyo-Mayo
7–6, 6–4
Loss 11. 1975 North Conway, U.S. Clay   John Alexander   Haroon Rahim
  Erik van Dillen
6–7, 6–7
Win 15. 1976 Atlanta WCT, U.S. Carpet   John Alexander   Wojtek Fibak
  Karl Meiler
6–3, 6–4
Loss 12. 1976 St. Louis WCT, U.S. Carpet   John Alexander   Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
4–6, 2–6
Win 16. 1976 Denver WCT, U.S. Carpet   John Alexander   Jimmy Connors
  Billy Martin
6–7, 6–2, 7–5
Loss 13. 1976 Woodlands Doubles, Texas Hard   Allan Stone   Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
1–6, 4–6, 7–5, 6–7
Loss 14. 1977 Jackson, U.S. Carpet   Ken Rosewall   Bob Hewitt
  Frew McMillan
2–6, 6–7
Loss 15. 1977 Houston WCT, U.S. Hard   John Alexander   Ilie Năstase
  Adriano Panatta
3–6, 4–6
Loss 16. 1977 Hamburg, Germany Clay   Kim Warwick   Bob Hewitt
  Karl Meiler
6–3, 3–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss 17. 1977 Wimbledon, London Grass   John Alexander   Ross Case
  Geoff Masters
3–6, 4–6, 6–3, 9–8, 4–6
Win 17. 1977 Cincinnati, U.S. Clay   John Alexander   Bob Hewitt
  Roscoe Tanner
6–3, 7–6
Win 18. 1977 Washington, D.C., U.S. Clay   John Alexander   Fred McNair
  Sherwood Stewart
7–5, 7–5
Win 19. 1977 Louisville, U.S. Clay   John Alexander   Chris Kachel
  Cliff Letcher
6–1, 6–4
Loss 18. 1977 Adelaide, Australia Grass   John Alexander   Syd Ball
  Kim Warwick
6–3, 6–7, 4–6
Win 20. 1977 Sydney Outdoor, Australia Grass   John Alexander   Ray Ruffels
  Allan Stone
7–6, 2–6, 6–3
Loss 19. 1977 Australian Open, Melbourne Grass   John Alexander   Ray Ruffels
  Allan Stone
6–7, 6–7
Loss 20. 1978 Memphis, U.S. Carpet   John Newcombe   Brian Gottfried
  Raúl Ramírez
6–3, 6–7, 2–6
Win 21. 1978 Forest Hills WCT, U.S. Clay   John Alexander   Fred McNair
  Sherwood Stewart
7–6, 7–6
Win 22. 1978 Los Angeles, U.S. Carpet   John Alexander   Fred McNair
  Raúl Ramírez
6–3, 7–6
Win 23. 1978 Brisbane, Australia Grass   John Alexander   Syd Ball
  Allan Stone
6–3, 7–6
Win 24. 1979 Hobart, Australia Grass   Bob Giltinan   Ion Țiriac
  Guillermo Vilas
8–6
Loss 18. 1979 Dayton, U.S. Carpet   Ross Case   Cliff Drysdale
  Bruce Manson
6–3, 3–6, 6–7
Loss 19. 1979 French Open, Paris Clay   Ross Case   Gene Mayer
  Sandy Mayer
4–6, 4–6, 4–6
Loss 23. 1979 Adelaide, Australia Grass   John Alexander   Colin Dibley
  Chris Kachel
7–6, 6–7, 4–6
Loss 24. 1980 Brisbane, Australia Grass   Rod Frawley   John McEnroe
  Matt Mitchell
6–8
Win 25. 1982 Guarujá, Brazil Clay   Kim Warwick   Carlos Kirmayr
  Cássio Motta
6–7, 6–2, 6–3
Loss 25. 1982 Denver, U.S. Carpet   Kim Warwick   Kevin Curren
  Steve Denton
4–6, 4–6

References edit

External links edit