Herb Fitzgibbon
Encyclopedia
Herb Fitzgibbon is a former tennis
player who was nationally ranked in the 1960s and 1970s.
Fitzgibbon played four years of high school tennis for Garden City High School and never lost a match. He played collegiate tennis at Princeton University
and was a gold and bronze medalist at the Olympic Games
in Mexico City
in 1968 when tennis was a demonstration sport.
Fitzgibbon won the singles title at the tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio
in 1964 and was a two-time singles runner-up (1965 and 1963) there as well. He also reached the Cincinnati doubles final with Butch Newman in 1965. That year, he also won the Long Island Championships and the Eastern Clay Court title. In 1968, Fitzgibbon won against 16th-seeded Nikola Pilić
in the first round at Wimbledon, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–2.
Fitzgibbon also was an accomplished platform tennis player, winning national doubles titles in 1974 with John Beck and in 1977 and 1978 with Hank Irvine. In 1974, Fitzgibbon and Beck defeated Keith Jennings and Chauncey Steele 7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–2. In 1977, Fitzgibbon and Irvine defeated Gordon Gray and Doug Russell 6–3, 7–5, 1–6, 6–4. Fitzgibbon and Irvine also played in the 1980 National Championship final losing to Steve Baird and Rich Maier 6–1, 3–6, 7–6, 6–7, 6–3
Fitzgibbon authored the book The Complete Racquet Sports Player.
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
player who was nationally ranked in the 1960s and 1970s.
Fitzgibbon played four years of high school tennis for Garden City High School and never lost a match. He played collegiate tennis at Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
and was a gold and bronze medalist at the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
in Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1968 when tennis was a demonstration sport.
Fitzgibbon won the singles title at the tournament in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati Masters
The Cincinnati Open is an annual outdoor hardcourts tennis event held in the Cincinnati suburb of Mason, Ohio, USA. The event started on September 18, 1899 and is the oldest tennis tournament in the United States played in its original city., Between...
in 1964 and was a two-time singles runner-up (1965 and 1963) there as well. He also reached the Cincinnati doubles final with Butch Newman in 1965. That year, he also won the Long Island Championships and the Eastern Clay Court title. In 1968, Fitzgibbon won against 16th-seeded Nikola Pilić
Nikola Pilic
Nikola "Niki" Pilić is a retired Croatian professional tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. He was one of the Handsome Eight.-Biography:...
in the first round at Wimbledon, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3, 6–2.
Fitzgibbon also was an accomplished platform tennis player, winning national doubles titles in 1974 with John Beck and in 1977 and 1978 with Hank Irvine. In 1974, Fitzgibbon and Beck defeated Keith Jennings and Chauncey Steele 7–5, 4–6, 6–2, 4–6, 6–2. In 1977, Fitzgibbon and Irvine defeated Gordon Gray and Doug Russell 6–3, 7–5, 1–6, 6–4. Fitzgibbon and Irvine also played in the 1980 National Championship final losing to Steve Baird and Rich Maier 6–1, 3–6, 7–6, 6–7, 6–3
Fitzgibbon authored the book The Complete Racquet Sports Player.