Tommy Ho
Encyclopedia
Thomas "Tommy" Ho is a former professional tennis
player from the United States
.
Ho first came to the tennis world's attention as an exceptionally successful junior player. He won several junior tennis events in the 1980s, and set a number of 'youngest-ever' records.
In August 1988, Ho became the youngest-ever male player to play in the main draw of the US Open at the age of 15 years and 2 months. He lost the first round match to Johan Kriek
6–4, 7–6, 7–6. That same month, Ho became the second youngest male player to win a main draw match at a top-level tour event when he beat Matt Anger
in the first round at Rye Brook
6–4, 3–6, 6–4, just after Argentina's Franco Davín
.
Ho's early successes drew many comparisons with Michael Chang
, another Asian American
tennis player who achieved great success as a junior. However Ho did not manage to make the same kind of impact on the professional circuit as Chang (who went on to win the French Open and reach the World No. 2 singles ranking). Ho enjoyed some success in satellite tournament
s, but did not win any top-level singles events on the tour. He did, however, win four tour doubles titles (Beijing
in 1994, and Beijing, Hong Kong
and Indian Wells
in 1995).
Ho's professional career was hampered by injuries. In 1995, Ho and Brett Steven
became the fastest-ever losers of a match at Wimbledon
. In the very first point of their men's doubles match, Steven served and Ho tried to intercept the return at the net, only to injure his back. The pair thus had had to forfeit the match after just one rally, which had lasted all of five seconds. The back injury was to recur again in future years, and eventually led to Ho's retirement from the tour in 1997.
During his professional career, Ho reached career-high rankings of World No. 85 in singles and No. 13 in doubles. His career prize-money totalled US$793,819.
Since retiring from the tour, Ho has completed a degree at Rice University
in Houston
and worked as a tennis journalist.
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 from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Ho first came to the tennis world's attention as an exceptionally successful junior player. He won several junior tennis events in the 1980s, and set a number of 'youngest-ever' records.
In August 1988, Ho became the youngest-ever male player to play in the main draw of the US Open at the age of 15 years and 2 months. He lost the first round match to Johan Kriek
Johan Kriek
Johan Kriek is a South African American professional male tennis player and founder of the Global Water Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to delivering clean water to the world's neediest communities. Kriek has won two Australian Opens and has reached the semi-finals at the French...
6–4, 7–6, 7–6. That same month, Ho became the second youngest male player to win a main draw match at a top-level tour event when he beat Matt Anger
Matt Anger
Matt Anger is a former tennis player from the United States, who won one singles and two doubles titles during his career....
in the first round at Rye Brook
Rye Brook, New York
Rye Brook is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States, within the town of Rye. Prior to the village's establishment on July 7, 1982, the area was an unincorporated section of the town of Rye...
6–4, 3–6, 6–4, just after Argentina's Franco Davín
Franco Davín
Franco Davín is a tennis coach and a former tennis player from Argentina. He currently coaches fellow countryman Juan Martín del Potro, and was the captain of the Argentine Davis Cup team...
.
Ho's early successes drew many comparisons with Michael Chang
Michael Chang
Michael Te-Pei Chang is a former American professional tennis player. He is best remembered for becoming the youngest-ever male player to win a Grand Slam singles title when he won the French Open in 1989 at the age of 17....
, another Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
tennis player who achieved great success as a junior. However Ho did not manage to make the same kind of impact on the professional circuit as Chang (who went on to win the French Open and reach the World No. 2 singles ranking). Ho enjoyed some success in satellite tournament
Satellite tournament
A satellite tournament is either a minor tournament or event on a competitive sporting tour or one of a group of such tournaments that form a series played in the same country or region.-Poker:...
s, but did not win any top-level singles events on the tour. He did, however, win four tour doubles titles (Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
in 1994, and Beijing, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Indian Wells
Indian Wells Masters
The Indian Wells Masters is an annual tennis tournament held in Indian Wells, California....
in 1995).
Ho's professional career was hampered by injuries. In 1995, Ho and Brett Steven
Brett Steven
Brett Andrew Steven is a tennis player from New Zealand.Steven turned professional in 1988 and won his first tour doubles title in 1991 at Newport, Rhode Island....
became the fastest-ever losers of a match at 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...
. In the very first point of their men's doubles match, Steven served and Ho tried to intercept the return at the net, only to injure his back. The pair thus had had to forfeit the match after just one rally, which had lasted all of five seconds. The back injury was to recur again in future years, and eventually led to Ho's retirement from the tour in 1997.
During his professional career, Ho reached career-high rankings of World No. 85 in singles and No. 13 in doubles. His career prize-money totalled US$793,819.
Since retiring from the tour, Ho has completed a degree at Rice University
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University or Rice, is a private research university located on a heavily wooded campus in Houston, Texas, United States...
in Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
and worked as a tennis journalist.
