Bernard Mitton
Encyclopedia
Bernard Mitton, born 9 November 1954 is a professional male tennis player in both singles and doubles from the Republic of South Africa. He was born in Vryburg, South Africa.
Mitton reached his highest rank in singles at World No. 51 on 15 December 1975, and in doubles of World No. 20 on 25 June 1984. His career record in singles in the ATP tour was 199–218, winning two titles. In doubles, he went 210–191, winning nine titles.
His two title wins in singles were at Newport, Rhode Island
in 1978 and San Jose, California
in 1979. He was the runner-up in three tournaments: San Jose (1978), Adelaide
(1979) and Johannesburg
(1981).
His nine title wins in doubles include: Auckland
(1979); Stowe, Vermont
and Cologne
(1980); Richmond WCT
(1981); Johannesburg (1981); Tampa
(1981); Columbus, Ohio
(1982); Ferrara
(1983); and La Quinta, California
(1984). He was the runner-up in eight tournaments: Sarasota, Florida
(1978); North Conway, New Hampshire
(1978); Rotterdam
(1979); Maui, Hawaii (1982) Ancona
(1982); Toulouse
(1983); Florence
(1984), and Queen's Club
(1984).
Mitton had career wins over John McEnroe
, Jimmy Connors
, and Arthur Ashe
in singles. Although he failed to reach the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam
tournament, he reached the fourth round on three separate occasions.
In his very first Grand Slam tournament in 1973, he reached the fourth round of Wimbledon
before losing to Connors 6–3, 6–3, 6–2.
In 1976, he again reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, defeating former champion John Newcombe
in the third round (3–6, 6–3, 9–7, 9–7) before falling to Raúl Ramírez
(9–7, 3–6, 6–1, 6–1).
In 1980, he reached the fourth round at the US Open, defeating José Luis Clerc
in the first round (6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 2–6, 7–5) before finally losing to Connors (7–6, 6–4, 6–4).
Mitton retired from the tour in 1984 and joined the Newport Beach Tennis Club as director of tennis. From 2000–2003, he was at Rancho San Clemente and is currently teaching at The Racket Club of Irvine, California
. He has three children, Natalie, Brend and Olivia.
Mitton reached his highest rank in singles at World No. 51 on 15 December 1975, and in doubles of World No. 20 on 25 June 1984. His career record in singles in the ATP tour was 199–218, winning two titles. In doubles, he went 210–191, winning nine titles.
His two title wins in singles were at Newport, Rhode Island
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War...
in 1978 and San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
in 1979. He was the runner-up in three tournaments: San Jose (1978), Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
(1979) and Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
(1981).
His nine title wins in doubles include: Auckland
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
(1979); Stowe, Vermont
Stowe, Vermont
Stowe is a town in Lamoille County, Vermont, United States. The population was 4,339 at the 2000 census. Tourism is a significant industry.-Geography:...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
(1980); Richmond WCT
Richmond WCT
The Richmond WCT was a men's tennis tournament played in Richmond, Virginia from 1971-1984. The event was part of the WCT Tour and was held on indoor carpet courts.-Men's singles:-Doubles:-References:*...
(1981); Johannesburg (1981); Tampa
Tâmpa
Tâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
(1981); Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
(1982); Ferrara
Ferrara
Ferrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
(1983); and La Quinta, California
La Quinta, California
La Quinta is a resort city in Riverside County, California, USA, specifically in the Coachella Valley between Indian Wells and Indio. The population was 37,467 at the 2010 census, up from 23,694 at the 2000 census. The Robb Report credits La Quinta as the nation's leading golf destination...
(1984). He was the runner-up in eight tournaments: Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
(1978); North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway, New Hampshire
North Conway is a census-designated place in eastern Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,349 at the 2010 census. A year-round resort area, North Conway is the largest village within the town of Conway, which is bounded on the east by the Maine state line. The White...
(1978); Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
(1979); Maui, Hawaii (1982) Ancona
Ancona
Ancona is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of 101,909 . Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region....
(1982); Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
(1983); Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
(1984), and Queen's Club
Queen's Club
The Queen's Club is a private sporting club in West Kensington, London, England. Founded in 1886, the Queen's Club was the world's first multipurpose sports complex and named after Queen Victoria, its first patron...
(1984).
Mitton had career wins over John McEnroe
John McEnroe
John Patrick McEnroe, Jr. is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player from the United States. During his career, he won seven Grand Slam singles titles , nine Grand Slam men's doubles titles, and one Grand Slam mixed doubles title...
, Jimmy Connors
Jimmy Connors
James Scott "Jimmy" Connors is an American former world no. 1 tennis player....
, and Arthur Ashe
Arthur Ashe
Arthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
in singles. Although he failed to reach the quarterfinals in any Grand Slam
Grand Slam (tennis)
The four Major tennis tournaments, also called the Slams, are the most important tennis events of the year in terms of world tour ranking points, tradition, prize-money awarded, strength and size of player field, and public attention. They are the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, and...
tournament, he reached the fourth round on three separate occasions.
