Former Wimbledon champion Bob Falkenburg dies at age of 95

Bob Falkenburg (Roitberg, Wikimedia Commons)

According to the Associated Press, Bob Falkenburg, the 1948 Wimbledon champion, passed away at the age of 95 on Thursday. A native of New York, Falkenburg defeated John Bromwich of Australia, 7-5, 0-6, 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 to win the only grand slam singles title of his career.

Falkenburg made tennis history by becoming the first and only men’s singles champion at Wimbledon to be bageled in one set in the final and still win the title. Other men’s singles champions who were bageled in the final of a grand slam were Dick Williams of the United States, Jean Borotra of France, Mervyn Rose of Australia, Rod Laver of Australia, and Gaston Gaudio of Argentina. Laver was in fact bageled by Roy Emerson in the second set of the 1962 Australian Championship Final, the first year he won all four majors in the same year. Gaudio, meanwhile, lost the first two sets before winning the 2004 French Open in five sets.

In addition to winning one grand slam singles final, Falkenburg also won two grand slam men’s doubles finals. He teamed up with Don McNeill of Chickasha, Oklahoma to beat Bill Talbert of Cincinnati, Ohio and Pancho Segura of Ecuador, 7-5, 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 to win the 1944 United States Championship, and then with Jack Kramer of Las Vegas, Nevada to beat Tony Mottram of Great Britain and Bill Sidwell of Australia, 8-6, 6-3, 6-3 to win the 1947 Wimbledon Championship.

Falkenburg was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1974. After his tennis career, Falkenburg became a successful golfer as he won the Brazilian Amateur Golf Championship three times. While in Brazil, Falkenburg became a very successful businessman. He was the owner of an ice cream and fast-food restaurant, simply known as “Bob’s”. Today, there are over 1000 “Bob’s” in Brazil.

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