Francisco Contreras
Full nameFrancisco Contreras Serrano
Country (sports) Mexico
Born16 June 1934
Mexico City
Died12 July 2022(2022-07-12) (aged 88)
PlaysRight-handed
Singles
Career record197-145
Career titles3
Grand Slam singles results
French Open4R (1957)
Wimbledon2R (1957, 1958, 1960)
US Open4R (1956)
Medal record
Pan American Games
Gold medal – first place1963 São PauloMixed doubles
Silver medal – second place1959 ChicagoMixed doubles
Silver medal – second place1959 ChicagoMen's doubles
Bronze medal – third place1963 São PauloMen's singles
Central American and Caribbean Games
Gold medal – first place1959 CaracasMen's doubles
Silver medal – second place1959 CaracasMen's singles

Francisco Contreras Serrano (16 June 1934 – 12 July 2022),[1] also known as Pancho Contreras, was a Mexican tennis player. He both played for and captained the Mexico Davis Cup team.

Biography

Born in Mexico City in 1934, Contreras completed his studies in California, attending Modesto Junior College.[2] Along with his Modesto teammate Joaquín Reyes, he went on to play college tennis for the University of Southern California and the pair combined to win the 1955 NCAA doubles championships. He won the NCAA doubles championship again in 1956, this time partnering Peruvian player Alex Olmedo.[3]

Contreras reached the round of 16 at both the 1956 U.S. National Championships and the 1957 French Championships. At the 1958 Wimbledon Championships, he partnered with Rosie Reyes to make the semifinals of the mixed doubles. He won a men's doubles gold medal at the 1959 Central American and Caribbean Games and was a mixed-doubles gold medalist at 1963 Pan American Games, partnering Yola Ramírez.[4]

Davis Cup

Contreras debuted for Mexico's Davis Cup team in 1953 and played his 12th and final tie during the nation's historic run to the 1962 Davis Cup final.[5] He was team captain for Mexico in the 1962 campaign, which included a win over the United States. In order to rest players, he featured in two dead rubber singles matches, against Yugoslavia and India, en route to the final.[6] In the final against Australia in Brisbane, he remained on the sidelines, as the home side were victorious 5–0.[7]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Murió Francisco “Pancho” Contreras, leyenda del tenis mexicano (in Spanish)
  2. ↑ "Playing the field". Montreal Gazette. 14 July 1953.
  3. ↑ "Olmedo of SC in NCAA Net Win; UCLA Nabs Team". San Bernardino Sun. 1 July 1956.
  4. ↑ "Those Cubans Again Topple U.S., Nine, 3–1". New York Daily News. 27 April 1963.
  5. ↑ "Can Mexico Take Davis Cup? Contreras, for One, Thinks So (Published 1964)". The New York Times. 31 July 1964.
  6. ↑ "Mexico Wins Cup Challenge". The Canberra Times. 6 December 1962. p. 44. Retrieved 18 November 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ↑ "Pancho Contreras y el día que Octavio Paz ayudó al equipo de Copa Davis". Más Latina 96.5 (in Spanish). 27 July 2020.
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