Nicola Pietrangeli, a two-time winner of the French Open, has died on the age of 92, Italy’s tennis federation introduced on Monday.
“Italian tennis is mourning an icon. Nicola Pietrangeli, the one Italian inducted into the World Tennis Hall of Fame, has died,” mentioned the FITP.
Born in Tunis in 1933 to an Italian father and Russian mom, Pietrangeli was extensively thought of the nation’s best ever tennis participant till the emergence of present world quantity two Jannik Sinner.
He was additionally among the best clay-court gamers of his era, with three titles in Monte Carlo and his house Italian Open event in Rome, the place a courtroom is known as in his honour.
In whole Pietrangeli received 44 singles titles over his profession, together with his two triumphs at Roland Garros in 1959 and 1960, and reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in the identical yr as his second French Open title.
An all-round sportsman, Pietrangeli performed for soccer crew Lazio till he was 18 years previous, however he switched to tennis after the Rome-based membership tried to ship him away on mortgage.
Pietrangeli’s first victory at Roland Garros was the primary time any Italian participant had received a Grand Slam and got here after he defeated South African Ian Vermaak within the remaining.
He additionally received that yr’s doubles event, which again then was massively common, alongside his compatriot Orlando Sirola with whom he fashioned a formidable pairing.
Gifted with a wonderful backhand, exact ball management, and spectacular stamina, he received his second French Open title in 1960 towards Chilean Luis Ayala earlier than being overwhelmed twice within the 1961 and 1964 finals by Spaniard Manuel Santana.
During the vast majority of his profession tennis was divided between amateurs, who performed within the conventional high tournaments and the Davis Cup, and professionals who joined a parallel circuit as soon as they established a status as a high participant.
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Unlike his contemporaries Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall, Pietrangeli did not flip skilled till the start of the Open period in 1968, by which period he was in his mid-30s.
After his retirement Pietrangeli, a fan of the excessive life, grew to become a media persona, presenting common sports activities programme La Domenica Sportiva and showing in three movies.
“If I’d educated tougher I’d have received extra, however I’d have had much less enjoyable,” he as soon as mentioned.
Pietrangeli was additionally a Davis Cup stalwart, taking part in a document 164 matches for Italy, though he by no means managed to win it as a participant, shedding the ultimate in 1960 and 1961.
He racked up these appearances between between 1954 and 1972, however he did not style success within the worldwide event till 1976 when he captained his nation to its first title.
