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Abe Segal
Full name Alan Abraham Segal
Country (sports) South Africa South Africa
Born (1930-10-23)23 October 1930
Johannesburg, South Africa
Died 4 April 2016(2016-04-04) (aged 85)
Cape Town, South Africa
Plays Left-handed (one-handed backhand)
Singles
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open 2R (1954)
French Open 3R (1955, 1957, 1961, 1962)
Wimbledon QF (1964)
US Open 4R (1956)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open QF (1954)
French Open F (1958, 1963)
Wimbledon SF (1963)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open QF (1964)
Wimbledon QF (1964)
Team competitions
Davis Cup FEu (1965)

Alan Abraham Segal (born October 23, 1930 – died April 4, 2016), known as Abe Segal, was a talented tennis player from South Africa. He was known for his strong doubles play and his stand against unfair rules in sports.

Abe Segal's Early Life and Tennis Career

Abe Segal was born in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was a Jewish athlete.

During the 1950s and 1960s, Abe Segal became a well-known doubles player. He often teamed up with Gordon Forbes. They were considered one of the best doubles teams in the world.

In 1951, Abe Segal won the singles title at the Irish Open. He beat Guy Jackson in the final match.

He also played for the South African Davis Cup team many times. From 1955 to 1965, he played in 19 Davis Cup matches. He won 24 games and lost 14.

Standing Up for Fairness in Sports

Abe Segal did not agree with apartheid, which was a system of racial separation in South Africa. Because of this system, some tennis players refused to play against white South Africans.

In 1964, two players, Alex Metreveli and István Gulyás, would not play against Segal at Wimbledon. They did this because of South Africa's apartheid policy.

However, another famous tennis player, Arthur Ashe, had a different view. He said he would play Segal anytime. Ashe believed that politics should not stop athletes from competing.

Weeks later, Segal and Ashe played a match in Illinois, and Segal won. This event led the International Tennis Federation to make an important rule. The rule said that players could not refuse to compete because of racial discrimination. They could only withdraw for health or family reasons.

Grand Slam Achievements

Abe Segal reached the finals of two major tennis tournaments, known as Grand Slams, in doubles.

  • In 1958, he was a runner-up in the doubles final at the French Open. He played with his partner, Robert Howe.
  • In 1963, he reached the doubles final of the French Open again. His partner was Gordon Forbes.

He also had good results in singles at Grand Slams:

  • He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in 1964.
  • He made it to the fourth round at the US Open in 1956.

Life After Tennis

After he stopped playing tennis professionally, Abe Segal found a new passion. He became a painter. In 2008, he wrote a book about his life called Hey Big Boy!.

Abe Segal passed away on April 4, 2016, at the age of 85. He died from cancer.

See also

  • List of select Jewish tennis players
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