George Lott

George Lott

Full name	George Martin Lott
Country (sports)
Born	Springfield, Illinois, United States
Died	Chicago, Illinois
Turned pro	1934 (amateur tour from 1924)
Retired	1946
Plays	Right-handed (1-handed backhand)
Int. Tennis HoF	1964 (member page)
Singles
Highest ranking	No. 4 (1931, Züricher Sport)
Grand Slam singles results
French Open	QF (1931)
Wimbledon	QF (1929, 1930, 1934)
US Open	F (1931)
Professional majors
US Pro	QF (1938)
Wembley Pro	QF (1935)
Doubles
Grand Slam doubles results
French Open	W (1931)
Wimbledon	W (1931, 1934)
US Open	W (1928, 1929, 1930, 1933, 1934)
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Wimbledon	W (1931)
US Open	W (1929, 1931, 1934)
Team competitions
Davis Cup	F (1929, 1930, 1934)

George Martin Lott (October 16, 1906 – December 3, 1991) was an American tennis player and tennis coach who was born in Springfield, Illinois. Lott is mostly remembered as being one of the great doubles players of all time. He won the U.S. title five times with three different partners: John Hennessey in 1928; John Doeg in 1929 and 1930; and Les Stoefen in 1933 and 1934.

At the U.S. championships singles in 1928, Lott beat Christian Boussus and John Doeg then lost to Frank Hunter in the semifinals. In 1931, Lott beat defending champion Doeg in the semifinals, then lost to Ellsworth Vines in the final.

In five appearances at the Cincinnati Open, Lott amassed a 30-1 singles record and won four singles titles (1924, 1925, 1927 & 1932). His only loss came in the 1926 singles final where he fell to Bill Tilden, 4-6, 6-3, 7-9, 6-4, 6-3.

Lott won the Canadian Covered Court Championships four times. In 1927, he defeated Canadian Willard Crocker in a five-set final; in 1928, he defeated Frank Shields in straight sets in the final; in 1930, he defeated Frederic Mercur in a five-set final; and in 1931, he defeated Berkeley Bell in straight sets in the semifinals and John Van Ryn in a five-set final.

In 1928, he won the Pinehurst Resort title on clay, defeating Shields in the final in a five-set match.

In 1929 and 1930, he was ranked World No. 6 and No. 7 by A Wallis Myers; No. 6 by Pierre Gillon in 1930; and in 1931 was ranked No. 4 by Züricher Sport.

In 1934, Lott became a touring professional, giving up his amateur status and the ability to play in Grand Slam tournaments. He signed a professional contract in November 1934 with promoter Bill O'Brien and in January 1935 and started a series of head-to-head matches against Bill Tilden; by March, he trailed Tilden 5–26.

Lott was the men's tennis coach at [DePaul University from 1969 until his death in Chicago on December 3, 1991. He had been inducted into the school's Athletics Hall of Fame in 1984.

Lott was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 1964.

Grand Slam finals

Singles (1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Opponent	Score
Loss	1931	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon Ellsworth Vines	9–7, 3–6, 7–9, 5–7

Doubles (8 titles, 1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1928	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon John Hennessey	Template:Flagicon Gerald Patterson Template:Flagicon Jack Hawkes	6–2, 6–1, 6–2
Win	1929	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon John Doeg	Template:Flagicon Berkeley Bell Template:Flagicon Lewis White	10–8, 16–14, 6–1
Loss	1930	Wimbledon	Grass	Template:Flagicon John Doeg	Template:Flagicon John Van Ryn Template:Flagicon Wilmer Allison	3–6, 3–6, 2–6
Win	1930	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon John Doeg	Template:Flagicon John Van Ryn Template:Flagicon Wilmer Allison	8–6, 6–3, 4–6, 13–15, 6–4
Win	1931	French Championships	Clay	Template:Flagicon John Van Ryn	Template:Flagicon Vernon Kirby Template:Flagicon Norman Farquharson	6–4, 6–3, 6–4
Win	1931	Wimbledon	Grass	Template:Flagicon John Van Ryn	Template:Flagicon Jacques Brugnon Template:Flagicon Henri Cochet	6–2, 10–8, 9–11, 3–6, 6–3
Win	1933	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon Lester Stoefen	Template:Flagicon Frank Shields Template:Flagicon Frank Parker	11–13, 9–7, 9–7, 6–3
Win	1934	Wimbledon	Grass	Template:Flagicon Lester Stoefen	Template:Flagicon Jean Borotra Template:Flagicon Jacques Brugnon	6–2, 6–3, 6–4
Win	1934	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon Lester Stoefen	Template:Flagicon Wilmer Allison Template:Flagicon John Van Ryn	6–4, 9–7, 3–6, 6–4

Mixed doubles (4 titles, 1 runner-up)

Result	Year	Championship	Surface	Partner	Opponents	Score
Win	1929	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon Betty Nuthall	Template:Flagicon Phyllis Covell Template:Flagicon Bunny Austin	6–3, 6–3
Win	1931	Wimbledon	Grass	Template:Flagicon Anna McCune Harper	Template:Flagicon Joan Ridley Template:Flagicon Ian Collins	6–3, 1–6, 6–1
Win	1931	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon Betty Nuthall	Template:Flagicon Anna McCune Harper Template:Flagicon Wilmer Allison	6–3, 6–3
Loss	1933	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon Sarah Palfrey	Template:Flagicon Elizabeth Ryan Template:Flagicon Ellsworth Vines	9–11, 1–6
Win	1934	U.S. National Championships	Grass	Template:Flagicon Helen Jacobs	Template:Flagicon Elizabeth Ryan Template:Flagicon Lester Stoefen	4–6, 13–11, 6–2

Other tennis achievements

• Davis Cup team member – 1928–31, 1933–34
• The first player, and one of only four (Bobby Riggs, Mats Wilander and Roger Federer being the other three), to win the Cincinnati Open four times: 1924, 1925, 1927 and 1932. Also won the doubles title in 1924 (with Jack Harris) and 1925 (with Thomas McGlinn) and was a singles finalist in 1926 and a doubles finalist (with Thomas Johnson) in 1927.

References

• From Club Court to Center Court by Phillip S. Smith (2008 Edition; Template:ISBN)

External links

• Template:ATP
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• Template:DavisCup player