Eliot Teltscher

Eliot Teltscher
Country (sports) United States
ResidenceIrvine, California
Born (1959-03-15) March 15, 1959
Rancho Palos Verdes, California, US
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned pro1977
Retired1988
PlaysRight-handed (one-handed backhand)
Prize money$1,653,997
Singles
Career record399–217
Career titles10
Highest rankingNo. 6 (June 7, 1982)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQF (1983)
French Open4R (1979, 1982, 1983)
Wimbledon3R (1977)
US OpenQF (1980, 1981, 1983)
Other tournaments
Tour FinalsQF (1984)
WCT FinalsQF (1984)
Doubles
Career record161–164
Career titles4
Highest rankingNo. 38 (August 26, 1985)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open3R (1983)
French OpenF (1981)
Wimbledon3R (1985)
Mixed doubles
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
French OpenW (1983)
WimbledonQF (1985)

Eliot Teltscher (born March 15, 1959) is a retired professional American tennis player. He won the 1983 French Open Mixed Doubles. His highest ranking in singles was No. 6 in the world and in doubles was No. 38 in the world.

Tennis career

Early years

Teltscher was born in Palos Verdes, California and lives in Irvine, California.[1][2] His mother was born in Mandatory Palestine, and his father Eric, of Austrian descent, was a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to Mandatory Palestine and joined the British military, ultimately becoming an industrial engineer.[3][4] He began playing tennis when he was nine, and by the time he was 17, he was ranked in the top ten in the United States junior rankings.[5]

He attended UCLA in 1978 on a tennis scholarship, but dropped out to begin his professional tennis career.[6][1]

Pro career

In 1979, Teltscher turned pro. A worldwide top 10 player from 1980 to 1982. He reached his highest singles ATP-ranking on May 7, 1982 when he became ranked No. 6 in the world.[3]

He and his partner Terry Moor made it to the finals of the French Open in 1981, and he and Barbara Jordan won the mixed doubles title in 1983.[6] He made it to the quarterfinals at the US Open in 1980, 1981, and 1983, where each time he was defeated by Jimmy Connors.[6] He won 10 singles titles during his professional career, which ended in 1988.[3]

Davis Cup

Teltscher was on the U.S. Davis Cup team in 1982, 1983, and 1985. His team defeated France in the 1982 tournament.[6]

Coaching

He served as a coach for Justin Gimelstob, Richey Reneberg (1997), Jeff Tarango (1995), Pete Sampras, Jim Grabb (1992), Phillip King and others.[6]

Teltscher served as a head men's tennis coach at Pepperdine University for the 1991–92 school season,[6] and as a tennis coach at the Manhattan Beach Country Club from 1992 to 1997.

He was a coach of the US national team from 1998 to 2001, then he became the coach to Taylor Dent.[6]

He was named USTA Director of Tennis Operations in December 2002.[7]

Teltscher was named the 2003 Pan American Games Men's Coach.[8]

Jewish Sports Hall of Fame

Teltscher, who is Jewish, was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, into the Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1998,[9] and into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.[10][11]

Grand Slam finals

Doubles

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 1981 French Open Clay Terry Moor Heinz Günthardt
Balázs Taróczy
2–6, 6–7, 3–6

Mixed doubles

Result Year Championship Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1983 French Open Clay Barbara Jordan Leslie Allen
Charles Strode
6–2, 6–3

ATP Tour finals

Singles 24 (10–14)

Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Aug 1978 Atlanta, U.S. Hard Stan Smith 6–4, 1–6, 1–2, ret.
Win 1–1 Nov 1978 Hong Kong Hard Pat Du Pré 6–4, 6–3, 6–2
Win 2–1 Sep 1979 Atlanta, U.S. Hard John Alexander 6–3, 4–6, 6–2
Loss 2–2 Jan 1980 Birmingham, U.S. Carpet Jimmy Connors 3–6, 2–6
Loss 2–3 Apr 1980 New Orleans, U.S. Carpet Wojciech Fibak 4–6, 5–7
Win 3–3 Aug 1980 Atlanta, U.S. Hard Terry Moor 6–2, 6–2
Loss 3–4 Sep 1980 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet Gene Mayer 2–6, 6–2, 1–6
Win 4–4 Oct 1980 Maui, U.S. Hard Tim Wilkison 7–6, 6–3
Loss 4–5 Oct 1980 Guangzhou, China Carpet Jimmy Connors 2–6, 4–6
Loss 4–6 Oct 1980 Tokyo, Japan Clay Ivan Lendl 6–3, 4–6, 0–6
Win 5–6 Jan 1981 San Juan, U.S. Hard Tim Gullikson 6–4, 6–2
Loss 5–7 Aug 1981 Montreal, Canada Hard Ivan Lendl 3–6, 2–6
Win 6–7 Sep 1981 San Francisco, U.S. Carpet Brian Teacher 6–3, 7–6(7–4)
Loss 6–8 Oct 1981 Tokyo Outdoor, Japan Clay Balázs Taróczy 3–6, 6–1, 6–7(3–7)
Loss 6–9 May 1982 Rome, Italy Clay Andrés Gómez 2–6, 3–6, 2–6
Loss 6–10 Oct 1982 Melbourne Indoor, Australia Carpet Vitas Gerulaitis 6–2, 2–6, 2–6
Loss 6–11 Feb 1983 La Quinta, U.S. Hard José Higueras 4–6, 2–6
Win 7–11 Oct 1983 Tokyo, Japan Hard Andrés Gómez 7–5, 3–6, 6–1
Loss 7–12 Sep 1984 Los Angeles, U.S. Hard Jimmy Connors 4–6, 6–4, 4–6
Win 8–12 Oct 1984 Brisbane, Australia Hard Francisco González 3–6, 6–3, 6–4
Win 9–12 Nov 1984 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard Vitas Gerulaitis 6–3, 6–1, 7–6
Loss 9–13 Oct 1987 Scottsdale, U.S. Hard Brad Gilbert 2–6, 2–6
Win 10–13 Nov 1987 Hong Kong Hard John Fitzgerald 6–7(6–8), 3–6, 6–1, 6–2, 7–5
Loss 10–14 Feb 1988 Guarujá, Brazil Hard Luiz Mattar 3–6, 3–6

Doubles 14 (4–10)

Result W/L Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 Aug 1978 Columbus, U.S. Clay Marcello Lara Colin Dibley
Bob Giltinan
2–6, 3–6
Win 1–1 Apr 1979 Tulsa, U.S. Hard (i) Francisco González Colin Dibley
Tom Gullikson
6–7, 7–5, 6–3
Loss 1–2 Sep 1979 Atlanta, U.S. Hard Steve Docherty Raymond Moore
Ilie Năstase
4–6, 2–6
Win 2–2 Apr 1980 New Orleans, U.S. Carpet Terry Moor Raymond Moore
Robert Trogolo
7–6, 6–1
Loss 2–3 May 1980 Rome, Italy Clay Balázs Taróczy Mark Edmondson
Kim Warwick
6–7, 6–7
Loss 2–4 Aug 1980 Columbus, United States Hard Peter Fleming Brian Gottfried
Sandy Mayer
4–6, 2–6
Loss 2–5 Oct 1980 Tokyo Outdoor, Japan Clay Terry Moor Ross Case
Jaime Fillol
3–6, 6–3, 4–6
Loss 2–6 Nov 1980 Wembley, England Carpet Bill Scanlon Peter Fleming
John McEnroe
5–7, 3–6
Loss 2–7 Jan 1981 San Juan, Puerto Rico Hard Tim Gullikson Tim Mayotte
Chris Mayotte
4–6, 6–7
Loss 2–8 Feb 1981 La Quinta, U.S. Hard Terry Moor Bruce Manson
Brian Teacher
6–7, 2–6
Loss 2–9 Jun 1981 French Open, Paris Clay Terry Moor Heinz Günthardt
Balázs Taróczy
2–6, 6–7, 3–6
Win 3–9 Jan 1982 Delray Beach WCT, U.S. Clay Mel Purcell Tomáš Šmíd
Balázs Taróczy
6–4, 7–6
Win 4–9 Oct 1982 Maui, U.S. Hard Mike Cahill Francisco González
Bernard Mitton
6–4, 6–4
Loss 4–10 Nov 1984 Johannesburg, South Africa Hard Steve Meister Tracy Delatte
Francisco González
6–7, 1–6

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "Eliot Teltscher | Overview | Tennis". ATP Tour.
  2. ^ "12 March 1982". Jewish Post.
  3. ^ a b c "Eliot Teltscher – One of the Greatest Jewish Tennis Players Of All Time". March 10, 2017.
  4. ^ "The Los Angeles Times from Los Angeles, California on January 14, 1982 · Page 68".
  5. ^ Teltscher, Eliot: Jews In Sports @ Virtual Museum
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Teltscher, Eliot". Jews in Sports. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  7. ^ "Teltscher to coach Pe'er in next tournament". The Jerusalem Post. July 27, 2010.
  8. ^ "Missing Sole but Not Heart". Los Angeles Times. August 7, 2003.
  9. ^ "Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Home". scjewishsportshof.com.
  10. ^ "Eliot Teltscher". International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved February 21, 2014.
  11. ^ "Eliot Teltscher". jewishsports.net.