In his very first Grand Slam tournament in 1973, he reached the fourth round of Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon
The Championships, Wimbledon, or simply Wimbledon , is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, considered by many to be the most prestigious. It has been held at the All England Club in Wimbledon, London since 1877. It is one of the four Grand Slam tennis tournaments, the other three Majors...
before losing to Connors 6–3, 6–3, 6–2.
In 1976, he again reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, defeating former champion John Newcombe
John Newcombe
John David Newcombe, AO, OBE is a former World No. 1 tennis player.-Biography:He won seven Grand Slam singles titles, A natural athlete, Newcombe played several sports as a boy until devoting himself to tennis. He was the Australian junior champion in 1961, 1962, and 1963 and was a member of...
in the third round (3–6, 6–3, 9–7, 9–7) before falling to Raúl Ramírez
Raúl Ramírez
Raúl Ramírez is a retired Mexican professional tennis player. He was active during the 1970s and 1980s, and is regarded as one of the great all-around players of the modern era. Ramírez was also the first player to finish first in both singles and doubles Grand Prix point standings, accomplishing...
(9–7, 3–6, 6–1, 6–1).
In 1980, he reached the fourth round at the US Open, defeating José Luis Clerc
José Luis Clerc
José Luis Clerc is a former Argentine professional tennis player, and one of the most important Argentine players in history....
in the first round (6–3, 6–2, 4–6, 2–6, 7–5) before finally losing to Connors (7–6, 6–4, 6–4).
Mitton retired from the tour in 1984 and joined the Newport Beach Tennis Club as director of tennis. From 2000–2003, he was at Rancho San Clemente and is currently teaching at The Racket Club of Irvine, California
Irvine, California
Irvine is a suburban incorporated city in Orange County, California, United States. It is a planned city, mainly developed by the Irvine Company since the 1960s. Formally incorporated on December 28, 1971, the city has a population of 212,375 as of the 2010 census. However, the California...
. He has three children, Natalie, Brend and Olivia.
Singles titles
| Legend (Singles) |
| Grand Slam (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (0) |
| ATP Tour (2) |
| Challengers (0) |
| Futures (0) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | 10 July 1978 | Newport, Rhode Island Newport, Rhode Island Newport is a city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States, about south of Providence. Known as a New England summer resort and for the famous Newport Mansions, it is the home of Salve Regina University and Naval Station Newport which houses the United States Naval War... , U.S. |
Grass |  John JamesJohn James (tennis) John James , is a former professional tennis player from Australia.James enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 2 doubles titles.-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :... |
6–1, 3–6, 7–6 |
| 2. | 19 March 1979 | San Jose Friendship Cup (tennis) The Friendship Cup is a defunct tennis tournament that was played on the Grand Prix Tennis Circuit from 1979-1980. The event was held in San José, Costa Rica and was played on hardcourts.-Singles:-Doubles:... , Costa Rica Costa Rica Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east.... |
Hard |  Tom GormanTom Gorman (tennis) Tom Gorman is an American tennis player. He attended Seattle Preparatory School and was the Washington State high school tennis champion three years in a row. Gorman attended and graduated from Seattle University and was a two time All-American. He played in professional tour events in the 1960s,... |
6–4, 6–4, 6–3 |
Singles runner-ups (3)
- 1978: San JoseSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
(lost to Arthur AsheArthur AsheArthur Robert Ashe, Jr. was a professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond, Virginia. During his career, he won three Grand Slam titles, putting him among the best ever from the United States...
) - 1979: AdelaideAdelaideAdelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
(lost to Kim WarwickKim WarwickKim Warwick is a former Australian professional male tennis player mostly known for his doubles titles with Mark Edmondson, and for reaching the final of the singles Australian Open in 1980...
) - 1981: JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
(lost to Kevin CurrenKevin Curren----Kevin Melvyn Curren is a former professional tennis player. He played in two Grand Slam singles finals and won four Grand Slam doubles titles.-Career:...
)
Doubles titles (9)
- 1979: AucklandAucklandThe Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
(with ??or is a letter derived from the Latin alphabet. Both glyphs of the majuscule and minuscule forms of this letter are based on the rotated form of a minuscule e; a similar letter with identical minuscule is used in the Pan-Nigerian Alphabet and some alphabets based on the African reference...
) - 1980: Stowe, Cologne (with ?)
- 1981: Richmond WCTRichmond WCTThe Richmond WCT was a men's tennis tournament played in Richmond, Virginia from 1971-1984. The event was part of the WCT Tour and was held on indoor carpet courts.-Men's singles:-Doubles:-References:*...
(with ?)- JohannesburgJohannesburgJohannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
: (with ?) - TampaTâmpaTâmpa may refer to several villages in Romania:* Tâmpa, a village in Băcia Commune, Hunedoara County* Tâmpa, a village in Miercurea Nirajului, Mureş County* Tâmpa, a mountain in Braşov city...
: (with ?)
- Johannesburg
- 1982: ColumbusColumbus, OhioColumbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
(with ?) - 1983: FerraraFerraraFerrara is a city and comune in Emilia-Romagna, northern Italy, capital city of the Province of Ferrara. It is situated 50 km north-northeast of Bologna, on the Po di Volano, a branch channel of the main stream of the Po River, located 5 km north...
(with ?) - 1983: La Quinta (with ?)