Doubles titles (4)
| Legend (Doubles) |
| Grand Slam tournaments (0) |
| Tennis Masters Cup (0) |
| ATP Masters Series (1) |
| ATP International Series Gold (0) |
| ATP International Series (3) |
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner in Final | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | 1994 | Beijing, China China Open (tennis) The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in... |
Carpet |  Kent KinnearKent Kinnear Kent Kinnear , is a former professional tennis player from the United States.Kinnear enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 4 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 15 times. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No... |
 David AdamsDavid Adams (tennis) David Adams is a former professional tennis player from South Africa. He turned pro in 1989. During his career he won 19 doubles titles and finished runner-up an additional 33 times, including at the French Open in 1992. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No...  Andrei OlhovskiyAndrei Olhovskiy Andrei Olhovskiy is a former tennis player from Russia, who turned professional in 1989.... |
7–6, 6–3 |
| 2. | 1995 | Indian Wells, U.S. | Hard |  Brett StevenBrett Steven Brett Andrew Steven is a tennis player from New Zealand.Steven turned professional in 1988 and won his first tour doubles title in 1991 at Newport, Rhode Island.... |
Gary Muller Gary Muller Gary Muller is a South African tennis player.In February 1987, he returned from a four and a half month break after damaging his knee cartilage to defeat Marcel Freeman in the first round of the United States Pro Indoor tennis championship.-External links:* at the New York Times** ]... Piet NorvalPiet Norval Pieter Norval is a former tennis player from South Africa, who turned professional in 1988. The right-hander represented his native country in the doubles competition at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he partnered Wayne Ferreira... |
6–4, 7–6 |
| 3. | 1995 | Hong Kong | Hard |  Mark PhilippoussisMark Philippoussis Mark Anthony Philippoussis is an Australian tennis player. He turned professional in 1994. His father is Greek, while his mother is of Italian ancestry.... |
John Fitzgerald  Anders JärrydAnders Järryd Anders Per Järryd is a former professional tennis player from Sweden. During his career he won eight Grand Slam doubles titles , reached the World No. 1 doubles ranking, and achieved a career-high singles ranking of World No. 5.Järryd was born in Lidköping, Västra Götaland... |
6–1, 6–7, 7–6 |
| 4. | 1995 | Beijing, China China Open (tennis) The China Open is an annual professional tennis tournament held in Beijing, China. The men's singles and doubles events were first held in 1993, the year in which the Qatar Open and Dubai Tennis Championships were also introduced to the men's tour, as the ATP opened a series of new tournaments in... |
Carpet |  Sébastien LareauSébastien Lareau Sébastien Lareau is a former touring professional tennis player.-As a singles player:The right-handed Lareau achieved a career best singles ranking of World No. 76 in April 1995. In January 1999 he reached a career second best ranking of World No. 78. He had a career ATP tour event win-loss... |
 Dick NormanDick Norman Dick Norman is a professional tennis player. He has achieved a degree of folk popularity among tennis fans due to his height , his left-handed power game and, in the last few years, his age .Turning professional in 1991, Norman notched up only his 14th Grand Slam...  Fernon WibierFernon Wibier Fernon Wibier , is a former professional tennis player from the Netherlands.Wibier enjoyed most of his tennis success while playing doubles. During his career he won 1 doubles title. He achieved a career-high doubles ranking of World No. 42 in 1997.-Doubles titles :-Runner-ups :-External links:... |
7–6, 7–6 |
Runner-ups (3)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner in Final | Opponent in Final | Score in Final |
| 1. | 1995 | Memphis, U.S. | Hard (i) | Brett Steven Brett Steven Brett Andrew Steven is a tennis player from New Zealand.Steven turned professional in 1988 and won his first tour doubles title in 1991 at Newport, Rhode Island.... |
Jared Palmer Jared Palmer Jared Eiseley Palmer is a professional tennis player who won 28 professional doubles titles and one singles title in his career on the ATP Tour. He also won four double titles on the challenger's circuit... Richey RenebergRichey Reneberg Richey Reneberg was an American professional male tennis player.He attended Southern Methodist University, where he was a three-time All-American and reached the 1986 National Collegiate Athletics Association finals.... |
6–4, 6–7, 1–6 |
| 2. | 1995 | Moscow, Russia Kremlin Cup The Kremlin Cup is a professional tennis tournament played on indoor hard courts. It is currently part of the ATP World Tour 250 series of the ATP Tour and is a Premier Tournament on the WTA Tour... |
Carpet | Brett Steven |
 Byron BlackByron Black Byron Black is a former touring professional tennis and Davis Cup player for Zimbabwe.- Biography :He is the brother of Cara and Wayne Black, both professional tennis players... Jared PalmerJared Palmer Jared Eiseley Palmer is a professional tennis player who won 28 professional doubles titles and one singles title in his career on the ATP Tour. He also won four double titles on the challenger's circuit... |
4–6, 6–3, 3–6 |
| 3. | 1996 | Adelaide, Australia | Hard | Jonas Björkman Jonas Björkman Jonas Lars Björkman is a former World Number 4 Swedish professional tennis player. He is also a former World No. 1 in doubles. Björkman retired from professional tennis after competing at the 2008 Tennis Masters Cup Doubles championships.... |
Todd Woodbridge Todd Woodbridge Todd Andrew Woodbridge is an Australian former tennis player. He was born in Sydney and turned professional in 1988. He is best known for his successful Doubles partnerships with Mark Woodforde and later Jonas Björkman... Mark WoodfordeMark Woodforde Mark Woodforde is a former professional tennis player from Australia. He is best known as one half of "The Woodies", a doubles partnership with Todd Woodbridge.... |
5–7, 6–7 |