Jiro Sato facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jiro Sato

Jiro Sato in 1932 at Central Station, Sydney
Country (sports)	Empire of Japan
Born	(1908-01-05)January 5, 1908 Gunma Prefecture, Empire of Japan
Died	April 5, 1934(1934-04-05) (aged 26) Strait of Malacca
Turned pro	1929 (amateur tour)
Retired	1934 (death)
Plays	Right-handed
Singles
Career record	128-26 (83.1%)
Career titles	18
Highest ranking	No. 3 (1933, A. Wallis Myers)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (1932)
French Open	SF (1931, 1933)
Wimbledon	SF (1932, 1933)
US Open	4R (1933)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
Wimbledon	F (1933)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	F (1932)

Jiro Sato (佐藤 次郎, Satō Jirō, Japanese pronunciation: [sa.toː dʑi.ɾoː]; January 5, 1908 – April 5, 1934) was a Japanese tennis player. He was ranked world No. 3 in 1933, but died during his trip to the Davis Cup in 1934.

He received worldwide fame in Wimbledon 1932, when he beat the defending champion Sidney Wood at the quarterfinal. In the semifinal, he lost to Bunny Austin. His peak came in 1933, when he beat Fred Perry in the French Open quarterfinal. He was ranked world No. 3 by A. Wallis Myers of The Daily Telegraph, behind Jack Crawford and Fred Perry. However, it got more and more difficult for him to endure the enormous pressure from Japan. It is believed that pressure drove him to throw himself overboard into the Strait of Malacca on April 5, 1934, at 26 years of age.

Tennis career

He debuted on the international tennis scene in 1929 when the touring Racing Club de Paris visited Japan for a series of exhibition matches. He notably defeated tennis legends Jacques Brugnon, Raymond Rodel and Pierre Henri Landry, only losing to Henri Cochet.

In 1930 he was the runner-up for the All Japan Championships, which he finally did win the next year. Also in 1930 he was a runner-up for the Mid-Pacific Invitational tournament losing to American Cranston Holman and the doubles final as well.

In 1931 he lost the Miramar L. T. C. title in Juan-les-Pins against Hyotaro Sato, won the doubles, and was a finalist in mixed doubles. He clinched the West of England Championships in singles and doubles. He was defeated by Jean Borotra for the British Covered Court Championships title. He partnered Hyotaro Sato to gain the Beau Site Club de Cannes second meeting trophy and the St. Raphaël T.C. title. In singles competition he claimed the Country Club de Monte-Carlo second meeting title (the same tournament in which the Sato pair reached the doubles final). He became Dutch doubles champion alongside Minoru Kawachi. In July he beat Vernon Kirby for the Tunbridge Wells Championship. He captured the Midland Counties Championships in singles and mixed doubles the same month and only losing the doubles final.

Between July and November 1931 he won 13 singles titles in Great Britain. He met Fred Perry twice for the Pacific Southwest Championships title in 1932 and 1933, losing both times. In August 1933 he partnered compatriot Ryosuke Nunoi to win the doubles title at the German Championships in Hamburg.

From 1931 to 1933 Sato played in ten ties for the Japanese Davis Cup team and won 22 rubbers and lost only six, compiling a 79% winning record.

Playing style

Sato played with a flat forehand drive which he modeled after Henri Cochet when Cochet visited Japan in 1929. He hit the ball on the forehand side early after the bounce and he was an excellent volleyer.

Personal life

Jiro Sato attended Waseda University and studied economics. He abandoned his studies in 1933 to pursue tennis. He had an elder brother, Hyotaro Sato, who was also a tennis player. He was engaged to Sanae Okada in 1934, one of Japan's best female tennis players.

Death

On April 4, 1934, Jiro Sato was on the ship N.Y.K. Hakone Maru crossing the Strait of Malacca to Europe for the 1934 International Lawn Tennis Challenge (later to be known as Davis Cup) against the Australia Davis Cup team in the second round. Ted Tinling was also on board that ship. Earlier in the day Sato complained of stomach pains and thus had no appetite and kept to his cabin. He considered leaving the ship at Singapore, which he did for a medical examination. The exam revealed no reasons for his health problems and it was concluded that his problems were psychological. Sato was nervous and feared that his illness would be an obstacle for his team to win. As the day passed, the Japan Davis Cup team was given a banquet hosted by the Japanese consul to Singapore. Sato was present and was further pushed by the consul and his teammates to proceed with the trip and sail to Europe. That same day a cable was received from the Japanese Lawn Tennis Association insisting on Sato's participation in the Davis Cup and that the voyage should be resumed without delay.

At 11:30 p.m. on April 5, 1934, before reaching Penang, Sato was found missing by his compatriot Jiro Yamagishi. The last time he was seen was at 8:30 p.m. when he had dinner in his cabin. A search for him continued for seven more hours and the vessel hovered in the strait. Wireless messages were sent to nearby ships. It was presumed that he had drowned in the Strait. On April 6, a prayer was ministered by his friends who assembled on the deck of the ship. An altar was built on board with photographs and racquets of Sato around it. Also a traditional Japanese "cake offering" ceremony was held. It was speculated that the pressure on him came from the growing prestige of the Japanese Empire and from the Japanese Lawn Tennis Association who refused to allow the exhausted Sato to have a break from tennis and skip the 1934 season. He became depressed and concerned about his abilities.

His brother Hyotaro Sato addressed a call for the Japanese team to not cancel their match and to fight their hardest.

Grand Slam finals

Doubles (1 runner-up )

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1933	Wimbledon	Grass	Ryosuke Nunoi	Jean Borotra Jacques Brugnon	6–4, 3–6, 3–6, 5–7

Mixed doubles (1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Loss	1932	Australian Championships	Grass	Meryl O'Hara Wood	Marjorie Cox Crawford Jack Crawford	8–6, 6–8, 3–6

Grand Slam performance